Hi Everyone,
I'm trying to model a 5 bladed propeller/airscrew for a Spitfire XIV, which has the GRIFFIN engine rather than the MERLIN 64/66 engine. Actually, not that it would make much of a difference but the LEADING EDGE of the prop would be on the opposite side to the prop for the Merlin 66. In actual fact if I could get just one prop blade right for either type I could successfully make the changes without much trouble.
I tried using Polygons but I'm having difficulty getting the shape right over the full planform of the blade.
Each section of the blade has a slightly different shape while its midsection profile is the standard shape of a wing. In fact, in technical terms, the blade is considered a wing. With the change in shape over section, center of blade to tip & centre of blade to blade base, comes the change in its angle of attack as well. One of the main problems, when trying to model an exact representation is trying to get blade data, as the company(or companies) no longer exist so drawings of the blade are very scarce. I do know the blades were about 10 feet in length, roughly 3.7 or 3.8 metres.
Has anyone successfully designed a blade?
Did you use polygons or nurbs? Did you use curves instead? How did you start?
I've tried nurbs and I tried lofting from several circle curves. It always ends up wrong - so wrong I'm ashamed to show a pic.
I do know there is someone out there who has succeeded. Any assistance would be much appreciated.
John.