a couple printed ideas

[Tram]

Just when I was looking for another reason to get a 3D printer.. I guess I should go ahead and order it..

Any of you guys using the Maker Select V2?

[YvesCH]

I also just started to try out 3D printing as we used it a lot in my old job and there it worked great. I had two problems where I was looking for a solution:

1: Mounting the CO Guardian remote co monitor: I have to remove it periodically and the factory mounting only on one side did not satisfy me totally. So I decided to print a attachment bracket whereas the co monitor will be clipped in and secured with lockwire on top.




2: CB Panel: I wanted a solution to attach my cables from the CB panel so they make a nice turn towards the hole in the gear Towers (RV-8). The Solution will clip in the copper bus bars and the cables will be secured with a zip tie.



Now I ordered the parts at Shapeways and I hope they come soon

Lets see....

[Steve Melton]

nice design. what do you pay to have that part printed?

plastic cost for the fuel drain fairing = $0.58. weight = 19 grams as installed.

[scard]

Originally Posted by Steve Melton

no, they are smooth enough for me. yes, I'll drop the files out to a shared location when completed.

Steve, Please do share your files when you're ready. They look real nice.

[Steve Melton]

Originally Posted by scard

Steve, Please do share your files when you're ready. They look real nice.

Well, having thought about that some more. I prefer to send the model direct to the user because of legal concerns.

I think these set screws will be nice because they have a nylon tip. I'll give it a try.

[Snowflake]

Originally Posted by Steve Melton

Well, having thought about that some more. I prefer to send the model direct to the user because of legal concerns.

I hate this society sometimes. I would be interested in the files though.

I think these set screws will be nice because they have a nylon tip. I'll give it a try.

Less removable, but have you considered using something like a molding adhesive tape, like they use to attach car emblems and trim pieces? If the fairing is designed with enough clearance for a 1/2" socket to get in there to pull the plug to replace the o-rings, then the fairing should never need to come off?

Also, could you comment on the choice of shape? Both yours and the JD Air ones have a nice profile that ends with a "flat" section (closest to the wing). Since you're 3-D printing, why not make a profile that looks like the pressure recovery wheelpant, that curves right down (or up) to the wing surface?

I have the original JD Air fairings that are held on by the drains... I always waste more time getting my drains to stop dripping by working and turning the plunger, when I should just pull the plug and change the O-ring, because changing it *and* holding the fairing in place at the same time is such a recipe for gas-soaked clothing... I have access to a 3-D printer so this solution seems promising to me!

[Steve Melton]

maybe a profile like this? about 7 degree.

[1001001]

Steve,

I love what you're doing with 3D printing.

A few years ago (nearing 10!) I started fiddling around with CFD analysis. I was working in the power industry at the time and was looking for ways to analyze and improve the operation of some equipment I was responsible for. I built a CFD box out of what was at the time some awesome hardware and ran OpenFOAM on it.

Fast forward, I am in a new job that doesn't have the same concerns and have left CFD behind, but not the desire to play around with it. I might consider re-equipping and getting up to speed with OpenFOAM again. I understand it has advanced quite a bit since the old days.

Now being into airplane building I have thought a lot about the possibilities for customized 3D printed solutions for fairings and covers and such, and the ability to test them out in a CFD environment. What have you found about the capabilities of SolidWorks for CFD? Does it approach the capabilities of the dedicated CFD packages?

[YvesCH]

Originally Posted by Steve Melton

nice design. what do you pay to have that part printed?

plastic cost for the fuel drain fairing = $0.58. weight = 19 grams as installed.

I pay around 11$ for the cable holder and 12$ for the other parts. I also made some smaller parts to tidy up my static/pitot tubes and other cables.. Those are around 2$ each. Ist quite cool as you just upload your STL file and see immediately the Prices. This keeps you improving the design to make it even lighter Also ist cool to just try out 3D printing without buying one. The other Advantage is the possibility to print in different materials and colours.

As soon as I will receive those parts (shipping estimate 7th of April) I will post the result here.

I use ZW3D as a CAD tool as it is the software I have at work.

[Snowflake]

Originally Posted by Steve Melton

maybe a profile like this? about 7 degree.

Not bad, but I was thinking more rounded at the nose, and even thinner at the back. Think a pressure recovery wheelpant cut in half across a plane parallel to the ground, and scaled down so the maximum height is the same as the protrusion of the drain.