Version 1.

ERAU DATCOM

September 5, 2007

To Execute Datcom:
1) Copy the Datcom folder to your computer (recommend this be placed on the c: drive).
2) Open the Datcom folder and you should see the subfolders and a few files. One needs to edit
the Datcom.bat file path name to direct the operating system to Datcoms Bin folder for your
computer i.e. c:\datcom\bin. To do this, right click Datcom.bat and left click the edit line. Modify
the path name to the new location, save and exit the editor. Keep the path short for you will be
working in the "Command Prompt".
3) In the Windows Start menu, go to Programs, Accessories and right click the Command Prompt,
create a shortcut and place this on the desktop. Right click this shortcut and left click on Properties
and change the "Start in" line to your Datcom directory, left click Apply then left click OK.
4) Start the desktop Command Prompt and you should be in the Datcom folder. Type Datcom to
run Datcom.bat. This will add the datcom\bin path to this Command Prompts path. Note, you
will need to do this each time you start a new Command Prompt window. You should now have
two(2) windows open.
5) In Windows, in the Datcom folder create a folder with the aircraft name to be analyze (Navion)
and copy one of the aircrafts (Navion..dat) from the AC_Models folder to this new folder(Navion).
Open this folder and rename this file (Navion.dat) to for005.dat. Ensure the file is listed as for.dat
and not for005.dat.dat. In the Command Prompt window, to change directories, type cd and the
name of your aircraft folder i.e. cd Navion. To view the files, type dir for a directory listing.
6) Now, type Datcom and if all goes well for0xx.dat files are created where xx = 06 to 14. The
files of importance are for006.dat (Datcom output file) and for013.dat (Datcom plot command file).
Matlab plot routines have been created to plot the for013.dat info, see plotdatcom2d folder.
Note, most of the above can be done in Windows but when the program terminates the window will
close and you will lose the history of prompts, if any. WordPad is a good text editor to modify the
for005.dat file. NotePad++ off the web is also a good one to use. By all means, work with both
Windows and the Command Prompt simultaneously. You will basically be working with four(4)
windows. The aircrafts folder, the Command Prompt to execute Datcom, a text editor to modify
for005.dat and another to view for006.dat.
Executable (Bin)
1) DATCOM is the main program that will generate the aerodynamic, static and dynamic
parameters by processing an aircraft input file (for005.dat) described in Vol I. It will generate
multiple files and it is recommended that each aircraft to be analyzed reside in is own folder.
2) PlotDatcom2D is a Matlab routine that reads the aircraft's Datcom plot command output data file
(for013.dat) and generates various plots as define in Datcom User Manual, Appendix C.
3) PlotDatcom3D is a Matlab routine that will display the Datcom input data in a 3-dimensional
view. This is used to verify the geometry of the aircraft modeled in for005.

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Documents (Doc)
1) USAF_DATCOM_UM_VOL I is a clean printable version of the Vol I manual with Appendix A
(NAMELIST CODING RULES) and Appendix B (Airfoil Section Characteristic). This is the User
Manual that all should read. It is 147 pages if you wish to print the entire manual.
Document Examples (Doc Example)
1) The Datcom User Manual example's input and output files are provided. (EX#.IN, EX#.OUT)
Aircraft Models (AC_Models)
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
9)

Navion, w/ elevators (no flaps, ailerons, rudder or prop)

Mohawk, w/ 2-props (no control surfaces or flaps)
Boeing 737 w/ 2-jets and flaps (no control surfaces)
ASW-20 Sailplane w/ flaps (no control surfaces)
Citation II model 550 w/ flaps, w/ ailerons, w/ flaps and jets
Airbus A380 w/ various flap/spoiler/aileron configurations
Beechcraft T-34C w/ flaps, w/ ailerons
P-51D Mustang (no control surfaces or props)
Learjet w/ 2-jets, flaps and ailerons

Datcom File numbers:

for005.dat
for007.dat
for009.dat
for011.dat
for013.dat

Input file
Scratch file
Copy of input file
Copy of input file
PLOT command output file

for006.dat
for008.dat
for010.dat
for012.dat
for014.dat

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Output file
Scratch file
Scratch file
Figure interpolation
Missile Datcom input file