Sorry...

Ty

I do appreciate the inputs on this. I've been watching Chad's work on the [link=http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_7335038/tm.htm]1/6 Scale F4U Corsair Group Build[/link] and thinking to myself that I need to learn to do this. I'm very computer literate, but my impression is that Autocad is pretty expensive and that the learning curve is pretty steep for casual/occasional users. So I'm very interested to hear what alternatives are out there to apply to the hobby.

Tom

No apology necessary Ty. I recommend Compufoil every chance I get as well as it can do in 2 minutes what may take 2 hours in a CAD program. Your Halifax is a tremendous project by the way, simply awesome.

It's not as difficult as you might imagine Tom. If you have the knowledge and experience to design an airplane then figuring out how to draw it in a CAD program is relatively simple. Although I've been using CAD on a daily basis for 8 or so years I have never taken any courses on it. I can tell you without hesitation that I've learned substantially more about CAD by designing airplanes with it than I have at work! The most important thing is the desire to learn it. I was already drawing airplane plans anyway, using the old fashioned method. When I was introduced to CAD it became obvious that I could draw those plans much faster and more accurate with a computer and that was all the incentive I needed to learn CAD!

PS - The method shown here for lofting can be done with a pencil and paper as well. The CAD program does not make one a better engineer, it's simply a tool like any other. Often CAD just allows bad designers to turn out bad designs at a much faster rate!

I'm pretty comfortable taking an existing profile and adding the right ribs, infrastructure, etc to make a good strucutural build. To date, I've mostly done it with a ruler and some french curves. I don't have any formal training with drawing things - just a general understanding of what the result should look like. The structural aspects of building are my strength. Then I have to nurse my work through the finishing stages. Thanks for bumping this to the top. Chad, If I were willing to invest up to $1K in a CAD program, what would you recommend?

Tom

I may not be the right guy to ask Tom as I've not used anything other than AutoCAD to any extent. I love ACAD though and highly recommend it. You won't get the latest and greatest for less than $1K but I would think you could get last year's version for less than that. I wouldn't recommend anything older than 2006 due to some really handy improvements that came out in the '06 version. A copy of 2006 should be well below your proposed budget I would think.

Chad, , ,
Any luck in getting those links to work again?

They were great step by step images.

I remember seeing them when you first posted them, then shortly after they were gone.

They are working for me now Mike. I think it's just a matter of adding a new post to the thread and the pics will re-appear. [8D]

Probably a dumb queston....but...any way that Google's free Sketchup program will do simple resizing of ribs? I envision putting in tables of particular rib; having Sketchup draw the ribs, and then do all of the resizing as shown in the very first set of drawings on this thread. I do not know Sketchup, but see that it has some very powerful functions that might work for a simple guy like me. thanks Rich

I knew you could design fuselage former with compufoil but I did not know I could make a fuselage drawing as well, I think I'll give it a try and see what happens.

Do any of my fellow scratch builders know where I can get a cad program for home use, don't need anything fancy, just trying to make rib patterns, not designing my own planes. I have a lot of plans where al they give on the plans is the root rib and tip rib template, and leave you gessing for the rest. pay premium for the plans also. If anybody has a program or copy of one, willing to pay for it .thanks so much for the tutorial.</p>

Chad, thanks for the tutorial, Just a dumbass from Pa. this might be a little too much for me to understand, My very first attempt at wing ribs. If you had the time, explanation in lay terms would be greatly appreciated, no cad program,or understanding of one, would like to learn though. Thanks very much [email protected].

Chad,

I finally got around to reading this tutorial. Very nicely done! These seems like a good approach to me, particularly if you are used to working in CAD. I am going to grab me a set of root and tip airfoils and give this a go!

CWCOPE

rccrasher65, email sent.


Charles, this will be a no brainer for you I'm sure. I loft fuselage formers using this same method as well. Even though this method is only truly accurate on straight tapers I can usually generate the intermediate formers of a curved fuselage by lofting them using this method and then "massaging" them by eyeball to fit.

I use this method for diamond airfoil stabs. Works great!

Gil

Great tutorial! Here's how I do it but a little old fashioned. I now have rib templates with holes to locate wing jig build rods. This is for a future project, Gordon Israel's REDHEAD. The drawing is from taking measurements from Wm Kerka's 3 view. Rough cut parts separated by blue foam spacers, sand and done in ~2 hours.