Announcing the Launch of the Future Aircraft Sizing Tool (FAST)
A versatile, open-source software for rapid aircraft design and analysis, supporting conventional and electrified concepts.
We are excited to announce the launch of the Future Aircraft Sizing Tool (FAST), a versatile open-source, MATLAB-based software developed by the IDEAS Lab at the University of Michigan. FAST is designed for rapid design space exploration and analysis of both conventional and electrified aircraft concepts, supporting any propulsion architecture. With minimal input requirements, FAST allows users to provide only basic details such as range, payload, vehicle class, and propulsion system type to begin designing. Utilizing a continuously updated historical database of over 200 aircraft and engines, FAST employs Gaussian Process Regressions to predict unknown parameters and make future projections. This tool supports both fully electric and hybrid electric aircraft, offers detailed mission performance analysis, and provides integrated visualizations of aircraft geometry and propulsion architecture.
FAST is freely available under the Apache 2.0 license, making it accessible to aerospace engineers, researchers, students, and enthusiasts worldwide. This work was sponsored by the NASA Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate and the Electrified Powertrain Flight Demonstration (EPFD) project.
For more information and to start using FAST, visit our FAST page or access the GitHub repository.
Stay tuned for more updates and developments as we continue to enhance and expand the capabilities of FAST!