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Sources for fiberglass and vacuum formed parts
Hi all, I am looking for recommendations on companies willing to build molds and make parts for relatively small production runs of fiberglass and vacuum formed parts. I had outsourced this work in the past, but I would like to keep the work in the US if possible. The parts are canopy and cowling for a 26% scale Pitts, to give you an idea of the scale that we are looking at. I have engineering drawings that include material specs and dimensions along with CAD models that we can provide for quoting. I am also interested in companies or individuals that have a good history of mold design and fabrication - I can buy the molds and supply them to a fiberglass company to build the parts. Any recommendations? Thanks!
Posted on: 11/17/2009 5:34 PM by Author "rgunder"
in the forum "Composites Fabrication And Repair"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9260860
RE: Pitts M12 26% plans available soon
Very cool paint job - I like the flames! Nice work! What engine do you have under the cowl?
Posted on: 10/13/2009 12:21 AM by Author "rgunder"
in the forum "Scratch Building, Aircraft Design, 3D/CAD"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9168626
RE: Pitts M12 26% plans available soon
[quote]ORIGINAL: tinknocker07 I'm not ready to give up my gas power yet. I still love the smell and the noise. Nate [/quote] Well, you are in luck then... Introducing the Gunderson AeroDesign Gas Engine Smell and Noise Emulator for electric airplanes [:D]
Posted on: 8/11/2009 7:18 PM by Author "rgunder"
in the forum "Scratch Building, Aircraft Design, 3D/CAD"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9008612
RE: Pitts M12 26% plans available soon
[quote]ORIGINAL: tinknocker07 Hello I a copy of this plan that I have not printed yet I want to build one at 80% 55'' wing span and then build one at 100%. I would like some feedback on engines for each I think I want unlimited vertical on both sizes Please tell the pros and cons of this and give some engine choices. I was thinking of an OS 95 ax for the 55'' model and a 50cc gas for the 68'' size I was hoping that the plane would have the power to hang on the prop. Thanks for your Help Nate [/quote] Any thought of going electric at 55" in span?
Posted on: 8/11/2009 5:55 PM by Author "rgunder"
in the forum "Scratch Building, Aircraft Design, 3D/CAD"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9008395
RE: Pitts M12 26% plans available soon
[quote]ORIGINAL: rodrumfunk Hi My name is RODRIGO valemcia, I'm living in Peru. My email adress: rodrumfunk@hotmail.com That is beautiful plane,Can you send me the PITTS M12 .dxf plans ? Thanks! Best regards! [/quote] rodrumfunk, The plans are distributed only in PDF format. Please complete the request form on our website: [link=http://www.gundersonaerodesign.com/products/shortkits/burton/]http://www.gundersonaerodesign.com/products/shortkits/burton/[/link] to request the plans. Thanks, Rich
Posted on: 8/11/2009 5:53 PM by Author "rgunder"
in the forum "Scratch Building, Aircraft Design, 3D/CAD"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9008393
RE: Pitts M12 26% plans available soon
We have had a few requests for the plans recently from email addresses that were returned as undeliverable. If you submit a plans request and don't receive anything from me within a couple of days, please send another request or send me a PM.
Posted on: 8/2/2009 12:13 PM by Author "rgunder"
in the forum "Scratch Building, Aircraft Design, 3D/CAD"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=8983644
RE: Pitts M12 26% plans available soon
You assume I think a double sized Pitts would be bad ;)
Posted on: 7/18/2009 2:15 AM by Author "rgunder"
in the forum "Scratch Building, Aircraft Design, 3D/CAD"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=8942928
RE: Pitts M12 26% plans available soon
[quote]Hi, can we get the plans enlarged to 85" wingspan,then buy them? paul. [/quote] We can enlarge the plans for you in the sense that we can print them at a larger size. The issue is that the materials will not scale nicely, so notches and slots will not be sized for commonly available woods. You would have some redesign work to do to make the larger parts work with common sized materials. Doubling the scale always works well, but that would be a monster!
Posted on: 6/30/2009 8:13 PM by Author "rgunder"
in the forum "Scratch Building, Aircraft Design, 3D/CAD"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=8895931
RE: Pitts M12 26% plans available soon
[quote]ORIGINAL: aeroP I just finished mine. Weight is 6,6kg (14,6lbs), engine is DA-50. Servos are Hitec 5625(x5). I modified the plans quite heavily. Wings are foam/balsa, fuselage is fully sheeted and its design is a bit diffrent from plans. Why I changed the fuselage construction is because my original plan was to made fibreglass fuse. Cowling, canopy and landing gear are self made. I also enlarged slightly elevator and rudder. Future modifications could be negative angle (-1 deg.) to top wing and elevator could be even bigger. Here you can see more pictures: [link]http://teacdance.pp.fi/images/album/lennatys/2009_06_08/[/link] [/quote] Great photo!
Posted on: 6/12/2009 1:43 AM by Author "rgunder"
in the forum "Scratch Building, Aircraft Design, 3D/CAD"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=8845983
RE: Pitts M12 26% plans available soon
She is a beauty! What is the final weight?
Posted on: 6/3/2009 7:31 PM by Author "rgunder"
in the forum "Scratch Building, Aircraft Design, 3D/CAD"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=8823421
RE: Pitts M12 26% plans available soon
Just a reminder to everyone who wants a free PDF copy of the plans. The link to use to request the plans is www.gundersonaerodesign.com/products/shortkits/burton, scroll to the bottom of the page and click on the picture of the plans, fill out the request form completely, and I will send you the plans usually within one day by email. The forum has been quiet recently, anybody have some new photos of their build progress?
Posted on: 5/27/2009 8:29 PM by Author "rgunder"
in the forum "Scratch Building, Aircraft Design, 3D/CAD"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=8804125
RE: Pitts M12 26% plans available soon
[quote]ORIGINAL: khelsea Rich, I did end up using a built up structure mounted to the bottom of the wing and split to allow the wings to come apart. Really quite easy, just made sure it followed the bottom fuse contour. Now if I can get through all the paint problems I seem to be creating I'll finish this build.Arrgggg!! What you said about the high quality of parts in this kit is very true, great glass work and quality wood. Thanks, Khelsea Lanny [/quote] Photos? Paint problems?
Posted on: 4/7/2009 11:58 PM by Author "rgunder"
in the forum "Scratch Building, Aircraft Design, 3D/CAD"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=8659998
RE: Pitts M12 26% plans available soon
Hi all, I was realizing just how insufficient our [link=http://www.gundersonaerodesign.com/products/shortkits/burton/]website[/link] was regarding a description of what each of the accessories are. I flushed things out a little and thought I should post it here as well. To be clear, the plans are still as free as they have always been, but please excuse the commercial interruption :) Here's the text added to the [link=http://www.gundersonaerodesign.com/products/shortkits/burton/]website[/link]: Our Spirit of Pitts short kit and accessories are second to none in terms of quality. Here are some of the highlights of our kit and accessories: * Rolled Plans - Our rolled plans are printed at full scale on a 24lb bond bright white paper in 36" x 128" sheets. Using such heavy paper makes the details on the plans stand out, and the plans will last through multiple builds without much wear. You won't get quality like this from your local Kinko's, at this price anyway! Why go to the length of finding a local print shop that will charge you even more for a lower quality product? If you only buy one item for the Spirit of Pitts, make it the printed plans. * Short Kit - Our short kit is laser cut from highly refined CAD files of the Spirit of Pitts to ensure an easy build where the parts fit together the first time, every time! * Full Wood Kit - The Spirit of Pitts was designed in Belgium using standard metric materials. So to the short kit we add very high quality metric wood not normally available in the United States to complete the kit. * Fiberglass Cowling - The fiberglass cowling is custom molded for the Spirit of Pitts. It is thin, light, and strong. We added a reinforcement strip around the base of the cowling to provide extra support for your mounting screws. * Lexan Canopy - The Lexan canopy is custom molded for the Spirit of Pitts. We oversized the canopy to allow the builder to trim as needed for a perfect fit. * Wing Tubes - The wing tubes are a high quality aluminum tube with a phenolic sleeve. The wing tubes makes traveling with your Spirit of Pitts a snap. * Landing Gear - We have the landing gear custom manufactured from 6061 T6 aluminum. Simply drill for mounting and axles. * Cabane Struts - The cabanes are precision cut from strong 2024 aluminum using a water jet technology. The struts are delivered unbent to allow you to bend them to fit your build.
Posted on: 4/6/2009 12:46 AM by Author "rgunder"
in the forum "Scratch Building, Aircraft Design, 3D/CAD"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=8652995
RE: Pitts M12 26% plans available soon
[quote]ORIGINAL: khelsea Rich, I'm just at the point of installing F2B, F3A and F4A on the bottom wing and have mixed emotions on the build. Since the wings need to come forward for the locator pins and slide together for the wing tubes should that structure be built on the wings and split down the middle or made as a removable structure? Let me know your thoughts, Thanks, Lanny Khelsea [/quote] Hi Les, I am embarrassed - I did not realize that you had asked a question. [sm=red_smile.gif] Sorry for the delayed reply. I don't follow your question. Are you thinking about making the center section of the wing part of the fuselage and simply having the wings plug into the wing tubes? I haven't seen that done by any of the builders, but it seems like a good idea. I am probably too late anyway - so what did you choose to do? Cheers, Rich
Posted on: 4/6/2009 12:40 AM by Author "rgunder"
in the forum "Scratch Building, Aircraft Design, 3D/CAD"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=8652984
RE: Pitts M12 26% plans available soon
[quote]ORIGINAL: khelsea ... the top wing should be at 1.5 down to keep the plane ffrom climbing at throttle..." [/quote] Hi Lanny, Just curious, but is the -1.5° incidence angle that you suggest a figure that you have used on similar setups? Thanks, Rich
Posted on: 1/27/2009 11:05 PM by Author "rgunder"
in the forum "Scratch Building, Aircraft Design, 3D/CAD"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=8410088
RE: Bombardier Global Express
Dick, Sure is fun to talk about this stuff no matter what! Cheers!
Posted on: 12/4/2008 1:46 PM by Author "rgunder"
in the forum "Aerodynamics"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=8212570
RE: Bombardier Global Express
[quote]ORIGINAL: dick Hanson The actual airfoil fine points are of no concern on a model [/quote] [sm=omg_smile.gif] Dick, I absolutely 100% agree with you that you can't build light enough, but I respectfully disagree with your comment about the airfoil fine points being of no concern on a model. There are cases where I do agree with you - slow, light, sufficiently powered, sport planes in particular where airfoil choice is of little to no concern. But for designs that do not benefit from a great deal of power (sailplanes powered or un-powered) or where performance in terms of speed or endurance is important, the choice of airfoil becomes increasingly important. This is why I asked him to consider the qualitative assessment of how he wants the airplane to perform. Then again, I love the science of aerodynamics so I could be overreacting [:D] But as a general rule - build light, build strong! Cheers, Rich
Posted on: 12/4/2008 11:16 AM by Author "rgunder"
in the forum "Aerodynamics"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=8212121
RE: Bombardier Global Express
[quote]ORIGINAL: tasesq Hi Gents, Thanks for the responses. Can you suggest a website etc that might help me in the choice of a visually close 'non-scale' wingdesign? [/quote] The best airfoil site on the web imho is http://www.ae.uiuc.edu/m-selig/ads/coord_database.html. Dr. Selig and Dr. Drela (who you will find in these forums) are the two preeminent low-speed, low-Reynolds number airfoil experts, and most if not all of their airfoils are on the site. The site is maintained by Dr. Selig's students at UIUC, I believe. That is a good start. For some good science, if you are interested, pick up a copy of Theory of Wing Sections by Abbot and Doenhoff.
Posted on: 12/4/2008 9:30 AM by Author "rgunder"
in the forum "Aerodynamics"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=8211812
RE: .cdr plane file for laser cutting
Hi folks. This thread is right up my alley (I am co-owner of Laser Edge, www.laseredgecutters.com - OK, I am done with the shameless plug). We work with all forms of vector formatted drawings, including CDR. CorelDRAW is a pretty darn powerful program as far as vector based drawing that is not technically CAD is concerned, not to mention that it is affordable enough for the average modeler, as compared to a full blown CAD package anyway. We actually use CorelDRAW for all of our laser cutting work, regardless of the format that we receive from the customer (DXF, DWG, AI, CDR, PDF, hand drawn sketch, etc...). We use a number of programs for editing the vector files (AutoCAD and other CAD programs along with some software that I have developed as well), but our final product is a CorelDRAW file. Regarding the fragmentation of lines from CAD, I have found that it depends on the software creating the file, and how the drawing was created. If the lines were all created as continuous lines, splines, curves, or otherwise check your export options when you save to another file format as you may have some control over how the files are written. Look for options about max angle changes, object types, and the like. When worst comes to worst there are methods for rejoining the lines. My suggestion is to keep working in CorelDRAW if that is what you are most comfortable with, and maybe play a little with CAD on the side to build your proficiency. I have started a blog series of articles on www.gundersonaerodesign.com/blog about getting started in CAD, and I hope to keep flushing out the article as I have time and as readers post comments, so feel free to stop by, read it, and maybe learn a tip or two. BTW, are you looking for any plane in particular, or just a set of plans in CorelDRAW format to start playing with? Cheers, Rich
Posted on: 12/3/2008 11:46 PM by Author "rgunder"
in the forum "Scratch Building, Aircraft Design, 3D/CAD"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=8210972
RE: Bombardier Global Express
tasesq, I thought you might be building a scale version. The reason why I asked is because you will find that the airfoil on the full-scale Global Express is not the best candidate for a scale model. The airfoil on the Global Express has been optimized for a high transonic Mach number and relatively high Reynolds number, whereas the scale model will operate at low subsonic speeds and low Reynolds number. If you are not into fluid dynamics and don't know what those numbers represent, just know that the two flight regimes are very different and that the airfoil chosen for each design is different. You will find that many scale models (but certainly not all) opt for an airfoil that is better suited for the flight regime of the model. A first good question to ask yourself when you pick the airfoil is: how would you like the model to fly? That's a pretty subjective assessment, but it allows you to start to constrain the design and the choices that you make that go into the airfoil selection, and really the design of the wing as a whole. Cheers, Rich
Posted on: 12/3/2008 11:15 PM by Author "rgunder"
in the forum "Aerodynamics"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=8210891
RE: Bombardier Global Express
Are you planning to make a scale model?
Posted on: 12/2/2008 7:25 PM by Author "rgunder"
in the forum "Aerodynamics"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=8206283
RE: Bombardier Global Express
[quote]ORIGINAL: rgunder The airfoil used on the Global Express is likely proprietary and as TFF mentioned it varies with span. Unfortunately, I don't think you will have much luck finding any coordinates. Good luck, and if you do find it let us know. Cheers, Rich [/quote] A quick addition to my last comment... That particular end of the jet market is notoriously competitive with each
Posted on: 12/1/2008 11:43 PM by Author "rgunder"
in the forum "Aerodynamics"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=8203733
RE: Bombardier Global Express
The airfoil used on the Global Express is likely proprietary and as TFF mentioned it varies with span. Unfortunately, I don't think you will have much luck finding any coordinates. Good luck, and if you do find it let us know. Cheers, Rich
Posted on: 12/1/2008 11:41 PM by Author "rgunder"
in the forum "Aerodynamics"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=8203726
RE: Pitts M12 26% plans available soon
Kevin, I may not be understanding your question correctly, but let me see if I can help. F9 has two notches in the former which receive the tabs on the fuselage sides. The tabs and notches should be flush on all sides. The long end of F9 faces toward the bottom of the fuselage (it looks a little awkward before the stringers are in place). Does that help at all? If not can you post a photo with your question? Cheers, Rich
Posted on: 11/30/2008 12:06 AM by Author "rgunder"
in the forum "Scratch Building, Aircraft Design, 3D/CAD"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=8196509
RE: Pitts M12 26% plans available soon
[quote]ORIGINAL: khelsea Rich, Does it need any? Lanny [/quote] Lanny, The wing can be built without wing tubes if you add structure at the root of the wing to take the bending loads that the tubes would normally react. You need If you can find a good way to tie the left and right wing together at the spars (a ply doubler for example). There are a number of builders opting for a single piece wing for weight. Hopefully one of them will chime in with some photos of how they modified the wing. Cheers, Rich
Posted on: 11/25/2008 2:27 PM by Author "rgunder"
in the forum "Scratch Building, Aircraft Design, 3D/CAD"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=8182122
RE: Pitts M12 26% plans available soon
I was just looking at all the pages that link into the Pitts page on our website, and found this thread: [link=http://forum.modelarji.com/viewtopic.php?t=22742&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0]http://forum.modelarji.com/viewtopic.php?t=22742&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0[/link]. The language is Slovenian, according to Google's translator. The thread is a pretty detailed build thread, and is worth looking at for the photos, even if you are not up to speed on your Slovenian [:D] I thought you all might be interested in seeing it. Cheers, Rich
Posted on: 11/20/2008 2:22 PM by Author "rgunder"
in the forum "Scratch Building, Aircraft Design, 3D/CAD"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=8166436
RE: Pitts M12 26% plans available soon
[quote]ORIGINAL: khelsea Sorry for another question Rich, Althought the guide doesn't mention it and it doesn't reflect in the plans is it possible that on the bottom wing ribs WB1,2 ,3 where WS2 mounts should be installed upside down to allow better alignment to fuse mounting plate F9 or just drill the mounting bolts at 90 degree angle to WS2 and tap F9 at an angle. Thanks Lanny [/quote] No problem Lanny, I am sure that others have the same question, and an interesting question it is. The ribs are symmetrical, so you can mount them upright or inverted. There are good reasons to do both. From an alignment perspective you are better off inverting the ribs, whereas mounting the ribs upright places the wing (ribs and upper skin) between the bolt plates (albeit at a poor angle). If you choose to mount the ribs inverted, I would make doubly sure that WS2 is bonded well to the ribs and the upper skin since the bond will be in tension rather than compression. All you builders out there... How did you opt to mount WS2? Cheers, Rich
Posted on: 11/11/2008 11:09 AM by Author "rgunder"
in the forum "Scratch Building, Aircraft Design, 3D/CAD"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=8136243
RE: Pitts M12 26% plans available soon
Hi Lanny, [quote]ORIGINAL: khelsea There is 6 pcs of 3mm by 100mm by 24in sheet balsa, front fuse and removable hatch sheeting from F! thru F6?[/quote] Yes, the 3mm sheeting is included to cover the cowling and hatch back to F6. That is if you choose to build a wood cowling in addition to the fiberglass one. [quote] 12mm balsa wing leading edges? 10mm square balsa for all tail feathers? [/quote] Right again. The 5mm x 10mm balsa is also used in the tails. [quote] Aileron and elevator and rudder triangle stock is not supplied? [/quote] The triangle on the rudder and elevator leading edges is actually a 5mm x 10mm balsa strip that has been beveled to the angle. There is sufficient 5mm x 10mm stock included in the kit for the leading edges of both the rudder and elevator in addition to the other areas where it is used in the tail. Let me know if you have any more questions. Cheers, Rich
Posted on: 11/9/2008 4:46 PM by Author "rgunder"
in the forum "Scratch Building, Aircraft Design, 3D/CAD"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=8130612
RE: Pitts M12 26% plans available soon
[quote]ORIGINAL: mrbigg Can anyone tell me if the bottom wing has any dihedral? Top looks flat and the bottom looks flat in some pics and in other not. [/quote] Hi mrbigg. Both wings, top and bottom, are flat.
Posted on: 11/8/2008 5:32 PM by Author "rgunder"
in the forum "Scratch Building, Aircraft Design, 3D/CAD"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=8127583
RE: magnum airfoil
who is the manufacturer?
Posted on: 11/5/2008 12:09 PM by Author "rgunder"
in the forum "Aerodynamics"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=8117763
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