Hello all!
Here are some thoughts: Precision Actually airplanes are a big like boats, not very precise. Consider a bunch of aluminum panels put together by hand with rivets, or wood spars with cloth covering. I fly two different Cessna 172s and they are supposed to be identical but have very different feel to them. I think +/-1 mm or worse would be fine. Probably 1 mm per meter of range would be OK too, especially if any error is symmetrical. Look at a 10 meter long wooden airplane from the 1930s - they fly fine - and I would be very surprised if they had millimeter precision! Dimensions The wing isn't very thick - perhaps only 4 inches or so. A bit more if it is to be done in one block with the "dihedral" i.e. the vee-in-the-middle. The fuselage would be no more than 1,5-2 meters from the lowest point to highest. Less if the "empennage" (i.e. tail feathers) would be made separately. If one wing where to be made at the time they would be 5,5 meters each, and the fuselage would be maybe 8 meters - less since the engine cowling would be made separate. Assembly from smaller parts This is of course an option - but wouldn't it be nice to just put a big block up and have "instant airplane"! Just add the skin. but I agree that it's probably wiser to calm down a little and limit the size to say 6 x 1,6 x 1,6 meters or so. Even that is of course massive! Then one could do one wing at the time and then the fuselage. I am thinking perhaps assembling a frame from scaffolding tubing - then it can be disassembled too! The main thing I am thinking about is how to make something work over such a long distance as 6 meters. Perhaps a linear motor and a bicycle chain(s) with a tensioner could be used for the long axis? Those parts are plentiful! How to make an accurate sensor is then the question. Although if a beefy stepper operates the chain cog and an initial calibration is performed then perhaps that is good enough. Has anyone attempted something like this before? Ideas? Perhaps I will try to build something smaller first and experiment! Best regards, everyone! /Peter ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Apps built with the Adobe(R) Flex(R) framework and Flex Builder(TM) are powering Web 2.0 with engaging, cross-platform capabilities. Quickly and easily build your RIAs with Flex Builder, the Eclipse(TM)based development software that enables intelligent coding and step-through debugging. Download the free 60 day trial. http://p.sf.net/sfu/www-adobe-com _______________________________________________ Emc-users mailing list Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users
