WingHelper

WingHelper is wing-design software designed for modelers. You can design a wing or replicate one based on a blueprint so that you can cut out the parts using a CNC machine.

This paid software (70 euros), available in English or German, runs on common platforms: Linux, Mac OS X, and Windows. It is very intuitive and visual, so even without knowledge of foreign languages, users can easily understand its logical functions.

You can explore the various features by watching a tutorial on YouTube. You can also try the software for free for one week.

The difference between software designed for a specific function and conventional drafting software is that each element is referred to by its proper name. Thus, we speak of leading edges, spars, ribs, and so on.

The logic is the same as if you were to verbally define a wing: you set the wing’s overall parameters—its wingspan, chord lengths, airfoil profiles, dihedral, sweep, and twist. The software includes a database of 1,500 airfoils, but it’s easy to import any airfoil or define a custom airfoil.

You then specify, step by step, how you want each element to be configured: how many ribs, where to position them, half-ribs, the shape of the leading or trailing edge, the type of spar, and the formwork...

You can define aileron slots in relation to the posi-

The wing can be shaped in any way, and the ribs can be adjusted accordingly. An elliptical wing can thus be easily constructed.

design of the hinge joints.

A wing can be trapezoidal or any other shape (e.g., Spitfire). Each wing section is defined as a single wing. Each wing section is joined end-to-end according to its dihedral angle, with an alignment that allows for the addition of wing struts. It is also

possible to place the ribs on a JPEG-type background (photo) to match an original shape. You can simplify the ribs and define rib roots to facilitate construction.

What makes designing a wing so much fun is the ability

to view it in 3D, rotate it in space, and make it semi-transparent to see the components through the formwork. With a single click, you can make each component visible or invisible. This also allows you to identify construction constraints and visualize errors. Predefined icons

make it easier to view the wing from different angles. A zoom feature is available, just like in any drawing software.

The purpose of this program is simply to export the design elements to a DXF file (or PDF) that can be used by a CNC router or a laser cutter.

To evaluate the software, we designed and successfully laser-cut the single-piece wings for the Multiplex Capriolo (see transparent image), a small, highly popular 1.40-scale training aircraft from the 1980s that originally featured polystyrene wings covered with fabric.

New features are being developed to place servos in the wing, define a leading edge, and eventually

to be able to directly cut the wing out of foam and even assist in creating a mold via milling. An ambitious project, with

, with similar features planned for the tail, rudder, and fuselages. ■

Thierry Ruef