ORIGINAL: Shahid
Hi Alex really nice work.
I use Solidworks also, but am intrigued as to how you have modelled the aircraft with so few sketches! Would I be correct in saying you start with a solid lump and then chop it up to get the required parts?
My main question to you is this, when modelling fuselage sides that are curved, how do you transfer these curved surfaces to a flat shape for CNC cutting?
Many thanks!
I prefer to work with surfaces and i don't use solids for the external shape of the model. I usually start by creating sketches of the side and top view of the fuselage and continue with the transversal sections, as you can see on page 1 of this thread. The lower part of the cowling is a little more difficult and i have to come up with a specific modelling technique each time i design one.
Once the external shape is finished, i start working on the internal structure using solids. All curved faces that need to be flattened later for lasercutting are modelled using the sheet metal module from Solidworks. It's a little tricky as sometimes it refuses to flatten the curved plates for no aparent reason, but with a little work and a little bit of luck, it is possible.