Designing and building your own aircraft

Palamedes

Palamedes

Pre-Flight
Joined
Nov 1, 2013
Messages
95
Location
Blairsville, GA
Display Name
Display name:
Jason Ellis
So the pioneers of aviation had an idea and built it.. Success/Failure, assuming they lived, they tried again.. and again.. and again.. etc.. And thus they learned what to do and what not to do..

Today, we have fancy-schmancy computers which help us to make our creations and test it before a single rivet is used..

What are those tools?

3D modeling is actually easy for me.. it's something I have done for years.. I have never made a CAD style 3D Model but animation 3D models I can do.. I use Lightwave and Modo myself.. but thats more for cinema effects and movie models.. not real world CAD models.

( Attached a model of an SU152 I was working on.. wont fly at all.. =p )

My question is, how does one take a plane model that they have worked on and put it through virtual tests to make sure it's air worthy?

Peter Muller has done some amazing work on his Raptor aircraft which you can find here; http://www.raptor-aircraft.com/

How did he test his design once he had it to make sure it would fly?
Lots of very cool airflow analysis images.. etc..

And to be 100% clear I'm not questioning the air worthiness of the plane, but rather I haven't a clue where one would even start..
 

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  • SU152.jpg
    SU152.jpg
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Well at some point you need to put down those children's toys you call slide rulers and fly the gosh darn thing. Was it Sikorsky that said aviation progressed so quick because the early designers were also test pilots. Quick way to get rid of bad designers.
 
Any more the knowledge base for design is so great that it isn't nearly the challenge it once was to come up with an acceptable flying machine. Still a lot of work but I suspect that most inspired amateurs could do it if they were inclined to put forth the needed effort.
 
I designed and built a glider when I was about nine years old. It did slow my fall from the roof, so maybe it was more of a parachute.

-Rich
 
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