Good idea. I haven’t downloaded any CAD software on my new computer yet, but if I had it I would give it a shot, although my 3D CAD skills aren’t the greatest yet.
Master Series P-40
- Thread starter Whit Armstrong
- Start date
Matthewdupreez
Legendary member
You should try Fusion 360... The hobby version is 100% free.. and it's easy to use....
There is another one I've heard about... Apparently it's easier to design planes on it. And then create the actual skins
There is another one I've heard about... Apparently it's easier to design planes on it. And then create the actual skins
I’m thinking about purchasing rhino since I like the idea of a one time purchase and I like the smaller company feel. However I really need to get a different computer, I don’t think my MacBook Air is up to the task. That probably won’t happen till next summer though.
Matthewdupreez
Legendary member
I had a 2011 mac book air, and that thing handled fusion 360 like a dream.. Apple has a beast of a computer in the mac book air... You'll be fine using it. .. try using fusion and see how your computer responds
Good to know, I’ll give it a shot.
Whit Armstrong
Elite member
An update has been long overdue, and I'm glad to present the newest version of the P-40. I've been extremely busy with school and other things, but in all the spare time I managed to scrounge up, I've been working on this plane.
Everything's been fitting well, all the parts go together great, except for this one piece on the hatch
.
It came out completely wonky and didn't fit at all, strange because that's the only piece that didn't fit. It did have some weird curves that maybe the unwrapping algorithm had trouble with.
Some pictures of the plane so far:
The connection between the wing and the fuselage fits very nicely, and it is oddly satisfying how everything fits together. maybe it's just me.
.
The area that the fuselage skin fits to the wing has a small gap, but that's just builder error. I glued it so that one side had too much material, and then sanded it away to make it flush (or at least less crooked) but I accidentally sanded too much. Now both sides have an uneven fit!
I sure won't make that mistake again.
The hatch fits decently, although it requires a lot of sanding. I forgot to include a coupe pieces in the plans! (the cowl flaps)
The tail of the plane is like most master series planes, more specifically the new minis (you cut a slot in the formers after assembly and then feed the backbone in). I can never seem to get the bottom of the tail right, and it always comes out with a gap.
The tail:
Bad joint:
I have since revised the tail to have two seams down the sides much like @Grifflyer's mini spitfire. It's much easier to form and with a good paint job can be disguised as panel lines. I have already built a test part and it works great, but unfortunately I don't have pictures.
I never realized how big this plane was until I actually built it! That's part of the reason the servo tray is so far from the tail feathers - I completely misjudged the difference. To rectify the situation as well as make things easier on the builder, I think I'm going to opt to have the servos embedded in the horizontal stabilizer and partially obscured by the tail. (I haven't built a model of that system yet, but hopefully one is coming soon.)
Anyway, progress is slow but steady, and I want to release the best version of this plane that I can, so thank you for all your patience, especially @Slamador!
Everything's been fitting well, all the parts go together great, except for this one piece on the hatch
.
It came out completely wonky and didn't fit at all, strange because that's the only piece that didn't fit. It did have some weird curves that maybe the unwrapping algorithm had trouble with.
Some pictures of the plane so far:
The connection between the wing and the fuselage fits very nicely, and it is oddly satisfying how everything fits together. maybe it's just me.
.
The area that the fuselage skin fits to the wing has a small gap, but that's just builder error. I glued it so that one side had too much material, and then sanded it away to make it flush (or at least less crooked) but I accidentally sanded too much. Now both sides have an uneven fit!
I sure won't make that mistake again.
The hatch fits decently, although it requires a lot of sanding. I forgot to include a coupe pieces in the plans! (the cowl flaps)
The tail of the plane is like most master series planes, more specifically the new minis (you cut a slot in the formers after assembly and then feed the backbone in). I can never seem to get the bottom of the tail right, and it always comes out with a gap.
The tail:
Bad joint:
I have since revised the tail to have two seams down the sides much like @Grifflyer's mini spitfire. It's much easier to form and with a good paint job can be disguised as panel lines. I have already built a test part and it works great, but unfortunately I don't have pictures.
I never realized how big this plane was until I actually built it! That's part of the reason the servo tray is so far from the tail feathers - I completely misjudged the difference. To rectify the situation as well as make things easier on the builder, I think I'm going to opt to have the servos embedded in the horizontal stabilizer and partially obscured by the tail. (I haven't built a model of that system yet, but hopefully one is coming soon.)
Anyway, progress is slow but steady, and I want to release the best version of this plane that I can, so thank you for all your patience, especially @Slamador!
Slamador
Member
An update has been long overdue, and I'm glad to present the newest version of the P-40. I've been extremely busy with school and other things, but in all the spare time I managed to scrounge up, I've been working on this plane.
Everything's been fitting well, all the parts go together great, except for this one piece on the hatch
View attachment 212702
It came out completely wonky and didn't fit at all, strange because that's the only piece that didn't fit. It did have some weird curves that maybe the unwrapping algorithm had trouble with.
Some pictures of the plane so far:
View attachment 212703 View attachment 212704
The connection between the wing and the fuselage fits very nicely, and it is oddly satisfying how everything fits together. maybe it's just me.
View attachment 212705 . View attachment 212706
The area that the fuselage skin fits to the wing has a small gap, but that's just builder error. I glued it so that one side had too much material, and then sanded it away to make it flush (or at least less crooked) but I accidentally sanded too much. Now both sides have an uneven fit!
View attachment 212707
I sure won't make that mistake again.
The hatch fits decently, although it requires a lot of sanding. I forgot to include a coupe pieces in the plans! (the cowl flaps)
View attachment 212708
The tail of the plane is like most master series planes, more specifically the new minis (you cut a slot in the formers after assembly and then feed the backbone in). I can never seem to get the bottom of the tail right, and it always comes out with a gap.
The tail:
View attachment 212709
Bad joint:
View attachment 212710
I have since revised the tail to have two seams down the sides much like @Grifflyer's mini spitfire. It's much easier to form and with a good paint job can be disguised as panel lines. I have already built a test part and it works great, but unfortunately I don't have pictures.
I never realized how big this plane was until I actually built it! That's part of the reason the servo tray is so far from the tail feathers - I completely misjudged the difference. To rectify the situation as well as make things easier on the builder, I think I'm going to opt to have the servos embedded in the horizontal stabilizer and partially obscured by the tail. (I haven't built a model of that system yet, but hopefully one is coming soon.)
Anyway, progress is slow but steady, and I want to release the best version of this plane that I can, so thank you for all your patience, especially @Slamador!
Keep up the good work, man. It is looking awesome
I know a bunch of us are excited for you to finish this P-40. Don't rush, good work takes time.
Whit Armstrong
Elite member
Yeah, now that I've done this, I realize how many errors have gone unseen in my other planes!
Slamador
Member
Any new updates on this build?
I’m not as talented as Whit to design my own planes, but I was planning on sizing up John’s mighty mini P-40 using the kit. I have other projects I want to get to first, but I might post my results here.
Happy New Year!
Whit Armstrong
Elite member
Well, the design surely is coming along!
I fixed some of the roadblocks that have been bugging me for months, like some of the hatch skins not fitting no matter what method I tried to produce them. I reworked the tail to include a far better mounting system for the servos (they're embedded inside the horizontal stabilizer now) and I figured out how to make smoother leading/trailing edges. The beta plans are finished, and can be downloaded below, just beware that there isn't any labelling yet. All that's left to do is test the rudder installation, build the cockpit, and fit some wing fillets. Then I should be good to go.
Pictures coming as soon as my phone is done charging.
Whit Armstrong
Elite member
If y'all are hankering for an update, I've got bad news. The lasercutter at my school has been jammed and is in need of repair, and Fusion360 has been updated, so now my svg export service doesn't work properly. On the good side, I've just saved up enough for some electronics, so hopefully I'll be putting the first prototype in the air soon!
