Any cheaper ways?

[esadaddy]

Hey guys

I am working in the middle east on a military aviation contract to support their maintenence department in the fabrication of jigs ,fixtures and maintenance stands etc. For a short period in my machinist career I worked as a cmm operator using pcdms( which was a mind blowing experience) Recently I am in a position were my cmm experience could help me.

I am working with a schweizer helicopter model 333. I trying to model this aircraft so it can assist me in my development of support equipment without the need of being around the aircraft. I have tried heavy lead wire in attemp to capture some features but it was very crude and very hard to maintain my reference points.

My question.

Is there any other methods out there that I can use to pull dimensions from something large (with contours) that is affordable(not like 3d scanners)

[neilw20]

Aircraft documentation/maintenance support is such that it should be possible to get accurate engineering information from the manufacturer. If you you make a maintenance jig outside of the design tolerance of whatever you wish to support or interact with you risk the possibility of damaging structures.

[vinot]

Hi,

my two options:

-david laserscanner (try google): its just a pice of soft. Results depending on your hardware. In my case (little parts,as far as 1m3) works really perfect.
-photogrammetry, Photomodeler in my case, also google: well, look their website, that¡s all true.

In any case, some hundred E or Dollars should be use: a good laser line, video or steady cam, software, etc. As much money you spend, better results will achive.

For me works so well with 200 € (laser line and webcam 1.3 Mp working with laser scanner) and 1200€ (photogrammetry soft and digital cam 6Mp).

Toni