Research In Flight
Research In Flight (Auburn, AL) developed FlightStream, a vorticity-based panel method aerodynamic solver delivering CFD accuracy at VLM-class speeds. Acquired by Altair in May 2024, it served aerospace, defense, and UAM/eVTOL engineering customers via tiered licensing and SBIR/STTR contracts.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersAuburn, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Research In Flight does
Research In Flight, founded in 2015 and headquartered in Auburn, Alabama, developed FlightStream, a vorticity-based panel method aerodynamic solver that operates on surface meshes without requiring volumetric grid generation. The platform integrates CAD import, surface meshing, a proprietary surface-vorticity solver with integral boundary layer (IBL) modeling, and post-processing in a single GUI, supplemented by add-on toolboxes for aeroacoustics, six-degree-of-freedom motion, fluid-structure interaction, flight control integration, gust encounter modeling, rotorcraft aerodynamics, viscous coupling, and compressible flow spanning subsonic through hypersonic regimes. The technology was validated against peer-reviewed wind tunnel data and positioned to reduce aerodynamic analysis time from days to hours relative to conventional CFD.
The company served aerospace (commercial and defense), UAM/eVTOL, marine/offshore, wind energy, turbomachinery, and automotive engineering customers, alongside academic users at institutions including Auburn, Virginia, and RWTH Aachen. Revenue was generated through tiered annual software subscriptions (Academic, Startup, Enterprise), government R&D contracts under NASA SBIR/STTR and AFWERX programs (20+ awards), and consulting and training services. Distribution occurred via direct enterprise sales, the Altair Marketplace for self-service licensing, and a reseller partnership with DARcorporation. Prior to acquisition the company disclosed 800+ annual licenses, 70+ industry customers, and 30+ site licenses, supported by a small (1-10 employees) remote-first team.
On May 1, 2024, Altair (Nasdaq: ALTR) acquired Research In Flight to expand its aerodynamic simulation portfolio. Following acquisition, FlightStream was integrated into the Altair product ecosystem with global enterprise distribution, Altair Marketplace self-service channeling, and Altair Community developer engagement. Key principals included co-founder Roy Hartfield and principal investigator Vivek Ahuja.
Research In Flight firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Research In Flight
- Legal name
- Research In Flight LLC
- Website
- https://researchinflight.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Acquired
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Research In Flight (Auburn, AL) developed FlightStream, a vorticity-based panel method aerodynamic solver delivering CFD accuracy at VLM-class speeds. Acquired by Altair in May 2024, it served aerospace, defense, and UAM/eVTOL engineering customers via tiered licensing and SBIR/STTR contracts.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Research In Flight industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Aerospace Simulation Software
- NAICS
- Aircraft Manufacturing (336411), Support Activities for Air Transportation (4881)
- SIC
- Search, Detection, Navagation, Guidance, Aeronautical Sys (3812), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Avionics Test, Simulation & Calibration Equipment (IMABAFAN)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Military Avionics, Mission Computers & Flight Controls (IMABAMAE), Spacecraft Avionics, Flight Computers & Software (IMABACAI)
Keywords
Where Research In Flight is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Auburn
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Research In Flight business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- FlightStream Software Licenses: Annual and perpetual software licenses for FlightStream with tiered pricing for Academic, Startup, and Enterprise customers. Includes solver and various toolboxes.
- Government R&D Contracts: SBIR/STTR contracts from NASA, USAF/AFWERX for development of specific solver capabilities including hypersonic flow, aeroacoustics, and gust modeling.
- Consulting and Training Services: Custom workflow development, third-party tool integration, and personalized training programs ranging from introductions to extended hands-on sessions.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Academic tier for students and educators with discounted rates |
| Subscription | Annual | Startup tier with all toolboxes and training included |
| Subscription | Annual | Enterprise tier with full solver suite and extended support |
Go-to-market motion4 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Research In Flight product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Research In Flight develops and sells FlightStream, a vorticity-based panel method aerodynamic simulation software that provides CFD-quality results at computational speeds comparable to VLM methods. The platform handles the full workflow from CAD import and surface meshing through solving and post-processing, and is augmented by specialized toolboxes for aeroacoustics, 6DOF motion, fluid-structure interaction, stability & control, rotorcraft, and compressible flow including hypersonic regimes. The software is sold via annual/perpetual licenses with tiered Academic, Startup, and Enterprise pricing, supplemented by consulting, training, and custom development services.
Product overview
Research In Flight offers FlightStream as its flagship unified product—a panel methods aerodynamic solver with an all-in-one simulation platform. The core platform includes integrated CAD handling, surface meshing, a proprietary surface-vorticity solver, and post-processing tools. FlightStream is delivered as a single product with included toolboxes (Solver Sweeper, Stability & Control, API scripting) and add-on modules (Aeroacoustics, 6DOF Motion, Fluid-Structure Interaction, Flight Control System, Gust Encounter, Rotorcraft Aerodynamics, Viscous Coupling). The company also provides supporting Python tools (pyFlightscript) and services including custom toolbox development, automation scripting, training, and consultation. Available in Academic, Start Up, and Enterprise pricing tiers.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- FlightStream: Panel methods aerodynamic simulation platform for fluid dynamics analysis and aircraft design, serving aerospace, marine, energy, turbomachinery, and automotive applications.
Products and services
- FlightStream Panel methods aerodynamic solver with a modernized all-in-one GUI for analyzing flow problems from subsonic to hypersonic. Handles CAD import, surface meshing, vorticity-based solving, and post-processing in a single platform, and is sold under Academic, Startup, and Enterprise tiers.
- FlightStream R2023.1 Release General availability release of FlightStream R2023.1 introducing significant computational performance and memory improvements, fluid-structure interaction, flight control system module, gust encounter capability, and additional 6DOF/separation models.
- FlightStream Compressible Flow Solver Pan-Mach number compressible flow solver capability for FlightStream covering non-linear transonic, supersonic, and hypersonic flow regimes, developed in partnership with AFWERX.
- pyFlightscript Open-source Python repository for writing native FlightStream scripts, enabling programmatic control and customization of FlightStream workflows for automation and batch processing.
- Custom Toolbox Development Tailored custom toolbox development service that integrates with FlightStream to elevate workflow efficiency for customer-specific simulation needs.
- Automation Scripts & Wrappers Automation service for tasks in FlightStream providing more intuitive and efficient user experience through custom scripts and wrappers.
- Personalized Training Training programs for educators, students, field engineers, and research scientists ranging from introductory sessions to extended hands-on applications, webinars, and specialized workshops.
- Consultation Services Consultation for custom workflows, integration of third-party toolsets, and in-person training to bring engineering teams up to speed on FlightStream.
Quantifiable outcome
- Reduce computational time from days to hours compared to conventional CFD
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Research In Flight
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments7 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Research In Flight technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration10 records
AI capability1 record
Feature14 records
Research In Flight partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.
- AltairflagshipAltair (Nasdaq: ALTR), a global leader in computational intelligence and simulation software, acquired Research In Flight in May 2024 to expand its aerodynamic capabilities. The integration of FlightStream into Altair's portfolio enhances their offering with specialized, modern, and efficient approaches for aerospace, defense, UAM, and eVTOL industries.
- Auburn UniversitycorePartnership with Auburn University led by Dr. Joseph Majdalani for AFWERX Phase I contract developing aeroacoustic characterization framework for eVTOL/HSVTOL aircraft. Also collaborated on NASA STTR Phase II for gust modeling through VSDDL lab.
- AFWERX / USAFcoreMultiple AFWERX STTR contracts for developing FlightStream capabilities including supersonic flow solver (2021), hypersonic prediction tool (2022), and aeroacoustics for HSVTOL (2022). 20+ USAF/NASA SBIR awards total.
- Utah State UniversitycoreJoint partnership with Utah State University led by Dr. Douglas Hunsaker for USAF/AFWERX contracts developing supersonic and hypersonic flow solver enhancements for FlightStream. Phase I activities completed February 2022/2023 with Phase II commercialization planned.
- BlueflitecoreJoint partnership with Blueflite and Auburn University for USAF STTR contract to develop unmanned eVTOL cargo drone. Phase I successfully completed in August 2021 with conceptual design delivered; Blueflite now commercializing the vehicle.
- DARcorporationcoreDARcorporation partnered with Research In Flight as the official reseller of FlightStream, offering sales and support services. FlightStream's high fidelity, ease of use, integrated meshing, and robust solver made it an attractive addition to DARcorporation's aerospace software portfolio.
- NASAcoreMultiple SBIR/STTR contracts with NASA including NPSS integration (2015), flow-separation modeling (2016-2017), gust response analysis (2020), and Transformational Tools & Technologies program (2018). Work spans NASA Glenn, Langley, and Ames Research Centers.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Research In Flight competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Cadence Design Systems: Acquired NUMECA (Fine/Open) and Fidelity CFD, providing specialized turbomachinery and aerodynamic simulation. Directly overlaps with FlightStream's turbomachinery and aerospace modules.
- Siemens Digital Industries Software: Markets Star-CCM+ (acquired from CD-adapco) as a flagship CFD platform widely used in aerospace and defense. Direct competitor to FlightStream for aerodynamic and multiphysics simulation budgets at OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers.
- Convergent Science: Develops CONVERGE CFD, an autonomous meshing CFD solver targeting reacting flows, sprays, and propulsion. Overlaps with FlightStream in aerospace propulsion and turbomachinery workflows.
- Dassault Systèmes: Provides SIMULIA PowerFLOW and XFlow within the 3DExperience platform, serving aerospace aerodynamic simulation including external aerodynamics and aeroacoustics. Direct competitor in the enterprise CAE market FlightStream targets.
- COMSOL: COMSOL Multiphysics platform with CFD and aeroacoustics modules used in academic and enterprise R&D. Competes with FlightStream for multiphysics and aeroacoustic simulation budgets, especially in education and research.
- Hexagon MSC Software: Provides MSC Nastran (structural) and MSC Cradle CFD for aerospace and automotive simulation. Direct integration partner of FlightStream via Nastran export and direct competitor for end-to-end aero-structural workflows.
- ANSYS: Leading commercial CFD software company with Fluent and CFX used across aerospace, automotive, and turbomachinery. Directly competes with FlightStream in aerodynamic simulation, though anchored to volumetric CFD rather than panel methods.
Broad incumbents
- Altair Engineering: Parent of Research In Flight since May 2024, Altair offers a broad CAE portfolio (AcuSolve, ultraFluidX, HyperWorks) overlapping with FlightStream in aerodynamic and aerospace simulation. Acts as both owner and adjacent competitor in CFD/CAE.
Others
- DARcorporation: Provides aerospace conceptual design software and engineering services, and acts as the official reseller of FlightStream since July 2017. Compares as an adjacent ecosystem player and channel partner rather than direct solver competitor.
Emerging players
- Engineering Software Steyr: Austrian developer of the Aero-Suite, a panel-method based aircraft design toolset. Most direct niche competitor to FlightStream in surface-based aerodynamic analysis for conceptual aircraft design.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Research In Flight social profiles
Digital presenceResearch In Flight financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Research In Flight leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Research In Flight funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Research In Flight M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Research In Flight
What does Research In Flight do?
Research In Flight develops and sells FlightStream, a vorticity-based panel method aerodynamic simulation software that provides CFD-quality results at computational speeds comparable to VLM methods. The platform handles the full workflow from CAD import and surface meshing through solving and post-processing, and is augmented by specialized toolboxes for aeroacoustics, 6DOF motion, fluid-structure interaction, stability & control, rotorcraft, and compressible flow including hypersonic regimes. The software is sold via annual/perpetual licenses with tiered Academic, Startup, and Enterprise pricing, supplemented by consulting, training, and custom development services.
Is Research In Flight a public or private company?
Research In Flight is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently acquired.
When was Research In Flight founded?
Research In Flight was founded in 2015. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Research In Flight based?
Research In Flight is headquartered in Auburn, United States, in the North America region.
How does Research In Flight make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. FlightStream Software Licenses are the primary driver. The others are government R&D Contracts and consulting and Training Services.
Who are Research In Flight's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Cadence Design Systems, Siemens Digital Industries Software, Convergent Science, Dassault Systèmes, COMSOL, Hexagon MSC Software and ANSYS. Altair Engineering is listed as a broad incumbent. DARcorporation is listed as an others. Engineering Software Steyr is listed as an emerging player.
Does Research In Flight have an API?
No public API is recorded for Research In Flight.
What industry is Research In Flight in?
Research In Flight's product category is Aerospace Simulation Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMABAFAN, Avionics Test, Simulation & Calibration Equipment, with a secondary code of IMABAMAE, Military Avionics, Mission Computers & Flight Controls. Its NAICS code is 336411 and its SIC code is 3812.