Another Truck Aerocap attempt with sketchup for modeling

[slowmover]

Gaffers tape, SHURTAPE #672, is a better choice than Gorilla Tape. GT is only decent, at best. The 672 removes without incident by comparison.

I'd also choose SHURTAPE #657 over GT.

GT is okay and easily found. But it is not the same class.

[skyking]

joggerfogger, I'd be willing to help out on your job a little later this year. We could probably get most of it done in a long weekend. I have the tools and a heat-able space up here for all of it.
The epoxies like 75~80 F cure.

[joggerfogger]

Awesome offer. In 6 years of marriage, I've been able to get away for 4 weekends without the family. This project is going to be 1-2 hrs per night spread out over a long time. I'd love to take you up on the offer, but my wife would never go for it.

I've made version 5 in sketchup now that I have a better understanding of my construction methods. I think I'm going to use as cheap as possible plywood for my stations (ribs), coroplast for the skin, and some sort of tape for the seams. I really want a "proof of concept" before I dive in and make it with wood using the pygmy boat stitch method. I think wood is a great method, and even if I painted it black, it would look awesome.

With a cheap facsimile of the model I can tuft test and modify the shape if needed. I'd hate to build a perfect wooden aerocap and realize that I made a fundamental aerodynamic design error.

With this sketchup model I used far fewer points on each curve. I used more accurate measurements of the rear of the cab and top rails of the box so I can use the station dimensions to create the shape I want with fewer measurements. In sketchup I can also lay out all the stations on a 4x8 "virtual" sheet of plywood so I waste as little material as possible.

[skyking]

Sounds good. If you make it carefully enough, you *should* be able to just epoxy it and be done, after testing.

[KamperBob]

Originally Posted by joggerfogger

Looking good, JF!

Sketchup tip: Before connecting front-rear lines (for skin) between bulkheads right click on segments (lines, arcs) to access entity properties. Tweak the number of segments per arc as desired. You can make them as smooth or coarse as you want. That effectively gives manual control to "mesh" the rendered surface with appropriate size/shape triangle patches.

Keep up the great work! If I can't build mine now (if ever) I may as well try and help somebody else build theirs.

[joggerfogger]

My worry was cutting the "skin" (orange peels) that are going to run front to back. Now that I have these stations/ribs/bulkheads mapped out, I plan on building the ribs first then setting them up and securing them on the rails. Then string "snapline" to the points of the ribs and lay the coroplast over the ribs and snap my cut lines from underneath.

Sorry if I'm over thinking this, but I have to have clear methods to my construction or I'll have to make 4 attempts to get it right. This will at least cut it down to 2-3 attempts .

I think I'm ready to buy some materials. I found black 4x8' coroplast sheets for $17. Hopefully 2 will do it. A couple sheets of plywood and some zip-ties and duct tape. It would be great to keep it under $50.

-Kevin

[skyking]

single ply cardboard would make for a nice template material. There has to be a place you can get some nearby.
I'd rather spend some time wasting the cardboard and not the coroplast.

[joggerfogger]

Originally Posted by skyking

single ply cardboard would make for a nice template material. There has to be a place you can get some nearby.
I'd rather spend some time wasting the cardboard and not the coroplast.

You know what? I bet I can do testing and experimentation with free cardboard. if it's just temporary, why not use a more temporary material?

[slowmover]

Sorry if I'm over thinking this, but I have to have clear methods to my construction or I'll have to make 4 attempts to get it right. This will at least cut it down to 2-3 attempts .


You're in good company.