3D Highlander

For general discussion of the Just Aircraft family of aircraft.
Includes: Highlander, Escapade, Summit and SuperSTOL.
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kevinthorp
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3D Highlander

Post by kevinthorp »

Since I don't have a real Highlander kit (yet) I thought I'd start modeling one in 3D.  This could be handy for experimenting with paint schemes, and possibly importing into a flight simulator.

I found line drawings of the top view & side view that I'm using as "blueprints".  Does anybody have a line drawing of the front view?  It's not as important, but would help.

I'll periodically post work-in-progress images until it's done, or I get bored & quit; whichever comes first. :?
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Kevin Thorp
Former Cessna 150 pilot
Charleston, SC
kevinthorp
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Post by kevinthorp »

Rendering #2.  It's starting to look vaguely like a Highlander
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Kevin Thorp
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Dave Krall CFII SEL SES
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Post by Dave Krall CFII SEL SES »

That's quite cool, can you do one with floats, and a nose gear version as well?
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Johnny C!
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Post by Johnny C! »

Nice job, Kevin!

What program are you using?

John
There are many things that happen really fast when you are
flying an airplane. There is no sense in rushing any of the others.

I would much rather be looking down at the runway, than up at it.

Duane Sorenson & Rick Norton Gone West 6/8/09. Godspeed
kevinthorp
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Post by kevinthorp »

I'm using Autodesk 3ds Max.  It's quite expensive ($3,500.00) but there are other programs much less expensive that can do just as well for this type of thing.

But they're all rather difficult to learn.
Last edited by kevinthorp on Sat Dec 13, 2008 1:53 am, edited 1 time in total.
Kevin Thorp
Former Cessna 150 pilot
Charleston, SC
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Johnny C!
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Post by Johnny C! »

I have Solidworks 2008 at home, &
we just went to Inventor 2008 at work...

Keep it up!

John
There are many things that happen really fast when you are
flying an airplane. There is no sense in rushing any of the others.

I would much rather be looking down at the runway, than up at it.

Duane Sorenson & Rick Norton Gone West 6/8/09. Godspeed
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Wes
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Highlander Graphic Models

Post by Wes »

Kevin,
Nice work!
As you probably know, the Highlander is a great airplane, but very little has been done to document the design, at least from an engineering perspective. If you could actually advance your model to the point of dimensioning and tolerancing to some detail, you would accomplish a great service to the builders and perhaps even to the factory,( lest they become interested in such things).

Thanks for sharing your work.


Wes
Kit # 95
Low and Slow - The only way to go!
kevinthorp
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Post by kevinthorp »

Yeah - the JA technical documentation is a little... sparse.  It seems in many cases the types of people that are good at designing aircraft are rather poor at drawings and writing technical procedures.  And hiring a person (or persons) to do that is very expensive.

The program I'm using (Autodesk 3ds Max) is not a CAD program; it cannot be used to make any sort of engineering drawings.  You'd need Autocad, or better yet, Autodesk Inventor, Pro Engineer, Solid Edge or SolidWorks.  3ds Max is a "visualization" program.  It lets you create cool 3d images & videos but you can't create engineering drawings or export dimensional data to any type of CNC tooling.

I do use SolidWorks in my day job (machine design engineer) but to properly document something as complicated as a Highlander would take many weeks, and I'd need to have the aircraft close by, to take hundreds (thousands?) of measurements.  I'm trying to model this thing from photos on this forum & the JA website.

Anyway, here #3 WIP:
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Kevin Thorp
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kevinthorp
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Post by kevinthorp »

Here's a short low resolution "walk around" animation: http://www.box.net/shared/5hzi4lpq17

Link no longer works.  See post below.
Last edited by kevinthorp on Mon Dec 15, 2008 12:29 am, edited 1 time in total.
Kevin Thorp
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Post by kevinthorp »

Here's iteration #4.  It's starting to look a little more like a Highlander.  "Walk around" animation: http://www.box.net/shared/hy4n40ojo9
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Kevin Thorp
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Wes
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3D Highlander

Post by Wes »

Kevin,
That is REALLY cool stuff, --  thanks for sharing!
When I first got my kit, I had the bright idea, - I'll just document the pieces as I assemble! I am a hacker with Turbo-Cad.
Well, I quickly found out I would be spending all my time on the computer and very little actually hammering together and airplane.
So as much as my engineering mind would love to have drawings, I would rather be flying!
Is that model file useable by any "poor mans" drawing program? I was thinking of playing with color schemes.

Thanks Again!

Wes
Kit # 95
Low and Slow - The only way to go!
fiferphil
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experimenting with color schemes

Post by fiferphil »

Hi Kevin,

I took the liberty of taking your three view computer renderings and applying some of the trechery of  Adobe Photoshop Elements.  With your drawings and Photoshop you can develope some pretty fancy schemes and get an idea of how they'll look. You can also "repaint" or modify paint schemes on photagraphs that are submitted in this forums. see attachments

Hope this helps .

Phil
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Phil Gasbarro
N 61VG (Kit#136)
Mount Vernon, Ohio
fiferphil@ecr.net

When I die, please let me go peacefully in my sleep - like my grandfather...and not screaming and crying like the passengers in his airplane!
kevinthorp
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Post by kevinthorp »

Wes - I can export an "STL" file.  Can you import one?  The bad news is I doubt you'll be able to edit it, but you might be able to open it, rotate, zoom, pan, etc. My animation software is a polygon modeler.  3d CAD programs are solid modelers.   They don't play well together.

Phil - I hope you weren't thinking about painting one plane that way. :shock:  It  would be good for visibility, I guess.  Actually the way 3D models are "painted" is by applying 2D images (GIFs, JPGs, etc.) to various surfaces.  Flat things like rudders and elevators are simple.  Wrapping images around 3d surfaces, like a fuselage is more challenging.   Hmm... I guess you could say the same thing about taping & painting a "real" plane.
Kevin Thorp
Former Cessna 150 pilot
Charleston, SC
fiferphil
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Wierd paint schemes

Post by fiferphil »

Kevin -- Naw, I was just using the flat surfaces on the drawings to see what kind of effects I could get with Photoshop. I have seen, however, a paint job on a Pitts Special that was similar to that. It was done by an art professor at a local college in PA back in the '70's. I'll probably stick with a basic white with red and blue trim or maybe go with somthing like Gary H's scheme, (that's a super lookin' bird!) only in white with red and blue trim. I do want high visibility.

Phil
Phil Gasbarro
N 61VG (Kit#136)
Mount Vernon, Ohio
fiferphil@ecr.net

When I die, please let me go peacefully in my sleep - like my grandfather...and not screaming and crying like the passengers in his airplane!
Dave Krall CFII SEL SES
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Post by Dave Krall CFII SEL SES »

Those are nicely done!
Is it just me or are the wings pictured narrower than in true to scale?
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