My latest 3D printed builds

[qwijibo]

Just thought I'd share my two latest projects...

The 1st is an Eclipson Model Y - https://www.eclipson-airplanes.com
Mine is all 3D printed (no paint or stickers), it even has a shock absorber in the nose gear, quite a nice design. Control surfaces haven't been installed yet, but with any luck I'll maiden it this weekend.

The 2nd is a replacement Spitfire to replace the one I totaled earlier in the year (from 3dlabprint). Again, no paint, just different color PLA plastic. It's all finished and just waiting for good weather. Hopefully I'll maiden it this weekend as well.

For those that have a 3D printer, or have access to one in a builder space, I really do suggest you give a 3D printed plane a try.

p.s. - For those that are curious, these were printed on a 'Prusa i3 Mk2' using 'eSun PLA Pro' plastic @ 230 Celsius with the bed at 65 Celsius.

- Steve

 

[Bricks]

Had to laugh at myself when I seen the title of this thread 3D planes I was thinking 3D flying not 3D printed.

 

[qwijibo]

Had to laugh at myself when I seen the title of this thread 3D planes I was thinking 3D flying not 3D printed.

Good point, I just updated the title

 

[Jackson T]

That spitfire looks AWESOME!!! Nice job!!!

 

[qwijibo]

That spitfire looks AWESOME!!! Nice job!!!

Thanks, I just hope it fares better than my last 3D printed P-51. I rushed the P-51 build, and with what I had on hand it was over-weight and pretty under-powered. Lets just say, it didn't end well. My last Spitfire flew like a charm though. It's demise I'm embarrassed to say was 100% pilot error, but it lasted a good long time, so no complaints.

 

[CrazyFastFlying]

Just thought I'd share my two latest projects...

The 1st is an Eclipson Model Y - https://www.eclipson-airplanes.com
Mine is all 3D printed (no paint or stickers), it even has a shock absorber in the nose gear, quite a nice design. Control surfaces haven't been installed yet, but with any luck I'll maiden it this weekend.

The 2nd is a replacement Spitfire to replace the one I totaled earlier in the year (from 3dlabprint). Again, no paint, just different color PLA plastic. It's all finished and just waiting for good weather. Hopefully I'll maiden it this weekend as well.

For those that have a 3D printer, or have access to one in a builder space, I really do suggest you give a 3D printed plane a try.

p.s. - For those that are curious, these were printed on a 'Prusa i3 Mk2' using 'eSun PLA Pro' plastic @ 230 Celsius with the bed at 65 Celsius.

- Steve
View attachment 116200 View attachment 116201

Wow, nice job!

How many grams of plastic is the spitfire? I have access to a 3D printer and it cost's 0.15 per gram of plastic?(I'm just trying to figure out how how much it would cost for me to 3D print one of those)

 

[qwijibo]

If I recall, I came in just below 500 grams,. That's just the plane, no electronics or battery. Different PLA brands have slightly different weights & densities, so the exact weight can vary a bit.

The plans indicate it should be 432 grams, so mine came in a little over weight, but still fly's great on a 10x6 prop.

 

[CrazyFastFlying]

If I recall, I came in just below 500 grams,. That's just the plane, no electronics or battery. Different PLA brands have slightly different weights & densities, so the exact weight can vary a bit.

The plans indicate it should be 432 grams, so mine came in a little over weight, but still fly's great on a 10x6 prop.

Ok, cool!

It would cost me around $75 to 3D print one.

What happens if you crash, doesn't the plastic crack?

 

[qwijibo]

They are surprisingly resilient, but make no mistake, in a bad crash you'll have a spectacular explosion of plastic bits. Small crashes and hard landings sometime cause cracks, but a little CA fixes those up just fine. In fact, the CA joints are the strongest part!

Also, if you use PLA as they suggest, heat becomes an issue. Leaving it in direct sunlight on a hot sunny day will cause it to warp. It's fine when flying, but afterward make sure to keep it in the shade. And don't even think about leaving it in a hot car in the summer.

 

[CrazyFastFlying]

They are surprisingly resilient, but make no mistake, in a bad crash you'll have a spectacular explosion of plastic bits. Small crashes and hard landings sometime cause cracks, but a little CA fixes those up just fine. In fact, the CA joints are the strongest part!

Also, if you use PLA as they suggest, heat becomes an issue. Leaving it in direct sunlight on a hot sunny day will cause it to warp. It's fine when flying, but afterward make sure to keep it in the shade. And don't even think about leaving it in a hot car in the summer.

They are surprisingly resilient, but make no mistake, in a bad crash you'll have a spectacular explosion of plastic bits. Small crashes and hard landings sometime cause cracks, but a little CA fixes those up just fine. In fact, the CA joints are the strongest part!

Also, if you use PLA as they suggest, heat becomes an issue. Leaving it in direct sunlight on a hot sunny day will cause it to warp. It's fine when flying, but afterward make sure to keep it in the shade. And don't even think about leaving it in a hot car in the summer.

I think I will stick with foam until I get a little better at flying planes. I don't want to spend a lot of $$ on a 3D printed plane and then crash it in to hundreds of pieces!

 

[qwijibo]

I know how you feel. Most of my planes are FT Foam planes (currently a Extra, Arrow, Simple Scout & Bloody Baron), but I always have one or two 3D printed planes flying or in process. I enjoy the build process, they fly great, and they just look so darn cool.

 

[CrazyFastFlying]

I know how you feel. Most of my planes are FT Foam planes (currently a Extra, Arrow, Simple Scout & Bloody Baron), but I always have one or two 3D printed planes flying or in process. I enjoy the build process, they fly great, and they just look so darn cool.

yeah, I will probably eventually 3D print a plane but I am still learning how to fly my first plane(The WLtoys F949).

Can you post a video of your maiden flight?

 

[qwijibo]

yeah, I will probably eventually 3D print a plane but I am still learning how to fly my first plane(The WLtoys F949).

Can you post a video of your maiden flight?

It's not much of a video, but this was the first flight from my previous Spitfire.

I didn't get a video of the new Spitfire, I did it's maiden by myself.

 

[CrazyFastFlying]

It's not much of a video, but this was the first flight from my previous Spitfire.

I didn't get a video of the new Spitfire, I did it's maiden by myself.

Ok, cool! Thanks!

It's fine, I just wanted to see a 3D printed plane fly.