creating wings and propellers in solidworks

Colin Alexander Sledge

Step 1: Get an Airfoil Dat File

An airfoil dat file can be found on the internet, such as airfoiltools.com

Must have a file format that begins at the trailing edge and ends at the trailing edge!


(Airfoiltools.com)

Once an airfoil

is chosen,

select the Selig

format

Open notepad

or an

appropriate text

editor


(Airfoiltools.com) Copy and past

the data into notepad

Delete the title information and line up the numerical data

Save the file as a .txt format with the airfoil name

Copy and

Paste

Step 2: Open Airfoil File in Excel

Open Excel or

similar program

Open file -> All

File Types ->

airfoil_name.txt

A pop-up menu

will appeared

titled Text

Import Wizard


Make sure

Delimited is

selected

A preview of

your .txt file

should show

Click the Next

button


Selected Space as the Delimiter

A preview of your .txt file should show with black lines separating the columns

Click the Next button


Select General

for the Column

data format

(default

selection)

Confirm the data

format looks

appropriate

Click the Finish

button

Step 3: Modify Airfoil File in Excel

Once in Excel,

delete blank

columns so data

starts in first column

Check the data for

repeated data

points next to each

other; such as

multiple 0.00 | 0.00

Delete


To open an airfoil in Solidworks, the data must contain X,Y, and Z columns

A column of zeros must be added depending on which plane the airfoil should be in

Front Plane add zeros to 3rd column

Top Plane add zeros to 2nd column

Right Plane add zeros to 1st column

Added zeros (Front

Plane)


Save the airfoil File

-> Save as

The same airfoil

name may be used

Ensure the Save as

type is Text (Tab

delimited)(*.txt)

Click the Save

button


If saving as the same airfoil name, confirm Save as replacing file

A pop-up will warn that some features are not compatible with Text (Tab delimited)

Confirm the warning by clicking Yes

Make sure to close Excel

Step 4: Open Airfoil File in

Solidworks In Solidwork, open

a new part document

In the Features tab, select the Curves feature drop-down menu

In the Curves feature, select Curve Through XYZ Points


Solidworks

In the Curve File

menu, select the

Browse button

In the file menu,

select Text File

(*.txt) as the file

type

Browse for the

desired airfoil file


Solidworks Find the

airfoil_name.txt file and select open

In Solidworks, the Curve File menu will populate with the airfoil data

A yellow preview will show in the appropriate plane

Click OK button

Step 5: Create Airfoil Sketch in

Solidworks

A Curve1 feature

will show in the

feature tree as well

as the airfoil curve

in the workspace

Right click on

Curve1 -> Select

Feature Properties -

> Change name to

airfoil name


Solidworks

Select the

appropriate

plane and

insert a new

sketch

The airfoil

curve will be

shown in blue;

DO NOT hide

at this time


Solidworks Select the airfoil

curve an then select Convert Entities in the Sketch Tool Bar

This is create a sketch driven by the airfoil curve

A black sketch will now be overlaying the blue airfoil curve

Confirm the sketch by selecting the green arrow in the Convert Entities feature menu


Solidworks Zoom in to the

trailing edge of the airfoil and confirm that the curve is closed and connected

If the trailing edge is open/broken, please see Appendix A for fixing the trailing edge sketch

Note: This airfoil imported with closed/connected

trailing edge


Solidworks Zoom to fit the

airfoil in the screen

Add a centerline from the leading edge to the trailing edge

Provide a reference dimension for the length of this line


Solidworks Many airfoil

.dat files import scaled to 1 unit chord length

Select the entire sketch and select Scale Entities in the sketch toolbar


Solidworks In the scaling

feature property menu, select the leading edge as the point to scale about

Scale the entities by the desired length over the reference chord dimension

Do not select copy (unless you need to keep the small airfoil in the sketch)

2

2

1

1


Solidworks

A preview will

appear with

the large

airfoil

If satisfied

with the

preview, click

the green

arrow to

accept the

transformation

Preview of airfoil scaled by a factor of 8


Solidworks Zoom to fit; if

satisfied with the sketch, exit the sketch editor

The airfoil curve may be hidden to make the sketch easier to view

Step 6: Create Airfoil Feature in

Solidworks If a straight wing

is desired, extrude the sketch for design wingspan

Make sure to extrude the wing Mid Plane to maintain centerline reference

To create wings with taper, sweep, dihedral, and washout, please see Appendices B-E

Finished Wing!

Appendix A: Fixing the trailing

edge of an imported airfoil .dat

file

When the imported airfoil .dat file is

missing the trailing

edge, this will

prevent the profile

from generating a

solid body feature

This appendix will

provide a method to

fixing the missing

trailing edge while

maintaining the

imported airfoil

shape

Step 1: Repair Airfoil Trailing

Edge Import the

airfoil curve and convert entities as usual

Zoom in to the trailing edge of the airfoil and confirm that the curve is open and disconnected

Note: This airfoil imported with

open/disconnected trailing edge


Edge In the sketch

tools, use the line tool

Draw two lines, starting at each end point on the trailing edge, to some arbitrary location

Do not apply any sketch relations at this time


Edge Choose one of the

lines, select the airfoil sketch and the line while holding the CTRL key, and apply the tangent sketch relation

Apply the same process for the second line

Note: if the lines move on the airfoil when the tangent relation is applied, use a fix relation to fix the line endpoint on the airfoil spline.

1

Note: 1 depicts the tangent sketch relation

already applied to the airfoil spline and the first

line sketch


Edge After applying

the tangent sketch relations to both lines, the trailing edge should be connected

Use the sketch trim tool to remove the excess lines

The repaired trailing edge should be closed and connect

Step 2: (Optional) Form 1 spline

sketch feature This optional

step produced a single closed spline sketch as opposed to 3 sketch features

Select the 3 sketch components

Tools -> Spline Tools -> Fit Spline


sketch feature In the Fit Spline

feature menu, the tolerance box shows how closely the spline is matching the sketch features

Turn the dial to the lowest tolerance possible without losing the pink preview


sketch feature

The finished

spline will be

one continuous

sketch features

Scale and

extrude the

wing as usual

Appendix B: Creating a wing with

Sweep, Taper, Dihedral, and

Washout (Twist)

Sweep, Taper, Dihedral, and Washout are all integral aspects of an aircraft wing. Most aircraft wings utilize at lease one of these aspects for better performance.

This appendix will provide a method to create a wing that has sweep, taper, dihedral, and washout. This will specifically resemble a commercial aircraft wing but can be applied to other aircraft and even propellers.

Step 1: Create Wing Root Chord Designate your BL

0.0 Plane or Front Plane as the Root Plane

Insert the airfoil as normal and scale the airfoil to the root chord length.

Draw a chord line; a line that is horizontal from the leading edge to the trailing edge.

Insert a point and define it so it is at the quarter chord, .25*Chord, starting at the leading edge

Exit the sketch when complete

Step 2: Create Wing Tip Plane

Using Reference Geometry, create a plane for the tip chord of the wing

The tip chord plane should be of the total wing span from the root chord plane

The direction of the plane will not matter due to symmetry

Step 2: Create Wing Tip Plane

Rename the

plane Wing

Tip Plane or

Tip Plane

Right click on

Plane1 ->

Select

Properties ->

Change name

to Tip Plane

Step 3: Create Wing Sweep The wing sweep is

defined at the sweep angle of the quarter chord line; from the quarter chord of the root chord to the quarter chord of the tip plane

To start, insert a sketch on the top plane or WL 0.0 plane

Insert a construction line sketch from the quarter chord point of the root airfoil and set it coincident to the wing tip plane

Step 3: Create Wing Sweep

Insert another construction line sketch from the quarter chord point of the root airfoil, ensuring it had a vertical constraint

This vertical line will be used to define the sweep angle

Using smart dimension, define the angle between the vertical line and sweep line

Exit the sketch when complete

Step 4: Create Wing Dihedral

The wing dihedral is the angle the wing makes with a horizontal datum

The usual convention is for dihedral to be the wing angled upward with anhedral is when the wing is angled downward

To start, insert a sketch on the right plane or STA 0.0 plane* and create a construction line from the quarter chord point of the root wing section coincident to the tip section plane

*Note that the front plane and subsequent parallel planes are the true wing stations, as opposed to the convention shown

Step 4: Create Wing Dihedral

Insert a horizontal construction line or use the sweep line as a reference for the dihedral angle

Using the smart dimension tool, set the dihedral angle

Step 5: Locate Wing Tip Section The sweep line and

dihedral line are used to locate the quarter chord of the wing tip section

Insert a sketch on the wing tip plane

Draw a horizontal line starting from the dihedral point, backward for an arbitrary distance*

Draw a vertical line starting from the sweep point, upward for an arbitrary distance*

*Note that you may need to use the pierce sketch relation to locate the line starting point correctly

Step 5: Locate Wing Tip Section

The intersection of the two lines is the location of the wing tip section quarter chord

Place a point at the intersection of the two lines or trim the lines to create the intersection point

Exit the sketch and rename the sketch Wing Tip Quarter Chord Point

Step 6: Insert the tip section and

the wing taper

Insert a

sketch on the

wing tip plane

Select the root

chord select

Convert

Entities in the

sketch toolbar


the wing taper Move the

converted airfoil section near the tip quarter chord point using the Move Entities in the sketch toolbar

Select the airfoil sketch then select the leading edge as the point to move from move the cursor to the new location and left click then right click to confirm


the wing taper With the airfoil

section in this arbitrary location, select Scale Entities in the sketch toolbar

Select the airfoil sketch and click on the leading edge as the point to scale about

For the scaling factor, input the taper ratio desired*

*Note that if using an airfoil section other than the root section, tip scaling factor will not be the precise taper ratio as this is defined as the ratio of the tip chord to the root chord


the wing taper Zoom to the wing

tip airfoil section

Draw a horizontal chord line starting at the leading edge, terminating at the trailing edge

Place a point on the chord line and dimension appropriately so this point is precisely at the quarter chord position of this section


the wing taper Once again, select

the Move Entities sketch feature

Select the airfoil section as well as the chord line and quarter chord point to move

Click the quarter chord point as the point to start entity move

Click the wing tip quarter chord location, found earlier, as the terminating point for the move entities feature

Step 7: Add wing tip washout as

necessary Wing washout is

defined as a difference in the incidence angle of the wing tip with respect to the wing root

Wing wash-out is the tip having a lower angle of incidence with respect to the root while wash-in is the tip having a greater angle of incidence with respect to the root

Generally, only wash-out is utilized

When generating a propeller model, this step will be used to provide the blade station twist


necessary To apply wash-

out or wash-in, select the Rotate Entities from the sketch tool bar

Select the airfoil section, the quarter chord point, and the chord line as the entities to rotate

Select the quarter chord point as the point to rotate about


necessary Select an angle

to rotate the sketch

Visually confirm the airfoil section rotates in the correct direction

Once satisfied, confirm the rotation, exit and rename the sketch Wing Tip Section

Step 8: Generate wing loft Select and Isometric

view and confirm that the root and tip chords are visually in the correct locations

Select the Loft Boss/Base tool from the features tool bar

Select the root chord first, then the tip chord as the Loft Profiles

If the loft does not immediately show a preview, drag the main connector to the trailing edge on each airfoil section

The loft should generate a preview; if correct confirm the loft

Note: Connector shown having been

Dragged to the trailing edge on each

section for loft to generate

Step 9: Mirror Wing To complete the

wing, select the Mirror tool from the features toolbar

Select the front plane or BL 0.0 as the mirror plane

Choose the wing loft as the body to mirror*

*Note: use the Bodies to Mirror selection as opposed to the Features to Mirror selection

Step 10: Finish Build the Aircraft!

The steps taken to create the wing can largely be used for the remain aerodynamic surfaces such as the tail sections, pylons, and engine components

The nose section and afterbody of the aircraft require many surfacing tools for best appearance

Appendix C: Creating a Propeller

Propellers are similar to wings but utilize large amounts of washout and various blade taper. For more information, please reference one of the many publications for propeller theory.

This appendix will provide a method to create a propeller using varying airfoils, chords, and blade section angles. Although this method is for a common aircraft propeller, it can be used for other applications.

Step 1: Create Blade Station

Planes Designate your

BSTA 0.0 Plane or Right Plane as the Root Plane

Insert the necessary blade station planes according to your propeller design.

Label each plane based on its distance from the root plane

More blade stations will give the user greater control over the design, but too many planes can make the blade difficult to loft.

Step 2: Import Airfoil Curves As discussed

previously, import the airfoil curves.

Make sure to change the name of each curve to represent each airfoil section as this will be hard to distinguish after many section have been imported.

If this airfoil sections import in the wrong orientation, this can be rotated later; unless this section are imported on the incorrect plane.

For ease, hide each curve after importing to clean up the work space.

Step 3: Setting Blade Station

Twist and Chord According to your

propeller design, you will have a predetermined airfoil, chord length, and section angle.

Insert a sketch on the given blade station plane.

Unhide the appropriate airfoil curve for the blade station and convert entities to start the sketch.

Fix the trailing edge where necessary.


Twist and Chord Scale the airfoil sketch

to the design chord length at the blade station.

As discussed previously, insert a point at the quarter chord* of the section as a reference for rotating the section.

Select the rotation tool and rotate the airfoil section about the rotation point to the desired angle.

Use the move tool to relocate the airfoil section so the points of rotation are coincident**.

For ease of finishing the propeller, make the root section rotation point coincident with the origin.

*The rotation point can be a different chord position

based on the propeller design

** The points of rotation can be a different locations

based on the propeller design, but may impact loft.


Twist and Chord

Step 4: Lofting the First Blade Once all of the blade

station airfoil sections have been set in terms of the airfoil, twist, and chord length, the blade is ready to be lofted.

Starting with the root, select each section sequentially, and adjusting the main connector as appropriate.

The main connector should not cross across the loft as this may introduce kinks if the loft will even generate.

Dragging the main connector to either the leading edge or trailing edge should produce a smooth, continuous loft.

Guide curves can be used to force the loft to follow a path between defined section if there is a low number of sections to generate the loft.

Step 4: Lofting the First Blade

Once the loft is generated, the Curvature tool can be used to identify kinks and irregularities in the loft.

Select the Evaluate tab, then Curvature to activate the tool.

The Curvature tool will color the loft according to the radius of curvature making it easy to see shape areas and potential problems.

This also allows you to see if the loft generated as expected with smooth transitions.

Step 5: Finishing the Blade Tip

Often times on a blade or wing tip, it is desirable to finish the section with a smooth curve as opposed to a straight cutoff.

To begin the process, add a blade tip plane that is perpendicular to the cutoff face and using the tip section chord line as a planar reference.

*If a more complicated shape is desired with sections out of this plane, more reference geometry and guide curves are needed and will be a similar process to lofting the blade body.

1

1

2 2


Insert a sketch on the Blade Tip Plane and begin by adding a terminal point at the desired distance from the current blade tip.

Exit the sketch for the terminal point and insert a NEW sketch for the guide curve.

Begin by drawing a guide curve from the trailing or leading edge to the terminal point. Make sure that the curve is coincident to the terminal point and the edge of the blade*.

Exit the sketch and insert a NEW sketch for the second guide curve. As before, make sure this is coincident to the blade edge and the terminal point.

It is essential that the guide curve is broken into multiple parts for control and to ensure the loft generates.

3

1

2

*Often times the sketch will need to use the Pierce

relationship to ensure it is coincident to the blade surface.

1: Blade tip terminal point. 2: Leading edge guide curve.

3: Trailing edge guide curve.


Enter the loft tool and begin by selecting the blade tip section sketch as the first loft section.

For the next section, select the tip terminal point. The loft should show a preview of something that looks similar to a cone. The idea is that the loft will generate a conical section and then it will be stretch to the desired shape by the guide curves.

Click the Guide Curve Selection Box and select the leading edge and trailing edge guide curves.

If the loft does not produce a desired result, the guide curves may be over constraining or the start and end constraints may need to be adjusted*.

*The start and end constraints can help smooth the loft

and blend the current loft to the adjacent loft, however, it

can also prevent the loft from generating so use with

caution.

Step 6: Finishing the propeller

To add the remain blades, create an axis of rotation using reference geometry perpendicular to the plane of rotation.

Use the circular pattern to produce the desired number of blades.

Even for 2-bladed propellers, use the circular pattern tool as opposed to the mirror tool to ensure the blades are in the proper orientation.

Step 6: Finishing the propeller

Use the extrusion or revolve tools to create the appropriate propeller hubs and spinner caps.

To add tip markings or spinner cap markings, use the split line tool in the Features tab Curves menu. This will create a split face that can be colored at desired, but will not affect the part.

Step 7: Propeller References

Aircraft Propellers

http://www.pilotfriend.

com/training/flight_trai

ning/fxd_wing/props.h

tm

http://www.aboutflight.

com/handbook-of-

aeronautical-

knowledge/ch-4-

aerodynamics-of-

flight/basic-propeller-

principles

Marine Propellers

http://www.propline.co

m/Propeller-General-

Information/Propeller

_Terminology.htm

http://www.propellerp

ages.com/downloads/

Technology_guideline

s_for_efficient_design

_and_operation_of_s

hip_propulsors.pdf

http://www.pilotfriend.com/training/flight_training/fxd_wing/props.htmhttp://www.pilotfriend.com/training/flight_training/fxd_wing/props.htmhttp://www.pilotfriend.com/training/flight_training/fxd_wing/props.htmhttp://www.pilotfriend.com/training/flight_training/fxd_wing/props.htmhttp://www.pilotfriend.com/training/flight_training/fxd_wing/props.htmhttp://www.aboutflight.com/handbook-of-aeronautical-knowledge/ch-4-aerodynamics-of-flight/basic-propeller-principleshttp://www.aboutflight.com/handbook-of-aeronautical-knowledge/ch-4-aerodynamics-of-flight/basic-propeller-principleshttp://www.aboutflight.com/handbook-of-aeronautical-knowledge/ch-4-aerodynamics-of-flight/basic-propeller-principleshttp://www.aboutflight.com/handbook-of-aeronautical-knowledge/ch-4-aerodynamics-of-flight/basic-propeller-principleshttp://www.aboutflight.com/handbook-of-aeronautical-knowledge/ch-4-aerodynamics-of-flight/basic-propeller-principleshttp://www.aboutflight.com/handbook-of-aeronautical-knowledge/ch-4-aerodynamics-of-flight/basic-propeller-principleshttp://www.aboutflight.com/handbook-of-aeronautical-knowledge/ch-4-aerodynamics-of-flight/basic-propeller-principleshttp://www.aboutflight.com/handbook-of-aeronautical-knowledge/ch-4-aerodynamics-of-flight/basic-propeller-principleshttp://www.aboutflight.com/handbook-of-aeronautical-knowledge/ch-4-aerodynamics-of-flight/basic-propeller-principleshttp://www.aboutflight.com/handbook-of-aeronautical-knowledge/ch-4-aerodynamics-of-flight/basic-propeller-principleshttp://www.aboutflight.com/handbook-of-aeronautical-knowledge/ch-4-aerodynamics-of-flight/basic-propeller-principleshttp://www.aboutflight.com/handbook-of-aeronautical-knowledge/ch-4-aerodynamics-of-flight/basic-propeller-principleshttp://www.aboutflight.com/handbook-of-aeronautical-knowledge/ch-4-aerodynamics-of-flight/basic-propeller-principleshttp://www.aboutflight.com/handbook-of-aeronautical-knowledge/ch-4-aerodynamics-of-flight/basic-propeller-principleshttp://www.aboutflight.com/handbook-of-aeronautical-knowledge/ch-4-aerodynamics-of-flight/basic-propeller-principleshttp://www.aboutflight.com/handbook-of-aeronautical-knowledge/ch-4-aerodynamics-of-flight/basic-propeller-principleshttp://www.aboutflight.com/handbook-of-aeronautical-knowledge/ch-4-aerodynamics-of-flight/basic-propeller-principleshttp://www.aboutflight.com/handbook-of-aeronautical-knowledge/ch-4-aerodynamics-of-flight/basic-propeller-principleshttp://www.aboutflight.com/handbook-of-aeronautical-knowledge/ch-4-aerodynamics-of-flight/basic-propeller-principleshttp://www.aboutflight.com/handbook-of-aeronautical-knowledge/ch-4-aerodynamics-of-flight/basic-propeller-principleshttp://www.aboutflight.com/handbook-of-aeronautical-knowledge/ch-4-aerodynamics-of-flight/basic-propeller-principleshttp://www.propline.com/Propeller-General-Information/Propeller_Terminology.htmhttp://www.propline.com/Propeller-General-Information/Propeller_Terminology.htmhttp://www.propline.com/Propeller-General-Information/Propeller_Terminology.htmhttp://www.propline.com/Propeller-General-Information/Propeller_Terminology.htmhttp://www.propline.com/Propeller-General-Information/Propeller_Terminology.htmhttp://www.propline.com/Propeller-General-Information/Propeller_Terminology.htmhttp://www.propline.com/Propeller-General-Information/Propeller_Terminology.htmhttp://www.propline.com/Propeller-General-Information/Propeller_Terminology.htmhttp://www.propellerpages.com/downloads/Technology_guidelines_for_efficient_design_and_operation_of_ship_propulsors.pdfhttp://www.propellerpages.com/downloads/Technology_guidelines_for_efficient_design_and_operation_of_ship_propulsors.pdfhttp://www.propellerpages.com/downloads/Technology_guidelines_for_efficient_design_and_operation_of_ship_propulsors.pdfhttp://www.propellerpages.com/downloads/Technology_guidelines_for_efficient_design_and_operation_of_ship_propulsors.pdfhttp://www.propellerpages.com/downloads/Technology_guidelines_for_efficient_design_and_operation_of_ship_propulsors.pdfhttp://www.propellerpages.com/downloads/Technology_guidelines_for_efficient_design_and_operation_of_ship_propulsors.pdfhttp://www.propellerpages.com/downloads/Technology_guidelines_for_efficient_design_and_operation_of_ship_propulsors.pdf

THE END

creating wings and propellers in solidworks

Documents

open airfoil file

airfoil dat file

airfoil data

desired airfoil file

airfoil curve

file format

text file

airfoil sketch