Spinoff story

Weight-Estimating Software Helps Design Urban Air Taxis

A real-world story of NASA technology finding a life beyond the mission.

About this technology

Overview

Designing new concepts for aircraft opens a universe of uncertainty. One important detail is weight, which can be difficult to estimate on a brand-new design. Software built by Long Beach, California company M4 Engineering Inc., with help from SBIR funding from Ames and Langley research centers, as well as NASA-developed and NASA-spinoff software, speeds up and simplifies the process. Today, many companies use the software, either through license or in consultation with M4, to help design new aircraft.