{"id":81426,"date":"2025-12-11T05:27:00","date_gmt":"2025-12-11T13:27:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.autodesk.com\/products\/fusion-360\/blog\/?p=81426"},"modified":"2025-12-11T06:46:50","modified_gmt":"2025-12-11T14:46:50","slug":"rc-airplane-design-autodesk-fusion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.autodesk.com\/products\/fusion-360\/blog\/rc-airplane-design-autodesk-fusion\/","title":{"rendered":"Community Spotlight: Tony Watkin\u2019s Journey of Reinventing RC Airplane Design"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

From carving foam to 3D\u2011printed molds, Fusion transformed RC airplane design for Tony. Now, with his YouTube channel, CAD Build Fly RC, he helps others model, print, and fly their own creations.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Six years ago, I saw something that completely changed the way I thought about building RC airplanes: someone was creating them from 3D\u2011printed molds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Having worked in the fiberglass industry, I knew how much time and effort the traditional process required. First, you had to make a plug\u2014usually carved from foam\u2014then glass the airplane and finally build molds from that plug. It was a long, labor\u2011intensive process. Seeing 3D\u2011printed molds, and even 3D\u2011printed airplanes, made me realize there was a faster, smarter way.<\/p>\n\n\n

Discovering Fusion for RC airplane design<\/h2>\n\n\n

I quickly learned that the first step in this new workflow was CAD modeling. Like most people, I turned to YouTube for help. After exploring different CAD programs, I found Kevin Kennedy\u2019s Learn Fusion in 30 Days<\/a><\/strong> series.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I learned a lot from those videos, but I still couldn\u2019t model an airplane. I reached out to Kevin directly, and with his guidance, I kept practicing until things started to click. Within a few months, I was modeling airliners in Fusion. Soon after, I tackled molds, jet airplanes, and even complex shapes with help from tutorials by Fusion educator Matt Perez<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"RC<\/figure>\n\n\n

RC airplane design: From modeling to making<\/h2>\n\n\n

Once I had my first airplane modeled, I ordered a 3D printer and began producing molds. The learning curve was steep, but the payoff was huge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By learning Fusion, I can now 3D print my molds or a plug, saving me so much time compared to the old fiberglass process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To document my journey with RC airplane design, I launched my YouTube channel, CAD Build Fly RC<\/a><\/strong>. At first, I shared build videos, but when I began teaching others how to model airplanes in Fusion, my channel started to grow rapidly.<\/p>\n\n\n

Teaching and learning together<\/h2>\n\n\n

On my channel, I now teach:<\/p>\n\n\n\n