Paul, I have had some time to get back to my CAD education with Alibre.
  I'm working out the cowl profiles, and was wondering if you had some
  simplified models of
  the 13b in combination with the RD-1c and Doddridge plate. I was hoping
to
  kinda stick
  them in to make sure everything clears. I'm using the extended mount
  dimensions for the
  lightweight version of the 13b on the Zenith CH-640.
  C. Smith

  Try some of these.

  -----------------------------------

  Here is what the jpgs renderings look like from that igs file I just
  sent.

  I have a model of your engine and motor mount.
  Send me a sketch of what you want the cowl to look like
  and I will send some renderings and igs if you wish.

  -----------------------------------------------------
  Here is the Rhino model I have.

  -------------------------------
  More views.

  Looks like the best place for the rad
  is underneath  with your extended MM.

  PauL Lamar



  C. Smith,  I am attaching a rhino file of the Mazda 13B which I got from
  the
  newsletter. It is dimensionally accurate and I have used it on three
  fusaloge designs since I got it.  You can erase any or all of the motor
  mount tubes or rotate and extend them to your hard point locations.
 Besides
  being dimensionally accurate it does not add significantly to the drawing
  file size. I saved the dimensions of Jeff's motor mount plate when it was
  being reviewed on the newsletter but have not done a solid model of it.
 The
  attached file has a Schertz beam mount but can be swapped for Jeff's
plate
  since the attached file is an assembly drawing of the individual parts
and
  can be edited.

  george grimes

  Too big to publish George. Alibre probably won't load
  3dm files anyway. Export it as igs and zip it to reduce
  the size and send that.

  Paul Lamar


 Paul, no problem saving to Iges in Rhino 4 but I don't know how to make a
 zip file. Is that some sotr of a right mouse click thing in windows
 vista.   If so how do I do
 it.
 GG

 In Windows XP you click on it with the right
 mouse button and choose send to compressed (zip file)

 Paul Lamar

 Paul,  I got the 3d of the engine converted, used the default style. It
is
 one of 60 igs/iges formats available. I got to  the compress to zip and
 e-mail page. It wanted a control panel mail icon configuration, that
didn't
 recognise the web address, the new contact menu wants 12 items, none of
 which anyone would have. I got this file off the newsletter so could you
 possibly post it again. It was posted about april this year. If not C.
 Smith
 can send me an e-mail address to my yahoo mail at
 george-grimes7@yahoo.com
 and I can send the igs file to him as well as a JPEG of Jeff's Psru plate
 with the dimensions to draw it.

 george grimes

 So you did not find zip in your OS?
 Are you using XP or something else. This MS changing their OS
 is driving me crazy. They took so much stuff out just to make more money
 selling it to you later.

 I sent that one already in zip form.
 Here it is again along with the jpgs of it.

 Some people won't get it as some ISP's consider it a virus carrier.

 Paul Lamar



 Thanks Paul and George for the files. I'll post results when I'm satisfied
 with the results. The smallest of defects in drawing elements makes big
 defects in lofts. Still learning.
 George, I'll be e-mailing you directly so you can send files direct.
Thanks
 again.
 C. Smith




 C. Smith,   I have a few loft tricks for fusaloge, cowl,  and intake port
drawings. After generating some cross sections I use the rebuild line
command to 240 up to 360 definition points and G3 continuity. This will
generate a smoother surface and abundant testallation lines.  The first
revalation is to use the  " loose"  configuration in the loft command
rather
than normal or tight. This smoothes the surface curves by letting the
nurbs math calculate a more flowing surface.  For  a cowl you need a couple
of cross sections from the area behind the firewall like 6" and 12" back to
establish a cowl tangent to the rest of the airframe. To tighten the curve
radiuses near the spinner and air inlets use additional curves closely
spaced and often one out in front of the spinner. You will trim off all the
extra surface generated after the loft.
          You don't necessairly have or need to generate exact intermediate
sections. You can push or  pull the surface under the engine by extending
the cross section out past the surface or dragging the cross section out of
line. Using a loose loft will not force the surface to go through this
section curve but it will influence how the surface is fared thru the area.
Use a minimum number of cross sections letting the math do the work.  I
often generate one every six inches then loft using different combinations
and dragging a few off surface to get the best look.
        When you do the intake and cooling air ductwork extend the sections
out past where the surface will end, then trim it with the cowl surface or
use boolian difference.Don't try to include the airscoops and protrusions
in
the basic loft. Do these as separate parts and boolian union them to the
cowl, then fillet radius the intersections to trim off the part of the
airscoop that was inside the cowl surface. There will be something to trim
because you need closed curves for all the sections if the scoop inlet is a
closed curve. You can loft non closed surfaces but they all have to be open
(two ends on the line) for every section.
          If you have copied  your section curves a couple times on the
drawing you can leave lofts for comparison while adjusting the curves or
which ones you are  using for lofting. It is generally easier to do the
lofting in the perspective viewport and if curves are too close together
move some to  layers with contrasting colors.
     When drawing the cross sections I like to move all but one line or arc
segment then move them back one at a time using endpoint object snaps leave
a straight line for last move. If it fits you havent changed the shape.
Then
erase the last straight segment and draw a replacement line using endpoint
object snaps. this will guarantee a closed curve after you connect them
together with the join command.
     If you are generating a plug that will be fiberglassed offset all the
cross section curves inward  by about .090 for the thickness of the
fiberglass.   On the yahoo address that is an underline character between
the names

george grimes


I have tried to edit the 13b model in alibre using the trim model command,
and it crashes.
C. Smith

I don't have Albre Craig so I can't help.

Paul Lamar


C. Smith I also have not uses alibre but possibly methods I use in autocad
and rhino are similar. The ability to open a drawing at all is the major
hurdle. If you opened it in a blank drawing you might use "import drawing"
to get it open. If you  are adding it to a drawing you are working you might
be using an "insert" command or some similar name. Often the object is
imported as a block and  when you try to select you get the entire drawing
highlighted when you click on it, and usually a window surrounding the
opject isn't recognised.  In this case look for an "explode" command which
returns the geometry to individual lines or solids. Once you can select a
piece of the drawing use commands like "delete"  or "erase" to remove
something. If in doubt open it in a separate empty drawing, explode it and
use "save as" with your programs file type selected. Add a character to the
file name to distinguish it from the original and close the drawing. Then
when you open it it should behave like your program drew it. Often text and
dimensions do not convert to the new file type and I don't know of a work
around for that. Once you can edit and dimension the imported drawing you
first want to measure something you know the dimension of  like a rotor
housing should be 3.1*** inches wide. You would then use a  "scale 3D"
command to get it to actual size.
         If you draw a cowl by the note above you will use a command such
as "slice"  or "slice by cutting plane" to separate the part representing
the continuation down the fusalogue and then erase or delete it. Most
programs ask which part you want to keep as part of the command input.
     The critical step is to get it saved as your programs file type so
that you can edit it.               george grimes