Screen Shots of TurboCAD Video Training
Details on the first 6 chapters of TurboCAD video training for RC plans
TurboCAD training Lessons 1 - 6 (below) and Lessons 7 - 12
Buy TurboCAD training CDs here!
TurboCAD is an easy to learn and powerful Computer Aided Design program. TurboCAD’s intuitive user interface is ideal for the RC model airplane designer. Following is an expanded discussion of the 12 lessons on my TurboCAD video training CDs. Watch, listen and learn as I go from a clean sheet of paper to a finished RC model airplane design. You can draw your own TurboCAD plans for an original RC airplane design once you master a few basic CAD techniques. Give it a try!
Lesson one covers a TurboCAD introduction
Lesson 1 - TurboCAD introduction
During this first chapter on TurboCAD video training, I go over the TurboCAD desktop and design interface. The objective of the 12 lessons is for you to go from a clean sheet of paper to a finished RC model airplane design. For the exercise, I will take the three channel Yard Ace and modify it to a low wing design called the Snapper. Free plans for the Snapper can be downloaded here.
I discuss the basic TurboCAD drawing tools to include select, construction, line, circle, arc, curve, dimension, text, trim, group, copy, snap and grid. I will also cover floating toolbars and fly out menus, as well as palette docking. It sounds complicated, but narrated TurboCAD video training makes it all easily understood.
Lesson two discusses TurboCAD drafting tools
Lesson 2 - Using TurboCAD tools
Lesson 2 – Using the TurboCAD Tools. I take this opportunity to go into more detail on using the standard tool bar and how all the tool bars can be docked. I provide a demonstration of drawing the various lines (single, parallel, etc.) and how the inspector bar can provide instant precision with your drawings. The grid function can assist with positioning to include the concepts of snaps. Lesson two of TurboCAD video training concludes with the group command as well as the split entity and trim functions.
Lesson three discusses the Snapper frame
Lesson 3 - Prepare the Snapper frame
Lesson 3 – Prepare the Snapper Frame. Lesson three of the TurboCAD video training demonstrates the concept of using a model airplane frame to sketch out a design and then filling out the frame with aircraft structure. I discuss the powerful concept of full scale drawing inherent in TurboCAD. This is followed by modifications to the Yard Ace frame that include a lengthened nose and tail as well as a low mounted wing
Lesson four shows how to draw a model airplane wing
Lesson 4 - Draw the wing
This lesson takes the frame rectangular outline shape of the Snapper wing and shows how the internal structure is added. Leading and trailing edges plus the internal Clark Y wing ribs are quickly and accurately drawn in place. The use of construction lines and snap commands allow for very accurate wing spars and wing rib cutouts.
Lesson five shows how to draw wing ribs
Lesson 5 - Draft the wing ribs
TurboCAD makes it very easy to draw the spar, as well as the leading and trailing edge cutouts for the wing ribs. There is no need to measure. Rather, you use construction lines to precisely copy the spacing and depth of spars for the rib. Techniques for trimming a line from a curved surface and the method for adding proper wing dihedral to the main spar is demonstrated in this TurboCAD training video.
Lesson six demonstrates drafting a CAD wing
Lesson 6 - Complete the wing
This final video lesson on disc one shows a quick way to create a rib template from the plane design view. The ability to copy and paste in TurboCAD makes this task uncomplicated. A plywood dihedral brace is drawn to further refine your TurboCAD drafting skills. The lesson wraps up with a demonstration of the mirror command. With the mirror command, I take a completely drawn left wing half and instantly create the right wing half, perfectly aligned via the snap command to the original wing panel.
Go to Lessons 7 - 12