Fuselage (page 2) | Onshape CAD Tutorial | Stage One Education

FUSELAGE

The rocket’s body, connecting all other parts and housing the parachute attachment.

Advanced mode

8. Create a sketch

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Select the sketch tool
Select a sketch plane. Use the Top plane.

Align your view to the sketch plane by clicking "Top" on the view cube

Make sure you have selected the Top plane. In the sketch overlay window, you should see "Top Plane" under sketch plane

9. Draw the outer body circle

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Select the circle tool

Can't find it? »

Your screen may be too narrow, hiding the tool from view

Check under the dropdown menu by the line tool

You might have exited your sketch

Double-click on "Sketch 1" to re-enter the sketch.

Want a shortcut? »
CAD software is much easier and faster to use with keyboard shortcuts.
- Onshape shortcuts are labeled in the menus (and intuitive). Press c to bring up the circle tool.

Draw a circle. Be sure to snap it to the origin.

10. Dimension the outer body circle

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Select the dimension tool
Consider this essential shortcut »
- The dimension tool is activated by pressing d on the keyboard.
Click on your circle and set its diameter to 0.781 in
Press Enter to exit the dimensioning box

11. Draw the inner circle

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Select the circle tool
Draw a circle inside your first circle. Be sure to snap it to the origin.
Select the dimension tool
Click first on the outer circle and then on the inner circle and set the difference between them to 0.031 in

12. Extrude the body

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Select the extrude tool
Feature shortcuts »
- Outside of a sketch, the keyboard shortcuts are usually shift + [letter]. For example, shift + e for extrude.
Verify that "Sketch 1" is selected
Set the Depth to 3.0 in
Click the green check

13. Change view to look at the bottom of the fuselage

Hold the right mouse button to look at the bottom of the rocket
Zoom in using the mouse wheel to get close to the bottom face

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14. Start a sketch on the lower stage connection tube

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Select the sketch tool
Keyboard shortcut »
- To enter a new sketch, press shift + s.
Click the bottom face of your tube to start sketching on that face

Right click and select View normal to sketch plane to line up your view

Another keyboard shortcut »
- Pressing n reorients the view to normal
- You can use this frequently after tilting and panning to reset.
Is it upside down? »
- Click on the word "Bottom" on the rotation cube to turn it right-side-up.

15. Finish the connector tube sketch

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Select the Use (Project/Convert) tool
Can't find it? »
1. Try the Search tools feature, type "Use" into the box.
2. You might have exited your sketch. Do you see a box that says "Sketch 2" and has a green check?
  - If not, double click on Sketch 2 to reenter your sketch
Keyboard shortcut »
- Press u for the Use tool (lowercase, no 'shift', since we're back in a sketch).
Click on the inner circle

That line will bold, as it becomes part of your sketch

16. Finish the connector tube sketch

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Draw a smaller circle centered at the origin
Dimension between the inner circle and the circle from the step above as 0.032

17. Extrude the connector

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Select the extrude tool
Verify that "Sketch 2" is selected
Click on Add to add to your part instead of creating a new part
Set the Depth to 0.5 in
Check Second end position
Set the second Depth to 0.25 in
Click the green check
Didn't work? Part ended up different color? »
- Make sure you have the following set:

18. Turn on section view

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We want to see inside the tube, so we'll have our view cut away part of the tube. This does not change the part, just how we look at it
Select the view menu
Select "Section view..."

Click on the Right plane
Click the green check

19. Fillet the body connector ring

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What is a fillet? »
- Fillet: “a rounding of an interior or exterior corner of a part design.”
- We use fillets to round-out edges, which is especially useful when 3D printing.
Select the fillet tool
Keyboard shortcut »
Since a fillet is a feature, not an element of a sketch, we press shift + f.
Click on the outside ring of the ledge
Click the green check