SydDythers

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Hey Gleb,

I know exactly why it looks like that...took me a while when I first was trying solidworks to figure it out. I am 99% sure that you are not using any guide cures running between the two profiles (it looks as though you have for the first pictured loft). Guide curves tell SW how things should look between the two profiles. I am not at my CAD PC otherwise I'd post a couple pics showing exactly what I mean. But if you look a few posts back when I replied to one of your SW questions, I put a picture up of a cowl I lofted. You can see the lines connecting the two profiles at 12,3,6,8 o'clock. And so when I loft, the loft follows those guide curves. I usually go into 3D sketch mode to make the guide curves...also make sure that each profile physically touches the guide curve by making them "coincident"

Stringers are super easy, and again, I wish I had pictures for you. Actually, I'll save the stringer tutorial for another night. Just too lazy to go and fire up the CAD PC right now. I am bagged from building my 50cc Yak all today. Everything but the elevators is pretty much done and I am now waiting on the monokote to arrive at my door.

The 109 is looking good!

John

Brent G

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Well, things are moving along. Here are some pictures of the yak as of last night.

Brent

SydDythers

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Looks great Brent. You are a bit ahead of me at this point in the building stage. I am probably a couple weeks away from completion. Good news is I got the monokote in the mail today so I pretty much have everything needed to complete.

I've been hacking away at solidworks to produce a form to work off of for my next project. Anybody think it actually resembles an Extra 300S? I'm still tweaking the cowl on it. Wingspan of 86" and wing area of 1525 sq inches. Fuse length of 79". Hoping to get AUW close to 15lbs. I did a photo render of it in SW in the pics below. Candy apple red finishing. Looks like I took the pic on my driveway?!

J

Brent G

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Looks pretty cool. I just wished that I didn't have 3 to build. I just pulled my first cowl out of the mold. Looks pretty good. I was a little impatient with the resin though. I should have done it in in one more stage to get the louvers just right. But It turned out pretty good. I only have a couple of bubbles to fill. I will post a pic tomorrow. I will be doing a redesign of a freinds 33% edge 540T when I actually get some time. It is a design that they have been flying for several years. I think they scratch built around 6 of these planes. Problem is it is very heavy around 29 lbs. They have asked me to redo the design and build it like my yak. I think I should be able to get it down to the 21-22 lb range pretty easly. The 50cc yak is kind of a test bed for the 98" edge and yak design's.

Brent

Mods-R-Me

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Dude, that looks freakin real [sm=thumbs_up.gif]. Did you import the background from a pic or just used the generated background?

SydDythers

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Hey Mods!

Long time no see!

That is a background that is part of what is called an "environment" in SW (you could technically substitute your own background). So basically, this is the "outdoors" environment that the image is rendered in. Depending on which one you choose, it can look more or less realistic because the lighting is different for each one. Very cool to play around with. The color/effect for each surface is dragged and dropped from a palate within SW. Once you have skinned each surface and chosen a background you hit the render key and then go away and make a coffee, play with the cat and then when you get back to PC it is rendered for you as you see it above. If you zoom in on the image a bit you can see trees and buildings actually reflected off of the surface. This is the landscape around the image put in by SW (you can choose your own too). Pretty cool! Of course that is merely eye candy stuff. Doesn't make it fly any better in the end! But, always nice to visualize it.

Brent, good to see you making some headway. I forewent the louvers for my balsa/ply cowl but will make a plug for them one day. How is that 10 foot wingspan yak coming along with your pal from CA.?

Cheers,

J

Brent G

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John

I have not heard from him lately. I need to find out if he is still going ahead with the build. That will be one big plane, 14.5 foot wingspan. Here are the pictures of the cowl.


Brent

USAce777

Hey guys!

Thats a nice cowl Brenet G, i always wanted to try making fiberglass molds, maybe soon...

John, that is sweeeeet, man!!
I have a DA-50 Extra, looks just like it, but yours is really shiny!!

My Bf was started over again, I think this one will go through. Did some research in SW, going faster now. Its a much smaller scale that I was intending on doing, this is 57" span. I got that G-6 version, just what I needed.
I still got a question about loft, when I make a 3D sketch, I can only make one line per sketch that can connect to guide curves menu. Is that correct or am I doing something wrong???
I'm sorry if I'm being a big pain in the ass with these stupid questions, but I really want to design some nice plans like yours!
Thanks!

SydDythers

My Feedback: (5)

Looks like you are getting the hang of it Gleb.

You can have as many lines in a single 3D sketch as you like. When you do a loft, you still need to select each line, regardless of which sketch it originates from, for guide curves. Just make sure that each profile you are lofting "pierces" these lines by adding relations to them as you draw the line/spline. Otherwise the loft will error out saying one or more of your guide curves aren't tangent to the loft profiles.

Cheers,

John

USAce777

Thanks John, but you must of misunderstood me, or its my SW acting up.
When i click a line to make it as a guide curve, basically nothing happens.
There is a timer pops up for a second, and nothing adds nowhere...
It says its invalid, but why?
I only do one line per sketch, then it works out fine.
I don't know is it just me or any of you had the same problem??

The pictures show what happens, I hope...


Thanks

SydDythers

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Are you clicking inside the box on the left labeled "guide curves" first? Can't see any other reason why those shouldn't be ok.

Oh, got my parts all cut out on the Extra so it is time soon to start creating the structure.

J

guepardofach

Can anyone explain me how to draw the cowling of an extra 300.

Thanks

highfly3D

Hello SydDythers

One of my friend works on 3D max will this software be good enough for designing airplanes, would like to know your suggestions.

hifly3D.

Brent G

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Hifly3D

I designed my plane on 3D max. The software works fine. It is a lot easier to use that the solid works and the cost is far less. That said it does not have near the capability as something like solid works or inventor. I am currently learning inventor. Being able to design in 3D and building the parts in a 3D structure is the best way to go. You know that every part is going to fit perfectly and the soft ware will tell you if you have interference with other parts in an assembly.

Brent

SydDythers

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I am by no means fluent in 3D Max, but from what I have seen, it is easier to do all your lofting and tweaking in 3D Max. Then saving the model to a file that can be read by solidworks or inventor, it is much easier to start creating your parts in one of those two. One of these days I'll get around to teaching myself 3D Max and have the best of both worlds.

J

SydDythers

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Got a nice surprise in the mail. My eYak came and my laser guy did a great job as usual. All of the wood weighs a shade under 5 oz (that includes the wood for making the cowl). A couple hours of work has netted me an almost complete fuse. Quite an easy build actually and I am pleasantly surprised at the fit of everything so far. I had two kits cut so I'll have a backup for when I eventually dork this one. Hmmmm...I need to vacuum the rug.

Cheers,

John

Brent G

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Very Nice. I am putting in some late nights trying to get mine ready to fly next weekend. Here are some more pics of the progress.

Brent G

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More progress. I should be flying it this weekend. I will start covering tomorrow. Plane is building light, I can't wait to put it in the air!!

Brent

Brent G

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Well, got it done!!! What an ANIMAL!!! I did the maden flight in around +15mph winds. Taxing down wind the plane tried to take off. I just weighed the plane today and it came in at 16.5 lbs. That is all up with 2 2000mha nmhi packs for the receiver and 1 1100 nicad pack for the ignition. Wing loading is 26.7 oz/sqft. The plane flies incredibly light. I set it up with 45 degrees on the elevator, 40 on the ail and 50 on the rudder. 45% expo on high rates only, none on low. Take off was about a 10' roll out and a little elevator and she was up. 4 clicks of elevator trim and a couple of clicks of ail was all it needed. No rudder trim. KE flight took a breath of ail and almost no ele to control coupling. It was kind of hard to tell what was the wind and what was the plane. I made a couple of circuits and slowed it down and did a rolling harrier. Nose high, slow and sooooo easy. I pulled it vertical and did a half roll, pulled full up and the tail fliped over the top and the plane went into a perfect elevator. At an idle or a couple of click an idle the tail will stay down and keep the nose up. I did a couple of harrier passes very little wing rock even with all the wind. While in a harrier I bumped the throttle and pushed the tail down into a hover. I had it about 1/3 throttle and the plane was climbing out. Droped it back to 1/4 and it just hung there. Slam the throttle and the thing is a rocket. It has pull out like my brothers 102"QQ yak that weighs 25 lbs with a DA100. I let my brother fly it and he was amazed. It flies like his big Yak. The plane does every thing like a 35% plane. It is by far the best flying 50cc plane I have ever flown. The plane lands at a fast walk. It is more like landing a funtana or a u-can-do. I got lucky and got the balance spot on the first try. Inverted you only have to think about down elevator to keep it level. I tried to get it to snap on the second flight. I turned it down wind and pulled about 3/4 elevator on high rates. The plane made the turn in about 25' and the wings never wiggled once. I need lean the engine some more. I was getting a lot of oil from the exhaust and the plug is almost black and was a little wet. The thing pulls unreal rich, I cant wait to try it again with it tuned a little better.

Here are some pictures of the plane. If I ever get another free weekend and the wind cooperates I will try to get some vid up.

The cowl is just temporary, it did not come out quite as nice as I would like so I am making a new one.

Brent

SydDythers

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Saaweet! Nice job although if I had a picture of Calvin peeing on a JR transmitter I'd post it up You've got me thinking about finishing mine now.

I haven't even looked at my 50cc even though it has been ready to cover for about two or three weeks. The weather out there is too depressing and doesn't look to improve for a while yet so what's the point?! Instead, I have been toiling away with my little eYak. It is all ready to go except I need to make a canopy. Built a vacuum forming box and am going to go pick up some plastic to form one over a mold I made. All up weight with 1500 Mah 3 cell lipo and everything else will be 24 oz which is an ounce or two heavier than I anticipated. I could probably shave that extra weight by switching out my servo extensions but I had some HD gauge ones lying around and figured I'd use them. I have a Himax 2025-4200 motor on there for now but ended up ordering a slightly more powerful outrunner for it. I did a totally "ghetto" covering job on it since it is a test platform and will take time with the second build if the maiden flight goes as planned.

Great work Brent and enjoy the fruits of your labor! It really is rewarding creating something like that from nothing and seeing it fly well.

Cheers,

John

Mods-R-Me

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I know this is a little off topic, but I had to show John that he wasn't the only one with a Solidworks license .

SydDythers

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That's all and good Mods...but does it fly?!!!

Finished up my eYak and am pretty happy with it even if the covering and painting wasn't all that hot. I tested it out with my himax motor that I hijacked from my mini funtana and to my surprise it has power to spare in a hover. This baby wants to torque roll like crazy (in my living room at least). I held it straight up and gave it throttle and let go and to my surprise it did a 270 turn hands off the sticks but grabbed it before it destroyed itself

The canopy for it is made from a bit of glass cloth a sandwiched in between poorly done male and female molds. I will make a new canopy soon.

Hopefully the weather clears and warms up here so I can maiden her. In the meantime I need to get back to finishing the biggun'

Cheers,

John

SydDythers

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The weather finally turned nice and got a chance to maiden the big yak and it is a keeper. No bad characteristics other than a slight pull to the canopy on knife edge which can easily be mixed out. Knife edge loops were a breeze and you could almost do no-look harriers. Flattest flat-spins I've ever seen and it 3Ds with the best of them. I am very happy with the way it turned out. It is a little more precise than version one due to the thinner airfoil. I am still getting used to the airframe but get bolder every flight. It parachutes and walls even better than the ver. 1 All up weight is 15 3/4 lbs so it has plenty of punch on pullout. I may do a ver 3. to tweak the fuse a bit but that is more for aesthetics. Sorry for the washed out pics from my camera phone but at least one of them shows the metallic red covering decently. I was very happy with how the built up cowl worked out.

No decals/spinner or any bling of any sort was put on because I didn't want to jinx it

I am working on an extra 260 by modifying my extra 300s a bit. Should be a fair bit lighter than the yak because the fuse construction is a lot simpler with less ply and more balsa stick construction. This might even turn out to be one that requires hardly any laser cutting.

Cheers,

J

mmattockx

John,

How big will the 260 be? I have a G-62 sitting waiting for an airframe and a big 260 would be my first choice.

Thanks,
Mark

SydDythers

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Depends...how big ya want it?

I remember a thread you started looking for 260 info. I ended up downloading that turbosquid model the thread mentioned but I can't seem to find a way to translate the mesh data into suirface data. So plan B was to convert my Extra 300 for the purpose but I didn't like the result so on to plan C which is design it from scratch. I am tweaking the cowl now but the fuse up to where I will have the firewall is perfected (extra cowls are a pain in the rear when it comes to modeling them in cad).

I've tentatively targeted 87" wingspan and 79" length. This would keep it just within the 10% IMAC rule. Because there really isn't much going on below the wing geometry wise, I'll be able to save on a lot of material and a few balsa stringers will be all that is needed. Thus, I am targeting a 15lbs AUW which would make this thing pretty darn fun to fly.

Cheers,

John