Here are tips and tricks on the use of RDSwin, including answers to FAQ's. Most of these initial tips are available in the pop-up User's Manual, so the first tip is...Read The Manual! If you have specific questions or tips to suggest, send them to Conceptual Research Corporation . Installing RDSwin RDSwin Desktop Shortcut Running under 64-bit Windows Running under Linux or on a MAC If RDSwin won't run Recovering Design Layout Module files after abnormal termination I can't see anything in a Graph or Design Layout View How to capture RDS graphs and drawings RDS won't Print anything RDS Units Conversion No-Lateral-Symmetry Designs (like Rutan's Boomerang) How do I input an airfoil in the Design Layout Module? RDS-DLM acts strange when I change geometry type I designed an airplane in MKS when I thought DLM was in FPS units Does RDS make drawings for me to build my design? Proper use of "Design Lift Coefficient" in Aerodynamics Module Propeller Analysis - Thrust Correction Tricks What are the differences between RDS-Pro and RDS-Student? Raymer's Secret RDSwin Hacks RDSwin Bug Alerts Where are the old RDS-DOS Tips and Tricks?

Or, you can do the installation yourself. Just copy the entire CD-ROM into your computer’s root directory (C:\). This will create a new directory C:\RDS-win, plus several needed subdirectories, and fill them with the program and associated files.

Today’s computers have a wide range of security software to protect against viruses and malicious software, and to protect companies from installation of unauthorized or pirated software on their computers. Depending upon the security methods in use, there may be problems getting RDS^win to run the first time. Since RDS^win is not used widely enough to be flagged as “normal” by security software, it may be flagged as “suspicious.” If so, you may have to open the security software and give RDS^win permission to run. You may need to install RDS^win while logged on to Windows as “Administrator.” You may need to “Unblock” it using My Computer or Windows Explorer. Right-click on RDSwin.exe, go to Properties, and click UnBlock.

RDS^win is not intended to be installed on a network and will almost certainly not work if that is attempted. The license specifically prohibits this, so don’t be surprised when it doesn’t work!

If you are installing RDS-Professional, the first time you run it a message will appear with an alphanumeric code generated from parameters in your computer system. Email this to the address provided and an unlock code will be sent to you. This must be entered only one time.

RDS^win Desktop Shortcut

RDS^win-Professional will probably not work under Linux or on a MAC due to the security system employed. Potential customers should contact CRC to discuss options. Or just purchase a cheap low-end PC for running RDS!

Nothing Happens on First Use:
The most obvious problem - no offense - is that you have copied RDS^win from another computer rather than installing it from an original CD. Don't do that. Another possibility - you have somehow deleted or corrupted some of the required DLL's and resource files. Reinstall from the original CD. And another - your security software doesn't like RDS^win and is stopping execution but isn't warning you. See above discussion of installation.

Nothing Happens, or Main Menu Page Opens but Nothing Works:
You may have a bad RDSCONFG file, caused by an irregular termination or incorrect installation. RDS^win can't "find itself" because that file indicates what directory to look in to find needed resource files and images. The solution is simple - exit and delete the file RDSCONFG.RTD from your RDS directory, then restart RDS^win . A new file will be created.

RDS^win Won't Run, or Strange Termination Errors Occur:
If RDS^win will not run or you get strange termination errors when saving a file or selecting a command, one possibility is that Windows has mysteriously set the attributes of some needed files to Read-Only. Go to Windows Explorer and highlight all the files in your RDSwin program directory. Right-click, select Properties, and make sure that Read-Only, Archive, and Hidden are not checked. Also do this for the RDSresource subdirectory.

Another way to fix this - open the command box (Start-Run) and enter C: attrib -a -r -h RDSwin (assuming your RDS program directory is C:\RDSwin as recommended).

Problems With the Old RDS-DOS:
Click here.

You can enter inputs in MKS or FPS, and can switch at will between them by selecting units from the OPTIONS menu. Or, you can instantly switch units by pressing `#' (the pound sign) anytime RDS is waiting for a numerical input.

To facilitate such designs, the Design Layout Module allows wings and tails to reflect across their own root chord rather than across the aircraft centerline as is the usual practice. This allows a wing or tail which is laterally symmetric but is not centered on the aircraft's centerline.

For a truly wild design, completely different left-right wing panels can be separately created and placed. Create each separately, selecting "One Side of Global CL" when prompted for symmetry. Enter desired areas, aspect ratios, and taper ratios as if each wing panel would be reflected across the global centerline. In other words, if you are creating the left panel which is to have an area of 50 by itself, enter 100. When creating the wing panel for the right side of the aircraft, again enter double the area, but use a negative value when entering aspect ratio. This will invert that wing panel to the other side of the aircraft. You can instead use positive aspect ratio when creating the right-side wing panel then later scale it by X=-1. Another approach - create the left-side panel, copy it, scale it by X=-1, then make whatever other changes are needed.

The reason for treating these one-side wing panels as if they were part of a complete wing is simple - it allows converting from reflected to nonreflected and back again without changing the wing trapezoidal geometry.

For weights and aerodynamics analysis you must CAREFULLY review and revise the geometric inputs estimated by the Design Layout Module in the output TAB file. It is suggested that the wing geometric inputs be defined assuming an equivalent total trapezoidal planform based on the total wing area and total span, the total exposed wing area, and an averaged sweep, taper, and thickness.

In the Professional version there is a point-by-point airfoil input capability which you can select instead of picking an airfoil. There is also a routine that will create NACA airfoils from a few simple inputs.

If you want to convert a SuperConic component to Points, use MiscCompOptions-Convert. There is currently no capability to convert a Point component to SuperConics - you have to build it that way from the start. And, why wouldn't you?

• Tip Mach correction (Eq. 13.19) can be shut off by setting blade t/c=-1 (if set to 0, RDS assumes .03)
• Nacelle Blockage correction (Eq. 13.18) can be shut off by setting Nacelle X-area=0
• D/q-Cooling correction (Eq. 13.21) and D/q-Misc correction (Eq. 13.22) can both be shut off by setting Fudge-Misc=0

• Entering the exclamation mark (!) from almost any menu or prompt will immediately terminate RDS^win. All work is lost except recent edits to your design layout (DLM), so be careful with this!
• In any Design Layout Module View, pressing the Underscore “_” (looks like a slicer) will render that design….but slowly. You’ll see it start from the farthest away point, drawing every panel of the display as it moves forward, including all internal components.
• Make sure your speaker is on, then click on the big RDS on the main menu page. Try it several times.

BUG ALERT 1: ...OK, some minor bugs have been found in the Design Layout Module. To minimize problems until an update is posted, use the pulldown menu to select ShapeComponent. If you are trying to Shape or Assemble and nothing seems to happen, re-do the SelectComp for Edit. Sometimes it "forgets" - don't know why yet! Also, some have reported problems with the Install utility (probably resulting from security software, and most say it works fine). If you have problems, use the alternative "copy everything" method described above. It's easy.

Send a Bug message to AircraftDesign.Com. . Be clear, be specific, and be nice!