PDF issues put aside, here are a few comments on the plane as well as we all know how frustrating it may get with meta discussion when you are waiting for real comments
For my eyes the ancestors of this plane would be nearer a electric hand plane where the sole has a step at the cutting edge.
As Frank said it'll be very difficult to "steer" when you get to the end of the plank as there is so little sole after the cutting edge. On the other hand as does a japanese plane, so this one just might be used as a pull plane instead of a push plane, although the step on the sole makes it pretty difficult for me to imagine how it would handle. At least the friction of the "steel sole" ie. the bottom of the horizontal blade (for some reason I would call it a blade instead of an iron
) behind the edge is not what I would want in a plane. If you think how the back of a conventional plane goes over the wood, you'll notice the difference.
Furthermore the angle of the blade, or iron is a bit too critical to my taste. If it's even half of a hair negative so that the edge is upper than the back of the blade (or "sole"), it won't cut. On the other hand if the blade is angled a bit positive so that the edge is lower than the back, you lose control of the plane and start "scooping" wood when you approach the end of the plank - just as you would scoop wood with a spokeshave, if you get the point. This would happen every time with the sketch number 2.
Another thing that caught my eye would be that the plane would be pretty difficult to sharpen. You should leave some free space between the sharpened part and the cheeks which hold the blade to the frame. On this one you'll never get to the corners without getting some sort of a bump in the sharpening angle, or at least you have to forget about Tormek's and such and practice a lot with your stones.
It's a nice idea and a neat concept, but the 3D-programs are just a bit too easy to make neat concepts. I'm not an expert on 3D although I used to be an old-fashioned 2D mechanical designer. Only thing I know is that it's always a shame at work to shoot down ideas which are well-thought, inventive and utterly impractical as they work only on the screen. :?
You could still test the idea with a real plane. Instead of trying to forge a tight 90 degree angle on the blade (which is darn expensive) you could just take any bit of carbon steel, drill four holes on the corners and bolt on the cheeks. It wouldn't be that difficult to make a first prototype just to play with. The blade wouldn't have to be anything fancy, just something to fiddle with when checking the possibilities the new geometry would offer.
It wouldn't be the first time that a great idea gets nothing but criticism before making a fortune
Pekka
