Product Overview

RCAS is a leading tool for comprehensive aeroelastic analysis of rotorcraft, helicopters, and other air vehicles including structural dynamics, aeroelastic stability, vibration, and loads prediction. RCAS is supported and utilized by the U.S. government, as well as several large and small rotorcraft designers and manufacturers. RCAS uses a finite element approach and is capable of modeling existing and novel configurations at varying levels of fidelity through an extensive library of structure, airloads, airwake, interference, and control elements developed over 30 years.

GRCAS is an enhanced version of RCAS, with a Graphical User Interface that facilitates model development and analysis understanding.

Graphical user interface of GRCAS software. In the image, GRCAS is analzing a rotorcraft model.

Key Features

Model Viewer
Model Editing Mode
Analysis Mode
Output Mode
Integrated On-line Help

Model Viewer

The Model Viewer shows an interactive graphical display of the rotorcraft or aircraft model currently loaded into GRCAS, and provides various features for animating analysis results.

Interactive hierarchical menu of model elements with ability to highlight selected elements in the graphical display
Options for rendering multiple views and reorienting the model view
Animation of model as it is being analyzed, including display of current aerodynamic forces and induced velocities
Post-processing animation of results for trim, maneuver, and stability (mode shapes) analysis
Animation of vortex wake geometry

Image shows a rotorcaft model loaded into the GRCAS Software Model Viewer. The rotorcraft model is being animated based on the user's input.

Model Editing Mode

Model Editing Mode provides several features that streamline editing and enhance understanding of a model in RCAS.

Interactive hierarchical menu of the RCAS model
GUI for data input and verification
Syntax highlighted RCAS script view
Automated entry and update of RCAS Screens and labels

Demonstration of GRCAS Model Editor enabling users to input data for rotorcraft model analysis

Analysis Mode

Analysis Mode facilitates the user to explore the current analysis and perform interactive analyzes within the Rscope analysis environment.

Interactive hierarchy menu of analysis model structure and elements
Syntax highlighted display of analysis status
History of command inputs for interactive analysis

An application window displaying the graphical user interface for GRCAS Analysis Mode

Output Mode

Output Mode provides an intuitive and user friendly approach to generating results from RCAS analyzes.

Hierarchy menu of available output disciplines for the analysis performed
Customized GUI for each output discipline
Ability to plot multiple results from various output disciplines simultaneously
Support for generating automatic outputs when a model is analyzed

Shows that GRCAS is able to output data to the user after rotorcraft analysis is performed

Integrated On-line Help

On-line help is tightly integrated to support modeling, analysis, and output generation in GRCAS.

Persistent across all modes and docked on right side of GRCAS window.
Integrated with each mode of operation and automatically displays relevant help for the current data being entered or evaluated
Support for navigating and searching through available help documentation

An image showing that GRCAS has help support integrated into the right side of the GRCAS window

GRCAS is an industry leading tool for rotorcraft and helicopter design and analysis

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