Tutorial for Aircraft Design

[chronix]

I'm looking for a tutorial on how to design planes via software (free software please I'm broke) my brain has a hard time thinking of 2D and making that 3D so I was hoping there was a walkthrough out there that y'all might know about. Thanks!

 

[JasonK]

https://www.flitetest.com/articles/easy-aircraft-design
https://www.flitetest.com/articles/propeller-static-dynamic-thrust-calculation
https://forum.flitetest.com/index.php?threads/determining-control-surface-area.62991/#post-565944
https://www.ecalc.ch/cgcalc.php

I don't know if any software that will do airflow/lift/drag/etc simulation for free, but if you find one, I would be curious to see it.

Is there a specific design that your trying to come up with that doesn't already exist? (or something close that could easily be modified)

 

[chronix]

I'm looking to build my late father's Piper Comanche, a PA-24-250. I thought about asking someone to do one on commission but I'd like to try my hand at it first. HH has a Piper Cherokee that I could use the fuselage as a base I think, but after that I'll have to go off my pictures of his plane.

 

[mayan]

First I suggest you find the plans for a balsa build of it then try to see if you can use any of the FT plane parts and convert them. Last is to make what you are missing. BTW a good software is Adobe Illustrator, that’s what I used to design the Howard DGA-6 aka Mister Mulligan.

Edit you can use illustrator to trace the imported balsa plans to help you out.

 

[Merv]

I agree with @JasonK, it’s far easier to take an existing design and modify it to meet your needs. Why reinvent the wheel?

I import an image into SketchUp and trace it to make my plans. Once I have the basics, I will print the plan & attach it to foam board, to make a template. I find fb templates easier to further modify. Getting the CG right is the most difficult part. With fb templets, I can easily make a nose longer, by cutting the templet and glueing in an extension, or shorter by cutting out a section.

 

[chronix]

So say I find the plans for a Comanche, I can import the files into something like sketch up? Then maybe go from there?

Edit: I see that's exactly what you said lol

 

[JasonK]

looks like the FT Mini Mustang is really close in profile/etc to that plane:
https://store.flitetest.com/flite-t...electric-airplane-kit-622mm-flt-1107/p1218484
Just make some changes to the top of the plane (move the window part forward) and your going to have something fairly close.

 

[chronix]

looks like the FT Mini Mustang is really close in profile/etc to that plane:
https://store.flitetest.com/flite-t...electric-airplane-kit-622mm-flt-1107/p1218484
Just make some changes to the top of the plane (move the window part forward) and your going to have something fairly close.

I was looking at the FT Racer I think that might be a decent start as well.