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amateur design consultant?
Could anyone give me a suggestion of good airplane design consultant
with a reasonable service charge for light/sport airplane conceptual design? A professional design agency would be great, but I believe a graduate student in aeronautical engineering should be able to help me out. I am not an engineer and only have private pilot's paper test level aeronautical knowledge(don't sneer at me. I passed the test in the first try!), but I am now just fascinated with the idea of designing and building and yes, flying my own airplane! I am brainstorming a twin 3/4 seat camper design using two Rotax 912S or Jabiru 3300 with reliability(twin), simplicity(tube and fabric?), ruggedness(tube and fabric and STOL), comfortability(large cabin for two sleeping)and low cost in mind. I know I probably wouldn't have enough money and time to build it anytime soon, but I just can't wait for proving the design and seeing the airplane layed out on the blue print! So now my goal is to get to the first stage: the conceptual and preliminary design. Then I will save money for structure design and stability analysis etc. Finally I hope I can have the construction plan and then from there I can build the plane piece by piece over time. I know nowadays such light airplane design could be totally done on a computer and there're some dirty cheap entry-level airplane design CAD softwares I can play with, but these softwares do need human input with sufficient aeronautical knowledge even though they look like a dummy's software for those enginners who operate 150K REAL airplane design CAD systems. So is there anyone good at any of those softwares like AirplanePDQ or even X-Plane PlaneMaker who would like to help me? Thank you in advance. Shin Gou |
#2
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Shin Gou wrote:
Could anyone give me a suggestion of good airplane design consultant with a reasonable service charge for light/sport airplane conceptual design? A professional design agency would be great, but I believe a graduate student in aeronautical engineering should be able to help me out. I am not an engineer and only have private pilot's paper test level aeronautical knowledge(don't sneer at me. I passed the test in the first try!), but I am now just fascinated with the idea of designing and building and yes, flying my own airplane! I am brainstorming a twin 3/4 seat camper design using two Rotax 912S or Jabiru 3300 with reliability(twin), simplicity(tube and fabric?), ruggedness(tube and fabric and STOL), comfortability(large cabin for two sleeping)and low cost in mind. I know I probably wouldn't have enough money and time to build it anytime soon, but I just can't wait for proving the design and seeing the airplane layed out on the blue print! So now my goal is to get to the first stage: the conceptual and preliminary design. Then I will save money for structure design and stability analysis etc. Finally I hope I can have the construction plan and then from there I can build the plane piece by piece over time. I know nowadays such light airplane design could be totally done on a computer and there're some dirty cheap entry-level airplane design CAD softwares I can play with, but these softwares do need human input with sufficient aeronautical knowledge even though they look like a dummy's software for those enginners who operate 150K REAL airplane design CAD systems. So is there anyone good at any of those softwares like AirplanePDQ or even X-Plane PlaneMaker who would like to help me? Thank you in advance. Shin Gou Any CAD and any spreadsheet. Those are the modern tools of creation, and as great an 'equalizer' as the Colt's 45 was in the Olde West. HOW you use them, as you pointed out, is the critical question. While the programs you asked about can produce results, it's left up to the operator to determine if those results are valid. "Therein lies the rub", as the Bard put it. There are a lot of web sites that deal with aerodynamics and design. That would be one possible way to get up to speed. Another, more traditional way, is to acquire and study - books. Maybe the guys here on the group will chip in with suggestions. At first "Aerodynamics for Naval Aviators" looked mighty intimidating. That was most of a lifetime ago, and now it seems almost superficial. But one must start somewhere... Below is the source listing for a simple (minded?) little program that I often use to study the relationship between wing design options. It doesn't produce pretty pictures or anything like that. But it _does_ let one play with the major parameters and see how they interact. The idea is to pick one parameter to SOLVE for, based on given values for the rest of them. Coefficient of lift, wing Surface, Airspeed, and total Lift are the changeable values. It assumes a sea level standard day. I wrote it in the BASIC language and should run under just about any interpreter or compiler with little if any modifications required. This version is much better structured, and the line numbers have been discarded in favor of Labels so that even the most rabid C-Hag can follow. All I ask in return is that if you take it and extend it into something more useful, send me a copy? (source code, dude!) Best wishes, Richard Lamb http://home.earthlink.net/~n6228l/ ============= cut here ================= FF = 0 TT = NOT FF doRun = TT KK$ = "LVSCQ?" 'initial values: L = 555 W = L A = 55 V = A * 1.4666 CL = 1.2 S = 125 CLS PRINT "Finite Wing Theory"; " print" WHILE doRun = TT PRINT "[.L.V.S.C.Q.] for Lift Velocity Surface Clift Quit "; Z$ Z$ = "" WHILE Z$ = "" Z$ = UCASE$(INKEY$): IF Z$ = CHR$(13) THEN Z$ = "" IF Z$ = CHR$(27) THEN Z$ = "Q" IF INSTR(KK$, Z$) = 0 THEN Z$ = "" WEND SELECT CASE UCASE$(Z$) CASE "L" PRINT " Calculate LIFT.............." GOSUB doLift CASE "V" PRINT " Calculate Velocity.........." GOSUB doVel CASE "S" PRINT " Calculate Wing Area........." GOSUB doSurf CASE "C" PRINT " Calculate Coef. of Lift....." GOSUB doCL CASE "?" 'GOSUB doDump PRINT " Variable dump:---------------------------" PRINT " Lift / Weight "; L; " lbs" PRINT " Airspeed "; A; " mph = "; V; " fps" PRINT " Coefec of Lift "; CL PRINT " Wing Area "; S; " sq ft" PRINT " -----------------------------------------" CASE "Q" doRun = FF END SELECT PRINT : PRINT WEND END doLift: GOSUB GetSurf GOSUB GetVel GOSUB GetCL L = .001188 * CL * V * V * S PRINT " Lift = "; L RETURN doVel: GOSUB GetSurf GOSUB GetCL GOSUB GetWgt V = SQR(L / (.001188 * CL * S)) A = V * .681 PRINT " Velocity = "; PRINT USING "#,###.#"; A; PRINT " MPH = "; PRINT USING "#,###.#"; V; PRINT " FPS" RETURN doSurf: GOSUB GetCL GOSUB GetWgt GOSUB GetVel S = L / (.001188 * CL * V * V) PRINT " Surface = "; S RETURN doCL: GOSUB GetWgt GOSUB GetVel GOSUB GetSurf CL = L / (.001188 * S * V * V) PRINT " Coeff. Lift = "; CL RETURN GetSurf: PRINT " Wing Area (sq ft) ["; S; "]"; INPUT ""; X IF X 0 THEN S = X RETURN GetVel: PRINT " Airspeed (mph) ["; A; "]"; INPUT ""; X IF X 0 THEN A = X V = X * 1.467 END IF RETURN GetCL: PRINT " Coeff. Lift (#.##) ["; CL; "]"; INPUT ""; X IF X 0 THEN CL = X RETURN GetWgt: PRINT " Gross Weight (lbs) ["; L; "}"; INPUT ""; X IF X 0 THEN W = X ' steady state W = L L = X END IF RETURN |
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#4
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I can help you in aircraft instruments which are cheaper and stable.
If you are interested in them, please browse my Web site. http://www.ming-da.com Best Regards Luo |
#5
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Luo Zheng wrote:
I can help you in aircraft instruments which are cheaper and stable. If you are interested in them, please browse my Web site. http://www.ming-da.com Best Regards Luo Give me a little more forplay, Luo. Too many web weenies playing silly buggers these days. Richard |
#6
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"Luo Zheng" wrote in message
om... I can help you in aircraft instruments which are cheaper and stable. If you are interested in them, please browse my Web site. http://www.ming-da.com Best Regards Interesting to see your company has years of experience in aircraft instuments (according to your web site), and then turns to this group to ask how long an electric gyro should last. Having some reliability problems, perhaps?!? Rob |
#7
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"Richard Riley" wrote in message
news On Sun, 27 Jun 2004 14:59:07 +0200, "Rob Turk" wrote: :"Luo Zheng" wrote in message . com... : I can help you in aircraft instruments which are cheaper and stable. : : If you are interested in them, please browse my Web site. : http://www.ming-da.com : : Best Regards : : :Interesting to see your company has years of experience in aircraft :instuments (according to your web site), and then turns to this group to ask :how long an electric gyro should last. Having some reliability problems, erhaps?!? I'm still not sure that's what he was asking. It might be - but I think maybe he was trying to find out the size of the US market for his product. That's a possibility as well. However, the electric gyro shown on his website looks very similar to the 'non-TCO' gyro listed by Aircraft Spruce. It's made in China too. When I wanted to order it through the Aircraft Spruce UK subsidiary they strongly adviced against it due to reliability issues with the bearings. They claimed that the gyro's all stopped working after 50-100 hours of operation. I'm not absolutely sure that they are both the same product (China is a big country..) but I found the correlation between his 'how long can it be used' question and the bearing issue I was warned for too much of a coincidence not to mention it.. Rob |
#8
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Some updated sketches on the BK 1.?/L-1.? (names changed to protect the innocent) Some changes were dictated by a more realistic wieght and balance. Since this version is being developed for Bruce, we'll stick with his designation. Personally. I like the long snout version, and am reserving the L-One name for that one. Eventually I'll get the file names changed. Until then, just deal with it... L-One? With the pilot's feet aft of the rear spar, there would be room for a huge fuel capacity - right on the center of lift. Little or no fuel trim changes. Call it six to eight hours endurance? Depends a lot on what the Mighty V-Dub can lift on a relatively small wing. And! include the relief tube as an integral part of the design. Imagine (if you will) a small backwards facing funnel extension on the aft end of one of the wheel pants to supply a small low pressure area (to help evacuate the tube). Light, simple, and damned important! But that would be a completely different plane from what Bruce asked for. So... http://home.earthlink.net/~n6228l/l-one.htm |
#10
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Rob,
You are right. I am a Chinese currently working and flying in the US (no, they are not together. Flying is just my hobby.) Both military and civil Chinese airplane manufacturers(yes, there ARE airplane manufacturers in China) avoid using China-made avionics if they have the extra budget though I don't know if they all use China-made gyros(they use China-made non-gyro instruments.) I am 99% sure this guy's products are the same as those listed on Aircraft Spruce. I don't know this guy, but I've talked to some airplane homebuilders in China (yes, there ARE airplane homebuilders in China though they have to work mostly underground) who talked to this guy who obviously boosted the sale of his products to overseas markets. By the way, this guy's company is the subsidiary of the subsidiary of China's state-run trade corp. of aviation products, so all this guy's products are actually TSO's in China. But how could a gyro TSOed in China fail in 50-100 hours? mmm, don't ask me this question, I want to go back to China and don't want to be killed by my extremist patriotist folks. Shin "Rob Turk" wrote in message l.nl... "Richard Riley" wrote in message news On Sun, 27 Jun 2004 14:59:07 +0200, "Rob Turk" wrote: :"Luo Zheng" wrote in message . com... : I can help you in aircraft instruments which are cheaper and stable. : : If you are interested in them, please browse my Web site. : http://www.ming-da.com : : Best Regards : : :Interesting to see your company has years of experience in aircraft :instuments (according to your web site), and then turns to this group to ask :how long an electric gyro should last. Having some reliability problems, erhaps?!? I'm still not sure that's what he was asking. It might be - but I think maybe he was trying to find out the size of the US market for his product. That's a possibility as well. However, the electric gyro shown on his website looks very similar to the 'non-TCO' gyro listed by Aircraft Spruce. It's made in China too. When I wanted to order it through the Aircraft Spruce UK subsidiary they strongly adviced against it due to reliability issues with the bearings. They claimed that the gyro's all stopped working after 50-100 hours of operation. I'm not absolutely sure that they are both the same product (China is a big country..) but I found the correlation between his 'how long can it be used' question and the bearing issue I was warned for too much of a coincidence not to mention it.. Rob |
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