ORIGINAL: billberry189
Duane, I tend to lean more toward your tastes when it comes to the shape of the Simla. That is why I am interested in how you shaped the bottom and why I asked for some photos of the bottom. So far there seems to be plenty of side images and upper images but not so with the bottom. Also, the line of the bottom has a ''hitch'' on my Simla at former F3. For some reason it just does not transition smoothly fore to aft.
The bulkheads themselves somewhat dictate how smooth the transition can be...all you can do is sand to the formers, (bulkheads), and round as much as possible.
You reminded me of something...one of the design characteristics I wanted Jeff to incorporate into the plan. Remember the wing covers the fuselage bottom at F3...we wanted a smooth transition
from the point the fuselage emerges from under the wing, but it isn't important for the entire fuselage bottom to be curved. I asked Jeff to design the Simla fuselage so it could be set flat on a tabletop for charging purposes without having to be in a cradle. I got this idea from my Daddy Rabbit, (which has a similar mid-wing design, see photo, and the Daddy Rabbit looks fine, as does the Simla...you never notice it). In other words, a section of the fuselage under the wing should be flat...you can see it on the plans. That may be the "hitch" you are referring to. It is not supposed to be a smooth transition, and with the wing on, you will never see it.
There are two hatches...one from F1 to F2, and a second under the wing from F2 to F3. This second hatch is for access to the radio, linkages etc. I'll post more pictures tonight. In the meantime, I hope this helps.
Duane