A computer program is provided for the estimation of r.m.s. surface strains in rectangular laminated skin panels. It applies to specially-orthotropic plates having principal axes of orthotropy parallel to the plate edges. A precise definition of this class of plates is given in ESDU 83035. The calculation procedure is particularly applicable to fibre-reinforced composite laminated plates. The computer program evaluates r.m.s. strains parallel to the shorter (or curved edge@ if the plate is curved) at the mid points of the longer edges and at the plate centre. The analysis is a simplified normal mode method assuming a single mode (fundamental) response but uses empirically derived correction factors. A good correlation is shown between predictions using the method and available experimental results extracted from the literature. The program is provided as ESDUpac A8408.