# JSBSim-Team/jsbsim

An open source flight dynamics & control software library

Repository: https://github.com/JSBSim-Team/jsbsim
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/jsbsim
Homepage: https://jsbsim-team.github.io/jsbsim/
Language: C++
License: LGPL-2.1
License Family: copyleft
Topics: flight-simulation, flight-dynamics, simulation, aerospace-engineering, aircraft, aircraft-design, aircraft-control, matlab, python, unreal-engine-plugin, jsbsim
Last push: 2026-08-26T08:07:55+00:00

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 90/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-03T02:20:16.233290+00:00)
- activity 99, release rhythm 72, longevity 100
- inputs: {"age_days": 3181, "days_push": 7, "days_rel": 108, "gap_med": 68.5, "n_releases_24m": 5}
- flags: none
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 2214, forks 597 (observed 2026-08-28T04:06:27.033863+00:00)

## What it is
JSBSim is an open-source, object-oriented flight dynamics model (FDM) written in C++ that simulates the nonlinear 6-DoF motion of aircraft and rockets under aerodynamic, propulsion, and control forces. Aircraft are defined via XML configuration files, and the library ships with Python bindings, a MATLAB/Simulink S-Function, and an Unreal Engine plugin.

## Use cases
- simulate aircraft flight dynamics in python
- model 6 degree of freedom aircraft physics
- integrate a flight dynamics model into unreal engine
- test autopilot and flight control system designs
- run batch flight simulations without a GUI
- simulate rocket trajectories with earth rotation effects
- connect flight dynamics to FlightGear or Simulink

## When to choose
- you need accurate nonlinear 6-DoF flight physics for aircraft or rockets
- you want to define vehicles via XML without writing compiled model code
- you need bindings for Python, MATLAB/Simulink, or Unreal Engine
- you are doing aerospace research, control design, or reinforcement learning for flight

## When to avoid
- you need a graphical flight simulator out of the box (JSBSim is console/library only)
- you need real-time 3D visuals without integrating an external engine
- you need simple arcade-style flight physics rather than engineering-grade models

## Facets
- artifact type: library
- maturity: stable
- function: simulation, sdk
- domain: simulation, robotics, autonomous-vehicles, developer-tools
- platform: cross-platform, windows, python, cpp
- tags: flight-dynamics-model, flight-simulation, 6dof, aerospace, xml-aircraft-models, unreal-engine-plugin, simulink, flightgear, aerospace-engineering, linux, macos

## Member repositories
- JSBSim-Team/jsbsim (main) score 90

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:06:27.033863+00:00.
- Health v2: computed from the inputs above; adoption is never an input.
- Inferred fields (summary, facets, guidance): AI-extracted, prompt v1, taxonomy v1, on 2026-08-30T02:45:59.204209+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/JSBSim-Team/jsbsim (fetched 2026-08-28T04:06:27.033863+00:00, sha f7887e9f18cc)
  - homepage: https://jsbsim-team.github.io/jsbsim/ (fetched 2026-08-29T10:26:13.039241+00:00, sha d96d63a9a3bf)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.