Designing in CAD - A beginners guide  Printer-friendly
versionPrinter-friendly version  Written by David Walker Find
the entire feature on page 31 in the August 2011 issue. Read an
abridged summary as well as download free CAD software.
EVOLUTION: Our hobby has been evolving rapidly lately. From
computer radios to laser-cut kits to electric-powered aircraft
that not only rival their glow counterparts, but often exceed
them in performance, our hobby is changing.  Another aspect of
aeromodeling that has evolved is ARFs and RTFs. There are great
benefits to the proliferation of these models, but a result of
this progress is that traditional kits have almost disappeared.
If you are the way I am and still love to build, your options
are rather limited. This is unfortunate because just as laser-
cutting was becoming mainstream, the decline of kits had already
begun. What is a modeler to do who loves to build?  The not-so-
obvious answer is to design your own kits using CAD, or
computer-aided design. Once you are fa