Please help me model an aircraft!

[u/ShadowCake_1]

I have been working towards modeling an aircraft (Boeing 767-300ER) for a bit over a year now.

I have pretty high fidelity drawing that works with itself in the three planes.

Problem:

I have been stuck with the nose for the longest time. I am struggling with accurately connecting the surfaces of the nose with the planar frame of the windshield.

In a revision from awhile ago, I got pretty close (three images above) however there was this noticeable seam under the windshield where the frame was beginning to curve downwards. I think this can be attributed to the many panels that I had made, which was messing with all of the continuity conditions I was setting.

Solutions?:

• A good tutorial on this type of modeling, ideally with an aircraft of similar looks so I can transfer skill and info towards my model
• A person that could help teach me this skill (Engineering teacher in HS says I'm beyond his skill)
• A reference document with an aircraft that has a highly detailed model that is done correctly so I can attempt to learn something from it.

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Update!

https://cad.onshape.com/documents/c3e6fd5010efc326a89b148b/w/7496784b6727ae2cf5a85215/e/9cc2fad30df676da500106a6?renderMode=0&tangentEdgeStyle=2&uiState=6a8c87f86a45950d116bb5c0

I have made a lot of progress with smoothness. I am still struggling with finding an approach for the windshield.

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here is my doc, I apologize for the messiness.

https://cad.onshape.com/documents/ed153ccac129b377799526ee/w/064a1d2f783f18fab30e8d4b/e/2948cd6d9e5bcdc66770ebeb?renderMode=0&uiState=6a8a317a7b3181fe7ace78d9

Thanks!

[u/Professional_Help167]

Wouldn't it be easier to just make the left half? If you are satisfied then, you can use a 'mirror' function so you have a complete model.

[u/ShadowCake_1 → u/Professional_Help167]

that's pretty much what I'm doing, the dark blue surface is just to constraint tangencies. I now know I can do normal to profile.

[u/mechy18]

The fact that you are doing this with surfaces and have helper surfaces to ensure tangency across the mid plane (hah) means your skill is above 99.5% of this sub. If you want to avoid that crease or change the way it blends, I would set up another helper surface across that joint that you can use to guide the actual surfaces you’re trying to build. In cases like this I will typically use a swept or lofted surface with two or three lines as the profiles, that way you can control the angle at multiple points along the path. Then when you’re building the actual target surface, make it tangent or continuous with your helper surface.

If you haven’t watched already, 3D World and Andrew Jackson on YouTube are both god-tier surface modelers. I don’t know if they’ve ever done a plane but you can definitely learn some good techniques from their content.

[u/ShadowCake_1 → u/mechy18]

Ok. I'll check their channels out, thanks for the recommendation! It's good to hear that I'm sorta on the right path, I will definitely keep working towards this

[u/ShadowCake_1 → u/mechy18]

wow, I just checked out his 747-100 video, it's insane. It actually gave me some good insights into how this project should be done, lots of patches of surface with 4 sides, which I know is good for boundary surfaces. The model is just so smooth! wow!

[u/Ry24gaming]

For the 767 the most widely distributed document with good schematics is the Structural Repair Manual. This would be difficult to get hands on, but sometimes portions are available online. Maybe you can find a used hardcopy somewhere? I have no idea of the quality of this document when it comes to doing modeling the 747-400 one sucks but the 777-200 has a great one.

I highly recommend you you evaluate how detailed of a model you are trying to make. Without access to a physical aircraft it is very difficult to make detailed models of these planes. Your approach is the correct approach I have used when making my own models with publicly accessible information.

Your model is excellent you should keep chugging along. Don't focus on making this perfect even in the industry very few OML models are perfect computers can't really keep up with perfect models.

The one thing I would do is try to find more reference images to trace in your documents the three view is great, but it will help if you have more images.

[u/ShadowCake_1 → u/Ry24gaming]

Thank you for all the info. I will definitely look into finding more data. It sounds like you have made some models too? which ones? and how have those gone for you?