FTFC20 Argus designed by AircPirateNinsei

[AircPirateNinsei]

@FishHawk

More surface is definitely worth a test!
By the way the Mini Argus flies, but a 3s-Setup will be more fun! The video of the maiden flight is available here.

 

[RustySocket]

@RustySocket

I look forward to your feedback when you've flown it. I am grateful for every advice!

Here are my entry costs into 3D-Printing:

• Anycubic I3 MEGA 152,10 EUR
• 1 kg 1.75 mm PETG filament 25,99 EUR
• Heating bed insulation 6,59 EUR (optional)

Total 184,68 EUR (in Germany) | 203.24 USD

The I3 was delivered in two parts with eight screws, 1kg PLA filament, lots of accessories and spare parts. It was very quickly assembled and leveled. I still had to calibrate the extruder and I was ready to go. Tutorials are available on Youtube.

To print the stl files you need a 3D printer slicing application. I use Cura, it is free of charge. There you define your printer and make the settings for the filament and the object to be printed (like line thickness, fill density, support structure, temperature, moving speed, fan speed, etc.). As a newbie I took the basic settings and later i tried different settings. First of all you should print a Temp Tower, especially to find out the optimal temperature for the filament. You should do this for each new filament roll. If you have set up the filament in Cura, after slicing the print it will also show you the amount of material used and the cost. Slicing creates the gcode file that the printer processes.

Here are the individual ARGUS parts at a line thickness of 0.15 and a filling density of 50%:

• 4 x Control Horn (#44) = 1g | 0.42m | 0.03 EUR
• 1 x Mini Firewall (#46) = 3g | 0.98m | 0.08 EUR
• 4x Wheel (# 32) = 8g | 2.56m | 0.21 EUR
• 4 x Wheel Support Disc (#33) = 2g | 0.53m | 0.04 EUR

Total 0,36 EUR | 0.40 USD

Unfortunately I can not give any information about the electricity costs. They must be added.

I appreciate you taking the time to share your setup and the breakdown of the costs. I could work something like that into my hobby budget with relative ease. I had no idea they had come down that far in cost.

It sounds like the next step is looking into software. I'm assuming there is software that is used for design and then software that controls the printer, or are those functions handled under one program.

I downloaded DesignSparkMechanical 4.0 last evening and am just getting my feet drawing some basic shapes. I have never used a CAD or 3D modelling program before, so it is all new. Is there software that is considered the standard to use? I will look into the program you linked previously.

Thanks again for sharing the information.

 

[RustySocket]

@RustySocket

I look forward to your feedback when you've flown it. I am grateful for every advice!

Here are my entry costs into 3D-Printing:

• Anycubic I3 MEGA 152,10 EUR
• 1 kg 1.75 mm PETG filament 25,99 EUR
• Heating bed insulation 6,59 EUR (optional)

Total 184,68 EUR (in Germany) | 203.24 USD

The I3 was delivered in two parts with eight screws, 1kg PLA filament, lots of accessories and spare parts. It was very quickly assembled and leveled. I still had to calibrate the extruder and I was ready to go. Tutorials are available on Youtube.

To print the stl files you need a 3D printer slicing application. I use Cura, it is free of charge. There you define your printer and make the settings for the filament and the object to be printed (like line thickness, fill density, support structure, temperature, moving speed, fan speed, etc.). As a newbie I took the basic settings and later i tried different settings. First of all you should print a Temp Tower, especially to find out the optimal temperature for the filament. You should do this for each new filament roll. If you have set up the filament in Cura, after slicing the print it will also show you the amount of material used and the cost. Slicing creates the gcode file that the printer processes.

Here are the individual ARGUS parts at a line thickness of 0.15 and a filling density of 50%:

• 4 x Control Horn (#44) = 1g | 0.42m | 0.03 EUR
• 1 x Mini Firewall (#46) = 3g | 0.98m | 0.08 EUR
• 4x Wheel (# 32) = 8g | 2.56m | 0.21 EUR
• 4 x Wheel Support Disc (#33) = 2g | 0.53m | 0.04 EUR

Total 0,36 EUR | 0.40 USD

Unfortunately I can not give any information about the electricity costs. They must be added.

I went ahead and ordered a Anycubic i3 Mega this morning. I also ordered the kit to upgrade it to the S version and 1kg of pla which was bundled in. Shipped and delivered was 198$.

I had been looking at the Ender, but after reading your post and some reviews the Anycubic was a better deal given the discounts going on.

I didnt purchase any additional filament yet as I need to learn about the differences and what is easiest to use for this type of application.

Excited to learn and build.

 

[buzzbomb]

I went ahead and ordered a Anycubic i3 Mega this morning. I also ordered the kit to upgrade it to the S version and 1kg of pla which was bundled in. Shipped and delivered was 198$.

I had been looking at the Ender, but after reading your post and some reviews the Anycubic was a better deal given the discounts going on.

I didnt purchase any additional filament yet as I need to learn about the differences and what is easiest to use for this type of application.

Excited to learn and build.

Congratulations! The current, unofficial 3d printing thread seems to be this one here, when you've got questions you need help with:

https://forum.flitetest.com/index.php?threads/any-3d-or-just-not-this-3d.61234/

I've also got a 3d printing group build going on here:

https://forum.flitetest.com/index.php?threads/im-a-shark.61814/

You might want to get your feet wet before try printing a plane, though.

 

[AircPirateNinsei]

Updated Build Plan and Build Guide await approval before being displayed publicly in FT Resources.

Changes from V1.0 to V1.1:

• BUILD PLAN: #27 (FRONT HATCH FORMER) - line type from CUT corrected to 50% SCORE
• BUILD GUIDE: PRINTABLE PARTS, CONTROL RATES & EXPO updated

Check thing 4134101 on thingiverse.com and you will find the stl-files and more information to print some parts.