An overview of the research directed at improving finite-element methods for rotorcraft airframes is presented. The development of a modification to the finite element method which eliminates interelement discontinuities is covered. The following subject areas are discussed: geometric entities, interelement continuity, dependent rotational degrees of freedom, and adaptive numerical integration. This new methodology is being implemented as an anisotropic, curvilinear, p-version, beam, shell, and brick finite element program. Hinnant, Howard E. Langley Research Center DA PROJ. 1L1-61102-AH-45C; RTOP 505-63-36-01...