SPEKTRE76
Active Member
Hello,
I was not sure of where to put this question. I hope I have landed it on the right airfield.
So, one thing I have noticed about trying to engineer something or design something, is detachment. Specifically from the product you are trying to create. Everything always looks good on paper and math always get's you in the ballpark. After all that all you have a is a set of drawings and maybe some small scale mock ups.
Lets say we are engineering a wing spar. We know it must be strong, able to withstand many times the aircraft loaded weight. You draw it out according to your math. What if you don't have any FEA software? How would you engineer the part to be better?
Well, this is something I do. I make a small scale of it. I hold it in my hand and twist and pull and bend. If it doesn't feel strong and breaks. I simply design that part of where it broke stronger. You can also do this with small scale aerodynamic wood models. You can have your significant other drive you down the highway and you can hold it out of the window and really feel how the air reacts to the shape. Come on, I know some of you have done this as a kid. I know I did with my model planes. You can it and say "Hey this airfoil feels like its working hard against the wind. Maybe I should make it thinner or thicker here for smoother flow."
Say you wanted to make a forklift. You can always do the 'same old same old' or you can go pick up some weight. See how different positions feel to you. Which way was easiest? Then just model you assembly to be positioned an move as you did to lift the objects. It may just give you a design edge to manage metal fatigue.
This is all just personal stuff of course. I do wonder, does anyone else do what I do? This is the easiest way I can explain it. Maybe someone can share there ideas or experiences?
I was not sure of where to put this question. I hope I have landed it on the right airfield.
So, one thing I have noticed about trying to engineer something or design something, is detachment. Specifically from the product you are trying to create. Everything always looks good on paper and math always get's you in the ballpark. After all that all you have a is a set of drawings and maybe some small scale mock ups.
Lets say we are engineering a wing spar. We know it must be strong, able to withstand many times the aircraft loaded weight. You draw it out according to your math. What if you don't have any FEA software? How would you engineer the part to be better?
Well, this is something I do. I make a small scale of it. I hold it in my hand and twist and pull and bend. If it doesn't feel strong and breaks. I simply design that part of where it broke stronger. You can also do this with small scale aerodynamic wood models. You can have your significant other drive you down the highway and you can hold it out of the window and really feel how the air reacts to the shape. Come on, I know some of you have done this as a kid. I know I did with my model planes. You can it and say "Hey this airfoil feels like its working hard against the wind. Maybe I should make it thinner or thicker here for smoother flow."
Say you wanted to make a forklift. You can always do the 'same old same old' or you can go pick up some weight. See how different positions feel to you. Which way was easiest? Then just model you assembly to be positioned an move as you did to lift the objects. It may just give you a design edge to manage metal fatigue.
This is all just personal stuff of course. I do wonder, does anyone else do what I do? This is the easiest way I can explain it. Maybe someone can share there ideas or experiences?
