A Note on Open-Source Projects
Most open-source aviation projects, including ours, are volunteer-driven. Progress can be slow, but they’re built with passion, collaboration, and a shared goal of making aviation more accessible.
Our aim with this series is simple: highlight these projects, introduce them to those who may not have seen them before, and encourage anyone interested to get involved, even if a project isn’t currently very active.
Revisiting the Projects
Last month, we revisited the projects from Part 1: Highlighting Open Source Aviation Projects of our original series. Now it’s time to check in on the rest.
Projects:
AirBall
Aim: Airball aims to help address the in-flight Loss of Control problem with a unique device and user interface concept. Going beyond the limitations of traditional airspeed indicators, Airball’s primary vision is to provide pilots with accurate data unaffected by regular flight variables like bank angles and aircraft load.
Update: Public updates have been limited, but the concept remains appealing as a minimalist, pilot-focused instrument. The website hasn’t seen new posts in recent years, though the GitHub repository has had occasional file changes over the past two years since we last covered it.
OpenVario
Aim: The objective of this project is the development of a panel mounted glide computer with a sunlight readable display, that can be non-commercially built by individuals or gliding clubs for very little investment. Interfaces allow integration of sensors and extensions at a later time.
Update: Development remains active, with ongoing GitHub commits including software refinements, updated build instructions, and improved hardware support for different display setups. While the website hasn’t posted news since 2021, the community forum is still active, with builders sharing installation tips and troubleshooting advice—showing continuing interest from glider pilots and DIY avionics enthusiasts.
XCSoar
Aim: XCSoar is a tactical glide computer originally developed for the Pocket PC platform. In 2005, the originally commercial software was given to the open-source community for further development and has constantly been improved since. It is now a multi-platform application that currently runs on Linux, Android and Windows devices.
Update: The most recent release, version 7.43 (August 2024), addressed critical reachability calculation fixes, improved airspace handling, updated map data, and added device support. Android users needed to uninstall before upgrading due to cryptographic changes and a new storage directory. While no newer release has been published since, the GitHub repository remains active with ongoing commits, and the project is still widely used in the gliding community.
Suave
Aim: Suave is a conceptual level aircraft design environment built with the ability to analyze and optimize both conventional and unconventional designs.
Update: Development has been quieter in recent years, with few visible changes to the website or GitHub. The last repository update was in February 2024. SUAVE remains available for download, with existing documentation and code providing a useful reference for conceptual aircraft design. The open-source license allows others to adapt and build on the framework.
Conclusion
Thanks for reading! If we missed a project, or if you have updates from your own build, let us know. We’d be happy to include more voices in the next update.
Open-source aviation depends on shared knowledge and community participation. Whether you’re a builder, developer, or simply curious, there’s always a way to contribute. Join the conversation on the MakerPlane forums, or send us your updates directly.
We’ll keep tracking these projects and sharing future updates. In the meantime, explore them, get involved, and help keep the open-source aviation community moving forward.