FUSELAGE

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

fuselage-iso


Previous Page: 1 | 2 | 3 | Next

8. Create a sketch

▶
||
  • 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

▶
||
  • 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

▶
||
  • 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

▶
||
  • 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

▶
||
  • 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
▶
||

14. Start a sketch on the lower stage connection tube

▶
||
  • 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

▶
||
  • 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

▶
||
  • 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

▶
||
  • 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:
      • Solid
      • Add
      • Sketch 2
      • Merge scope: Part 1
        • Extrude help screenshot

18. Turn on section view

▶
||
  • 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

▶
||
  • 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

Fuselage Tutorial
Previous Page: 1 | 2 | 3 | Next