Help with Unusual Aerospace Design Project

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around a participant seeking assistance with an aerospace design project, specifically regarding the creation of detailed blueprints or CAD models. The scope includes design challenges, drafting techniques, and potential resources for learning CAD or finding professional help.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • A participant expresses uncertainty about how to proceed with their aerospace design project and seeks guidance on obtaining CAD assistance or drafting help.
  • Another participant points out that the initial problem has not been clearly defined, suggesting a need for more specific details.
  • The original poster clarifies their difficulty in creating detailed drawings, particularly for components like landing gear, and wonders if they should learn CAD or find someone to help refine their rough drafts.
  • A suggestion is made that solid modeling would be beneficial for designing parts, with a mention of companies that can assist with drafting, though costs are uncertain.
  • One participant emphasizes the importance of conveying design ideas through drawings, noting that 2D drawings can still be effective and referencing historical practices in aerospace design.
  • A link to a website offering free trial software for 2D drawing is provided as a potential resource for learning.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on the best approach to take for the design project. There are differing opinions on whether to learn CAD or seek external help, and the clarity of the design problem remains unresolved.

Contextual Notes

There are limitations in the discussion regarding the specificity of the design problem and the participant's current knowledge of CAD tools. The effectiveness of 2D versus 3D modeling in conveying design ideas is also a point of contention.

Arctic Fox
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I need help on a project I'm wanting to build. I think I need CAD or something like that, but am not sure. There may be people who can draw designs like blueprints, but I don't know where to go for this help. I think I'm stuck.

My idea goes along an aerospace theme, but at the moment I'm not sure if I could give out details of this design (you'll laugh).

Does anyone here know what I'm talking about?
Does anyone know where I can get help with this problem?

-A.F.
 
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Uh, other than "I think I need CAD", you still haven't defined the problem.
 
I'm sorry.

I can't draw in specific detail. I have ideas that I can draw rough diagrams on, but minute details are a problem (like the workings of a landing gear).

Before I can go to companies for custom designed parts, they want blueprints on my ideas. For this I am wondering if I should learn CAD (or something like it), or if there are companies/people that would be able to take simple drafts of my design and improve on them.
 
If you're designing parts, then you'll want to look into solid modeling.

There are companies out there who can do the drafting for you, but I don't know what you'd be charged.

Most modeling packages which I've worked on are fairly expensive, but I'm sure there are some out there for a few hundred. There are plenty of 2D packages which are fairly affordable.

If you can share a little more detail about what you're trying to do, we may be able to guide you toward the best solution.
 
If you have an idea you want to draw up it is not clear to me how you will convey this idea to anyone else without drawing it yourself first. You can do a lot with 2d drawings. Sure all the big boys use 3d packages now, but they are pretty recent in the scheme of things. After all, we went to the moon with hand drawn 2d blue prints. http://www.imsisoft.com/faminfo.asp?fam=1 has some free trial software you can start learning on. It used to be you could legally run their trial 2d for free as long as you wanted. I am not sure if that deal is still in effect.
 
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