Cumulus – A Free and Open Source Flight Computer for Linux and Android

Cumulus running on a Dell Streak 5 with OS Android.
Cumulus running on a Dell Streak 5 with OS Android.

Cumulus is a free and open-source flight navigation application, programmed in C++ and aimed at the soaring community, but not restricted to it. The first generation of Cumulus runs on Zaurus and iPaq hardware with a Linux OS under Qtopia respectively Opie by using Qt release 2.x. With the disappearance of the old hardware platform new alternatives must be searched.

Nokia Internet Tablets

The next hardware platforms were Nokia Internet Tablets N800, N810 and N900 with Maemo OS2008/OS2009 by using Qt framework release 4.x. They have a Linux based OS called Maemo and the installation of Cumulus is simply possible by using the program manager. There is no need to flash the OS or to do any other manipulation on it. But the Nokia Internet Tablets are no longer produced and Nokia has given up this line in the meanwhile.

Google Android OS

The current hardware platform is Googles Android OS. There are a lot of different devices on the market. In 2011, Josua Dietze did a first port of Cumulus to this platform. This port had some limitations and not all features of Cumulus were available. In the beginning of 2012, Axel Pauli did a full port of Cumulus. It is provided for free on Google Play. Many thanks to Jush. He helped Axel in the starting  phase.

At our Current Release page you can find all provided Cumulus packages.

Cumulus provides a moving map display and all the information you need to easily navigate while requiring a minimum of user interaction. It uses a NMEA compatible Bluetooth GPS receiver or the internal GPS device, if available, to provide it with information on the current position, altitude, heading and speed. Of course Cumulus supports flight tasks, waypoints and can calculate the distance and heading to your waypoint, arrival altitude, wind force and direction, sunrise and sunset times, etc. Take a look at our Screenshots page for a quick impression of what Cumulus can do.

The Cumulus packages come without any preinstalled maps. You can either download the Ground and Terrain data files you need from our Maproom but the same can Cumulus do, if there is an active Internet connection available.

Cumulus supports two different airspace data formats, the OpenAir and the openAIP format. OpenAir files are not included in the cumulus delivery. Please search in the Internet for files of the region where you do fly. Addresses where you can find information are:

The download of openAIP airspace files is included as service in Cumulus just as the openAIP airfield file download. Airfield and outlanding data can be taken also from the Welt2000 data base, created by Michael Meier.

Please have a look at the Online Help for more information how to get and install the map files inside Cumulus.

Get Cumulus now!