Okay, so I have been wanting to design my own RC plane for a while now, only issue is I have no idea where to start. I watched one video where a guy made one in blender, but it was hard to understand even as someone who has used blender and cad programs, I would like to be able to use blender or fusion 360(preferably blender). then turn that 3d model into something I can make with foamboard. Any help would be much appreciated, thanks!
How do I go about designing my own rc plane plans in from blender?
I use fusion & don't know anything about blender. I find a 3 view image, side, front & top, of the plane you want. Then import it into your cad program. Myself, I only use the side image. I make the fuse whenever width I want, 2 inches if I'm using a power pod. Then scale the image & trace it out.
Thanks, i designed one in fusion 360, and used papakura designer to unfold it, how should i get the proper spacing for foambaord, because papakura is made for paper,thanks again
I do it the old school way. I draw one side, flip it for the second side & then draw the middle. If you have a way to unfold it, you are ahead of me.
Last edited:
Oh thats a good idea, I will try your method in the future, Thanks again for the help.
quorneng
Master member
I fear you are attempting to do two things at once, designing an RC plane and using CAD to do it.
Both model and full size planes have been designed long before CAD was available. The two processes are not mutually dependent.
There are things that are much easier to achieve using CAD, like creating the flat sheet cut outs that will create a 3D shape when assembled but this process has nothing to do with the requirement for that 3D shape in the first place.
Designing an RC plane has two major inputs. The requirements of the aerodynamics to achieve the intended performance and the structural strength the aerodynamic requirements may impose. There are a huge number of variables involved so there is no single formula to do it.
The best solution and it has been since the earliest times is to start with a design that is know to work and it simple terms copy it! 😄
The design skill is knowing what features make it better or worse and where construction compromises have to be made to suite the materials being used.
So to "Design my own RC plane" these sort of questions you have to ask yourself:-
What sort & size of RC plane do I want?
Are there existing designs already out there?
Do I have specific requirements that my design has to meet?
Do I have the knowledge and experience to understand the reasons behind those existing designs?
Do I want to risk trying out something different?
Then finally Do I have the skills to use CAD to do it?
To give an example.
The scale RC Antonov AN2 shown in my Avatar is an own design made from Depron sheet foam starting with a 3 view drawing from the internet. The "shape" and thus the basic aerodynamics are entirely those of the full size original but the structural design features required are entirely my own. The only CAD used was to create the 3D print files for the engine cowling and the dummy scale 9 cylinder radial engine that goes inside it.
I hope this gives an indication of the processes involved.
Both model and full size planes have been designed long before CAD was available. The two processes are not mutually dependent.
There are things that are much easier to achieve using CAD, like creating the flat sheet cut outs that will create a 3D shape when assembled but this process has nothing to do with the requirement for that 3D shape in the first place.
Designing an RC plane has two major inputs. The requirements of the aerodynamics to achieve the intended performance and the structural strength the aerodynamic requirements may impose. There are a huge number of variables involved so there is no single formula to do it.
The best solution and it has been since the earliest times is to start with a design that is know to work and it simple terms copy it! 😄
The design skill is knowing what features make it better or worse and where construction compromises have to be made to suite the materials being used.
So to "Design my own RC plane" these sort of questions you have to ask yourself:-
What sort & size of RC plane do I want?
Are there existing designs already out there?
Do I have specific requirements that my design has to meet?
Do I have the knowledge and experience to understand the reasons behind those existing designs?
Do I want to risk trying out something different?
Then finally Do I have the skills to use CAD to do it?
To give an example.
The scale RC Antonov AN2 shown in my Avatar is an own design made from Depron sheet foam starting with a 3 view drawing from the internet. The "shape" and thus the basic aerodynamics are entirely those of the full size original but the structural design features required are entirely my own. The only CAD used was to create the 3D print files for the engine cowling and the dummy scale 9 cylinder radial engine that goes inside it.
I hope this gives an indication of the processes involved.
Thanks that will give me somehting to think about, I do have experience in cad, mostly fusion 360, which i just after posting this and getting a reply decided to do, main issue i had was unfolding it, the next design i do i will make sure to keep what you said in mind Thanks
Similar threads
