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I came across a MATLAB app called "Aircraft Intuitive Design" by Zac Lietzau:

https://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/fileexchange/66770-aircraft-intuitive-design-aid

It allows the user to see the changes made to the geometry reflected in the stability and aerodynamic characteristics in real time.

It also computes the profile drag coefficient, as seen in the image below (Drag: CD = 0.047 (profile) + 0.057CL^2 (induced)): a screenshot from the app

I know induced drag can be calculated using vortex lattice methods, but I want to understand how the profile drag is being calculated. (I am unable to access the code)

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  • $\begingroup$ Why can’t you download the code and read it? $\endgroup$
    – Eric S
    Commented Oct 16 at 3:52
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    $\begingroup$ This seems to be a question about one particular software package, rather than about Aviation itself. Since this stack isn't about software, this question may be off-topic here. $\endgroup$
    – Ralph J ♦
    Commented Oct 16 at 12:55

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It's written in the website:

"In addition to built-in, linearized stability approximations that are updated every time the aircraft model is adjusted, the program interfaces with the following software for more advanced analysis: • Digital DATCOM – U.S. Air Force • Tornado Vortex Lattice Method – Tomas Melin (KTH Royal Institute of Technology) • AVL (Athena Vortex Lattice Method) – Mark Drela and Harold Youngren (MIT)"

It's simply using the empirical equations from the DATCOM.

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