Making A Wing & Cutting Flaps

[Guest retirred]

I have tried and tried and tried to follow the instructions in FSDS v224 and v3 on this exercise.Why is it SO HARD to make the flaps look and work correctly? The more I try, the worse it gets.Using the Animation, IF I do get the flaps to move-they move lop sided; not up and down.Nowhere in the instructions do you find how to correct this. Or what causes it. It's like I am supposed to know this already.Where can a person go that has NO experience in CAD or desiging and find step by step instructions THAT WORK?For days now, I have put in 6-8 hours and have accomplished nothing.Getting burned out quickly.Any Help For A Rookie,Thank You

[John_Cillis 2,406]

Although you may get some help in the aircraft and panel design forum, the best site to consult is Dave Eckert's site (www.daviator.com). I had no CAD experience and still managed to get it--but yes it took some struggle and 6-8 hours on each of several weekends is what it took. Personally I find FSDS 2.2x a bit easier to use given David's great tutorials. About the only time I use version 3 is to cut a part like a door or a window that has a complex shape. My method is I use the Boolean cut feature but save the original object (i.e. the wing) and delete the polys surrounding the flap or aileron and build new ones. But I'm not a good teacher of the art--Dave is the guru. Visit his site and also practice patience. FSDS 2.X is a good program for beginners but you will have some setbacks. It ain't pretty, but my first project is still hosted on this site--a little Microlight that looks a bit like a Rans S-12.-John

[Guest retirred]

Thanks for the reply John. I was wondering if you see the same problems on the daviator webpage! The first 2 pages are trash postings. At the bottom of the forum post I see that you cannot add a new post, a new reply, or anything. Has this webpage been shut down?I did print the daviator tutorials but I don't see much help about the flaps. Give you a example: Created the wing, cut and animated the flaps, ect. Save the wing with flaps to a mdl file.I open FS 9 and the wing/flaps look perfect. When I press F8, the inside top left of the flap is close to where it should be. Now, the right sides of the flap are on the runway!!I have also tried the rudder on the tail. The tail is correct. But when I move the rudder, it goes horizontal to the tail.This is what I am fighting!Thanks for your time and help,retirred

[John_Cillis 2,406]

I think I see what is happening. Each part has a pivot point or origin. When you cut a part out like a flap or rudder, you have to move and sometimes turn the pivot point (or axis as it's also called) so the part animates correctly. Think of it as a hinge. If you have the hinge at the far end of the part and at a cockeyed angle, the part will animate in an odd way. You want to study how to move that point and turn it so your part will rotate around it. For a flap I move the axis to the inboard edge, as close to the center of the flap as I can. I then turn it to match any dihedral and or sweepback in the part or wing.It's so hard to describe, but simply put getting your axis in the right spot and right orientation is the key.Regards,John

[n4gix 4,947]

>Thanks for the reply John. I was wondering if you see the>same problems on the daviator webpage! The first 2 pages are>trash postings. At the bottom of the forum post I see that>you cannot add a new post, a new reply, or anything. Has this>webpage been shut down?The next best source for FSDS "help and assistance" would be http://www.freeflightdesign.com/ especially the forums area where (most?) of the known FSDS modelers* hang out and cuss/discuss modeling. Also there are extensive tutorials and tips available there... :)*Including Dave Eckhert!