Drawing a Windscreen Template

[David Cooke 1]

I have a plan that has no template for the windscreen. The top of the fuselage section (F2 formers) is almost a semi-circle so it makes it harder to draw your own template. Other than trial and error (and I'm having lots of errors), is there a more accurate way of drawing a template? I actually have the plans drawn up in TurboCAD but I'm a beginner with the tool.

Thanks

[Martin Harris - Moderator]

I've used ordinary A4 paper to develop templates - nibble off a bit at a time. Easy to make another one if you go too far...

[David Cooke 1]

Yes, that is how I'm doing it. I was wondering if there were an tips. I guess you are trying to project that windscreen bottom curve on the plan to the curved fuselage surface, so maybe wrapping paper over the fuselage top curved surface and with the fuselage orientated like the plan, try to draw the windscreen curve on the paper. Its hard to explain in words...

[Allan Bennett]

Me too, though a cornflake packet is easier to work with than a sheet of paper.

[Don Fry]

There is a really complicated exercise is maths, but an assumption that the curves are bits of circumferences.

Or a pair of scissors, cardboard, and above all patience. Glass of whisky helps. Or two.

[McG 6969]

... humm... too much whisky isn't good at all for your scissors.

... but, I'll second David's idea, maybe a more rigid light card board held in place with masking tape. Draw the outlines on the tape and a first template.

Correct till you find yourself smiling and finalize - only 'then' - with a glass of your preferred 'apéritif'...

Cheers

Chris

[onetenor]

Measure the length of the front angle of the screen . Transfer this length to a pair of c ompasses Drape card or paper over top of fuz and mark bottom of screen corners join the marks with a straight line over the top. Centre the compass point on the line and describe a half circle , If the arc meets the end points ok If it falls short extend the compasses a bit. If over shoots retract them a bit . Bit of t and e should find the right arc.Running the pencil over the top of the paper over the top of cockpit should give you the arc there too as already said. It's a bit long winded to say but quick to do.

[Martin Harris - Moderator]

The reason that I use ordinary paper is because my technique is to use a fingernail to mark the rough outline, flatten it out, tidy it a little with a pencil and cut the initial attempt slightly oversize.

[Broken Prop]

That's clever OT and thanks for sharing it with us. Windscreen cutting is my least favourite job and anything to make it more accurate gets my vote.

Pete

[Peter Miller]

Having read all the suggestions...Exactly the way I do it, lay a piece of paper over the area and mark with finger nail or ball point..

Unless it is a scale model the TLAR method works perfetly.