ChrisMH

Does anyone have an electronic version of US 60 parts (ribs, fuse formers, etc.)? I've got the RCM plans but don't have access to a scanner large enough, and Kinko's wants $20.00 a sheet to scan or copy them. I'd like to keep the original plans undamaged. I'll just break out the tracing paper if nobody has an electronic copy...just thought I'd check first

I'm thinking of redesigning the structure (slightly) to lighten it and coming up with a laser cutting plan...for that I need to get the thing into CAD...hence the need for an electronic format.

Thanks,
Chris

DICKEYBIRD

Chris the Great Planes site has the US60 manuals available in .pdf form here: http://www.greatplanes.com/manuals/discontinued.html Scroll down to the last listing and look at pg 5 in the 1st download. It has the die-cut parts sheets shown. If the original page was done in vector format, you can convert the .pdf to .dxf using Ghostview (or whatever.)

The US40 manual (available on the same site) has the complete plans included. If you're re-designing, maybe you could scale up the US40 plans??

mmattockx

Chris,

Since you are re-working an US60, have you seen this thread?

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_2213747/tm.htm


Mark

XTOL

Chris...I built a US60 from the RCM plans last winter.
I had the same thoughts about it you did. The prospect
of tracing all those parts and cutting them out by hand
seemed a bit daunting.

But thats exactly what I did. I used lots of tracing paper and
carbon paper. And it wasnt nearly as bad as I had imagined.
Once I got started it went pretty easily.

I built mine pretty much stock. I wouldnt fool around with
the design too much. Its as close to a perfect airplane as
you are likely to get.

Mike Hammer

ChrisMH

Thanks for the replies, fellas!

Dickey, I had downloaded the manuals, but didn't notice the die-cut sheets. Those might be useful.

Mark, I'd seen that thread, I plan to do something similar.

Mike, I don't plan to change the design a bit, just the construction technique. I've heard too many good things about the US to risk messing with it For example, It'd be nice to design the fuse such that all the pieces interlocked to make construction and alignment easier.

My plan is to make this as much an exercise in CAD as scratch building. I've done quite a bit of CAD design in other fields, but nothing in airplanes. And I've never prepared drawings for laser cutting. I figure those skills might be useful.


Thanks again,
Chris

ChrisMH

OK, I've gone forward a bit with recreating the US60 in CAD. I copied the root and tip ribs and scanned the copies, then traced over them in SolidWorks. Interestingly, the airfoils were not totally symmetrical...dunno if it was a result of errors in my copying and scanning, distortion in my plans, etc. The spar size and positions varied quite a bit, too...so I tweaked them a bit after tracing to get everything symmetrical and lining up.

Instead of tracing each rib, I created a loft from the root to the tip, added lightening holes, and started using intersection curves to create intermediate rib templates.

If anyone has any suggestions on how much/little material I'm removing (or anything else), I'm all ears. Currently, I'm planning to fully sheet and glass the wing.

Oh, and if nobody is interested in following along with this, I'll stop right here

mmattockx

Chris,

I would put a bigger radius on the corners or your lightening holes. Otherwise looking good.


Mark