Bellanca Super Decathlon

Bellanca Super Decathlon CAD plan drawn in Fusion 360.

The original CAD plan was crafted between 2009 and 2014, with the maiden flight of the model taking place in 2014. Unlike the original aircraft, this model deviates slightly from a 100% scale replication. It has been thoughtfully equipped with landing flaps for improved landing performance. The construction process relies on precisely interlocking CNC-routed components, akin to assembling a 3D puzzle. The wings, in particular, were constructed using a dedicated support fixture known as a "wing bed" to ensure their impeccable straightness.

Until recently, this plan was available for purchase on the original website https://bellancasuperdecathlon.com, which is not active any more. Various packages were offered, including comprehensive 2D DWG and DXF format drawings of all parts, as well as 3D STL format drawings of the motor cowl and wheel pants. Additionally, a 3D plan in PDF format was provided, enabling enthusiasts to explore the model in three dimensions using Adobe Acrobat Reader. This interactive PDF allowed users to rotate, zoom, shift, and selectively hide or display specific parts.

The original design from 2014 was converted to Fusion 360 CAD format at the beginning of 2024, making the design more detailed and slightly revised. Currently, both the original design from 2014 and the revised design from 2024 are available and offered for download. It’s important to note, that the designs differ slightly from each other, however about 95% of the original 2014 parts remain unchanged in 2024 design. Most of the parts provided in dxf and dwg formats as part of the original 2014 design fit the design from 2024.

Videos available on YouTube:

Revised design in Fusion 360 format from 2024:

The revised package contains a single file "Bellanca_Super_Decathlon_version_1_17.4.2024.f3d" in Fusion 360 format. The drawing is structured in a browser tree, employing hierarchical organization that extends to subassemblies containing main elements such as fuselage, wings, stabilizers, etc. Each of these subassemblies can be further subdivided into other logical subassemblies, such as motor cowl, landing gear, wooden parts, or Ruder Servo Assembly. This division extends to even lower levels, including servo arms, screws, nuts, etc. The model was designed using a "Top Down" approach, integrating all components into a single file. Due to its high complexity, a design history was not recorded. The drawing exclusively consists of bodies, with no sketches incorporated

Original package from 2014:

The original package is compressed within one zipped file named Bellanca_Super_Decathlon.zip. This file includes the following files:

balsa_plywood_fiberglass_and_aluminum_parts_2d_dxf_and_dwg.zip
bellanca_plan_3d_pdf.pdf
main_wheel_pants_3d_stl.zip
motor_cowl_solid.zip
towing_hook_2d_dxf_dwg_and_pdf.zip
wing_build_template_2d_dxf_dwg_and_3d_pdf.zip

A description of the included files follows:

balsa_plywood_fiberglass_and_aluminum_parts_2d_dxf_and_dwg.zip

It includes 33 CAD drawings in both .dxf and .dwg format with all components made of balsa, plywood, glassfiber boards and duralumin. The parts are divided into areas measuring 1100 x 600 and 1100 x 500 mm. A rearrangement of the parts might be needed for other dimensions of CNC milling table. Drawings can be used to generate a G-code for CNC machining.

The following drawings are included in the zipped file:

Elevator - one side - Balsa Wood 2 mm.dxf
Elevator - one side - Balsa Wood 3 mm.DWG
Elevator - one side - Balsa Wood 3 mm.dxf
Elevator - one side - Balsa Wood 5 mm.DWG
Elevator - one side - Balsa Wood 5 mm.dxf
Elevator - one side - Balsa Wood 8 mm.DWG
Elevator - one side - Balsa Wood 8 mm.dxf
Elevator - one side - Fiber Glass 3 mm.DWG
Elevator - one side - Fiber Glass 3 mm.dxf
Elevator - one side - Ply Wood 3 mm.DWG
Elevator - one side - Ply Wood 3 mm.dxf
Elevator - one side - Ply Wood 4 mm.DWG
Elevator - one side - Ply Wood 4 mm.dxf
Fuselage - Aluminium 3 mm.DWG
Fuselage - Aluminium 3 mm.dxf
Fuselage - Balsa Wood 10 mm.DWG
Fuselage - Balsa Wood 10 mm.dxf
Fuselage - Balsa Wood 6 mm.DWG
Fuselage - Balsa Wood 6 mm.dxf
Fuselage - Fiber Glass 3 mm.dwg
Fuselage - Fiber Glass 3 mm.dxf
Fuselage - Ply Wood 3 mm.DWG
Fuselage - Ply Wood 3 mm.dxf
Fuselage - Ply Wood 4 mm.dwg
Fuselage - Ply Wood 4 mm.dxf
Fuselage - Ply Wood 5 mm.dxf
Landing Gear - Aluminium 10 mm.dwg
Landing Gear - Aluminium 10 mm.dxf
Motor Box VM 210 - Fiber Glass 3 mm.DWG
Motor Box VM 210 - Fiber Glass 3 mm.dxf
Motor Box VM 210 - Ply Wood 3 mm.DWG
Motor Box VM 210 - Ply Wood 3 mm.dxf
Motor Box VM 210 - Ply Wood 4 mm.DWG
Motor Box VM 210 - Ply Wood 4 mm.dxf
Rudder - Balsa Wood 10 mm.DWG
Rudder - Balsa Wood 10 mm.dxf
Rudder - Balsa Wood 2 mm.DWG
Rudder - Balsa Wood 2 mm.dxf
Rudder - Balsa Wood 3 mm.DWG
Rudder - Balsa Wood 3 mm.dxf
Rudder - Balsa Wood 5 mm.DWG
Rudder - Balsa Wood 5 mm.dxf
Rudder - Balsa Wood 8 mm.DWG
Rudder - Balsa Wood 8 mm.dxf
Rudder - Fiber Glass 2 mm.DWG
Rudder - Fiber Glass 2 mm.dxf
Rudder - Fiber Glass 3 mm.DWG
Rudder - Fiber Glass 3 mm.dxf
Rudder - Plywood 3 mm.DWG
Rudder - Plywood 3 mm.dxf
Rudder - Plywood 4 mm.DWG
Rudder - Plywood 4 mm.dxf
Wing - one side - Aluminium 2 mm.DWG
Wing - one side - Aluminium 2 mm.dxf
Wing - one side - Balsa Wood 10 mm.DWG
Wing - one side - Balsa Wood 10 mm.dxf
Wing - one side - Fiber Glass 3 mm.DWG
Wing - one side - Fiber Glass 3 mm.dxf
Wing - one side - Plywood 3 mm.DWG
Wing - one side - Plywood 3 mm.dxf
Wing - one side - Plywood 4 mm.DWG
Wing - one side - Plywood 4 mm.dxf

bellanca_plan_3d_pdf.pdf

The file includes the drawings of Bellanca Super Decathlon RC model in 3D PDF format. To open the 3D pdf files an Adobe Acrobat Reader MUST be used to see the 3D content, the other applications will NOT work, especially the web browsers like Chrome, Edge, Mozilla, etc., despite them being able to display pdf documents. Please follow the instructions at this video to view the 3D model in Acrobat Reader. Watch this video starting from 8^th minute 20^th second (the link should should take you there automatically). Any view can be printed from the document. The 3D model can be rotated, zoomed, shifted, selected parts can be hidden or displayed alone. Any part can be printed in all possible views.

main_wheel_pants_3d_stl.zip

The file includes the drawings of the left and right halves of the wheel pant in 3D STL format.

motor_cowl_3d_stl.zip

The file includes several drawings of the motor cowl in 3D STL format.

Motor_Cowl_Hollow.stl - original shape as shown in the design, 2 mm thickness
Motor_Cowl_Solid.stl - original shape as shown in the design, full solid
Motor_Cowl_Revised_Hollow.stl - redesigned shape matching the real airplane cowl better, 2 mm thickness

towing_hook_2d_dxf_dwg_and_pdf.zip

Drawings of the towing hook for giant RC models in 2D DXF, DWG and PDF formats.

wing_build_template_2d_dxf_dwg_and_3d_pdf.zip

The file contains the drawings of wing bed in DWG and DXF (2D) and PDF (3D) formats for building Bellanca Super Decathlon wings. To open the 3D pdf files an Adobe Acrobat Reader MUST be used to see the 3D content, the other applications will NOT work, especially the web browsers like Chrome, Edge, Mozilla, etc., despite them being able to display pdf documents. Please follow the instructions at this video to view the 3D model in Acrobat Reader. Watch this video starting from 8^th minute 20^th second (the link should should take you there automatically). Any view can be printed from the document. The 3D model can be rotated, zoomed, shifted, selected parts can be hidden or displayed alone. Any part can be printed in all possible views.

The zipped file contains the following drawings:

Wing - one side - Build Template - Plywood 3 mm.DWG
Wing - one side - Build Template - Plywood 3 mm.dxf
Wing Build Template.pdf