Lofting problems

[Incredible_Ian]

Hi Everyone,

Im a relative newcomer to CAD, and Solidworks, and im designing a radio control helicopter (thats my main hobby), and ive come around to making the canopy. After trying various methods of making it, it struck me that making "formers" and lofting the profile would be the best idea, so therefore i can make a really smooth flowing canopy.

However, as the design goes, it has a large main gear, so the canopy has to have a bulge in it, to clear the gear. The pictures attached describe this better.

The second picture shows the set of "formers" that i am creating a loft from, im happy with the shape it gives me, apart from one bit. Instead of a single bulge for the main gear, when i loft, it creates two (3rd picture, 4th pic a close up).

Ive been trying to get around this all evenining and i cant fathom it, is there something ive done wrong with the loft? or is it the shape im lofting?

Any help is greatly appreciated
Ian

 

[rtwpsom2]

First off, you need more contour paths. Use 3D splines and try to make them smoother. Secondly, hard corners do not translate well into smooth rounds. Try filleting the bottom corners on the rear lofts slightly.

 

[ttraser]

Keep the same amount of entities in each sketch. Remember, you can sew the surfaces together later, then thicken them.

 

[Lotus14]

Lofting

Try some more guide curves. Think of them as stringers on a model airplane. Look at the attached images.
Hope this helps. Make the part smooth without cutouts, and add the cutouts as cut sweeps, or what ever is easy. You can radius sharps later.
Regards,

 

[Incredible_Ian]

Thanks for the info guys,

Im still fairly much a begginer at this soldiworks stuff, not sure what guide curves are, but ive just got this huge book to teach myself the rest of the stuff.

Unfortuatly, my computer decided to die on me, so ive lost all my data including my helicopter

Thanks again
Ian

 

[rollinshultz]

model advice

I design for a large hobbie helicopter company and I know this isn't the type of advice you were asking for, but on the canopy make it large enough to surround the gear instead of forming it around the gears and other projections. You can attach the canopy with standoff mounts. It will give you a more professional and realistic heli look.
You built it once so you can do it again so don't lose heart just dive back in again and learn to save often and back up at the end of every session.