anyone can help me to download the CFL3D code?
 

Hi,I am a granduate student in China, and I need the CFL3D code to do some acdamic research. But this code can juse be downloaded by US citizens. Can anybody in US ask the NASA a copy and send to me?Thanks very much!

The code information can be seen in the following website:

http://cfl3d.larc.nasa.gov/Cfl3dv6/cfl3dv6.html

Re: anyone can help me to download the CFL3D code?
 

It is illegal to do it.Agreed that science do not have barriers.But when there is a law it has to be followed.Whoever does it will face legal action.

Re: anyone can help me to download the CFL3D code?
 

When it is free it USA then why not in China. it is not understandable

Re: anyone can help me to download the CFL3D code?
 

We've had this discussion before - the code is export-controlled. That means that the owners (the US govt in this case) have decided that the code is not to be sent overseas or exported. Rather than wasting time debating whether the owner of an item has any right to control it, spend the time writing your own code and then you can send it to whoever you want.

Re: anyone can help me to download the CFL3D code?
 

Yes you are right. But Sir my point was that if it is open then it makes no difference that it is being used by us or china

Re: anyone can help me to download the CFL3D code?
 

It makes quite a considerable difference.

NASA developed this and other codes for use by US companies, industries, and research labs, including the Department of Defense. In the interest of keeping a competitive edge for the US, they are not distributed outside the country.

You can debate all you want about the fact it's "free." You don't have to like it. However this fact remains: if you live outside the US, you are not entitled to the code. Period.

Re: anyone can help me to download the CFL3D code?
 

In the US, if the writing of a CFD code has been funded by US tax payers money then US tax payers should be permitted to use it if they wish. This is a good rule. If only US tax payers can use it then it potentially gives them a competitive advantage. This is a good rule as well for the US taxpayers.

If you are genuinely engaged in research, have a genuine research need to use the code and can offer genuine collaboration with the researchers developing the code then talk to them. The 2 or 3 times I have done this there has been no problem working with the code subject to signing various agreements.

Re: anyone can help me to download the CFL3D code?
 

I can appreciate that, and I agree with you - if a code is truly open then it should be available to everyone. The problem is that many people confuse the idea of open source software. Codes that are export-controlled are by definition not open-source. However, many people seem to think that anything that can be downloaded automatically qualifies as open source.

Re: anyone can help me to download the CFL3D code?
 

I think NASA can have check on their web site and people, (mostly reaserchers)outside US should be stop from access their web sites containg information about these softwares.

Otherwise, people have the right to raise question, why some one allowed and some one have been stop form access their softwares.

The request come mostly from gradute student and their intention just learning. as some one mention before on this forum" if some one need it for special purposes, he ll never post a request but can get it directly form a lot of sources.

NASA should think about it..........

Regards Khan

Re: anyone can help me to download the CFL3D code?
 

As has been stated previously, this issue has been "discussed" before in this forum. I am disappointed that this has come up again, and we are converging toward the same arguments. Most of this software is described in the literature (I don't know for sure about CFL3D in particular), so if someone wanted to, they could probably write their own version. It might take a while, but it could be done - and that is the value of public information about the software for the scientific community at large.

I've said this before on this forum, but I'll repeat myself: the problem with these software requests is that they are a request for a potentially illegal action. The intent of the request is immaterial.

Jason

If someone is still interested, CFL3D is now available on GitHub.

Please don't bump old threads.

Well, I think Renato has a good point here... also considering the good news