Identifying Unknown Airfoil Sections

Maybe the answer to my question is 'no' and that the lack of such a website does not matter anyway. Because, as per the responses to my other thread, the need never arises - for Fusion 360, you just convert the .pdf file to .jpg and 'trace' the airfoil. 🙂

Cheers

Jeremy Wilkins 

@jeremy-wilkins Profili can do this. You need to load in an image of the aerofoil you want to identify then compare it to what is in its library it then finds close matches.

Jono

@jono /Jonathan Robertson

Hi again.  That's very useful to know - thanks very much for the information. 🙂 

Cheers

Jeremy Wilkins

Isn't it more a case of deciding which airfoil you need from the existing files out there (like http://airfoiltools.com/search/index ) and downloading that?  The decision being made from the flying characteristics you want.

@jeremy-wilkins that is what I would do unless it’s fairly obvious what the airfoil is. If you take the Akromaster (thread elsewhere on this forum) I looked at the plan saw that it was a symmetrical airfoil so narrowed my search for just those airfoils and very soon found one which I then downloaded and overlaid the plan. It was as near as I could make out the same airfoil!

@john-minchell Thanks very much for the post.  No argument with what you state - but the BMFA's rules for some control line and free flight competitions (particularly the 'vintage type' competitions) require that the model is constructed 'as per plan'.  

Cheers

Jeremy Wilkins

@rong Thanks once again, for the reply and information.

I haven't tried, with the two attached .jpg's, to establish what the wing sections are - and I'm not asking anyone to do it for me. 🙂  But I'm including them here as examples of the sort of thing that I'm referring to.  I haven't seen your latest webinair - but it seems to me that importing a .jpg image of the rib profile into Fusion 360 as a canvas and then tracing it, is probably a more logical way to proceed, than searching through undercambered wing sections in an airfoil database.

Jeremy Wilkins

Blimey a Baron Knight,  I came across the fuselage for a Baron Knight in loft about a month ago, built the model in about 1966 I think!  No wings though.  Yes Jeremy I think importing the airfoil and tracing it into F360 is the way forward for you.

@jeremy-wilkins it will take you no more than 5 mins to trace those airfoils, a lot less time than searching for the exact one in a DB. I would suggest using the Spline>Control Point Spline option to do the tracing:

@jeremy-wilkins just did the Red Barron - after import it took 4 mins to trace!

@john-minchell Pleased to have given you a trip down an almost 60 year long memory lane. 😀 

I asked my original question before I became aware of the 'converting from .pdf to .jpg, canvas and tracing in Fusion 360' method.

Cheers

Jeremy Wilkins

@rong thanks for the further two posts and information contained therein. 🙂  I have still to look at your latest webinair.  I will try using the Spline>Control Point Spline option to do the tracing, as you suggest.

It might take me a bit longer than 4 minutes to do the tracing. 😉  However, I imagine that it will still be quicker than producing a plywood template - and more accurate, to boot.

Cheers 

Jeremy Wilkins 

@jeremy-wilkins go for it, it is very satisfying!

@rong Thanks very much for the encouragement. 🙂 I just need to stop prevaricating about it!! 😀 

Cheers

Jeremy Wilkins