Parallel computing for helicopter rotor design

The high-speed computing (HSC) program was established in 1986 within Boeing Computer Services (BCS) to provide a prototypical environment which could be used to study the problem of integrating new computing technologies into Boeing. This paper summarizes work within the HSC program on parallel computing and concentrates on one application area, helicopter rotor design, as an example of how these technologies are being used to prototype critical engineering processes. The paper emphasizes: (1) The prototypical process; (2) The computing technologies which were employed; (3) Some of the issues which were addressed while investigating these technologies; and (4) The software metrics used to assess the impact of using this technology in the design process