x-plane game sourced
X-Plane
A flight sim whose flight model computes forces on small elements of each wing, control surface, and propeller from aircraft geometry, used for entertainment and in FAA-approved training devices.
core loop
pick or design an aircraft -> set location and weather -> fly by hand or autopilot -> blade-element forces respond to geometry and air -> land -> revise the aircraft in Plane Maker
design notes
X-Plane uses blade element theory: wings, control surfaces, and propellers are split into elements and aerodynamic forces are computed on each from geometry, rather than looked up from performance tables, so an aircraft drawn in the bundled Plane Maker flies according to its shape. That approach underpins its use in FAA-approved training systems when paired with suitable hardware. A plugin SDK exposes simulator data for instruments, cockpits, and external hardware.
relations
8 stored edgesFlight aerodynamics
Blade element theory splits wings, control surfaces, and propellers into small elements and computes aerodynamic forces on each from geometry and physical parameters.
Modding API
The plugin SDK lets developers read simulator data and add instruments, cockpit interfaces, and hardware support.
Modular assembly
Plane Maker lets users define aircraft geometry and components and then fly the result in the simulator.
Weather
X-Plane 12 reworked clouds, turbulence, and atmospheric effects, and version 12.3 added a weather-radar system.