Hello fellow 3D printed RC plane fanatics!
I am a real bonafide certified full scale aircraft conceptual designer having worked on kit planes, vintage planes, eVTOLs, and even in the legendary "Skunk Works". My real passion in aviation is aviation history. Particularly for the vast number of designs and concepts that engineers like me have busted their butt on but ultimately never made it into the limelight. It's sad to me that so much of aircraft design history has been largely forgotten and overshadowed. Folks, I am hear to tell you first-hand that design teams in places like the "Skunk Works" do not, in fact, get a wave of inspiration and suddenly create something like the F-22 or F-35. They are the end result of sometimes decades and sometimes thousands of different aircraft designs all done to explore the art of the possible and try new things in the pursuit of a winning design.
To honor my colleagues, my industry, and the art of aircraft design I wish to use 3D printed RC plane designs to educate the public on all the hidden hard werk in aerospace, all the sacrifices, all the design triumphs, and quiet victories....aaaand give the RC community a chance to experience some really unique designs and flight experiences based on REAL concepts....okay I MAY also do some SciFi vehicles (I'm looking at you Battle Star Galactica Viper)...
All that said, let me introduce y'all to my first design in work. This has been a labor of love and is about half way through prototyping so the render shown is just an early model. I give you, the Boeing "Quiet Bird".
Quiet Bird was an early 1960s Boeing Army observation concept that explored the art of possible with stealth technology. What is so amazing about this design is it was developed around a DECADE before the infamous Skunk Works "HAVE BLUE" stealth demonstrator, the daddy of the F-117 Nighthawk. It seems the F-117 and HAVE BLUE have overshadowed this adorable and radical little airplane design. So to honor those innovative Boeing engineers and drawn to its radical yet simple look I have embarked upon this 50mm EDF 3D printed design.
I am really excited to see how this may perform. It's obvious that the inlet and EDF performance will be affected but then again, this is what aircraft design is all about: tradeoffs and compromises and trying new things!
I am eager to get feedback from the many experienced RC builders on the form and see if anyone else would be interested in this.
I am a real bonafide certified full scale aircraft conceptual designer having worked on kit planes, vintage planes, eVTOLs, and even in the legendary "Skunk Works". My real passion in aviation is aviation history. Particularly for the vast number of designs and concepts that engineers like me have busted their butt on but ultimately never made it into the limelight. It's sad to me that so much of aircraft design history has been largely forgotten and overshadowed. Folks, I am hear to tell you first-hand that design teams in places like the "Skunk Works" do not, in fact, get a wave of inspiration and suddenly create something like the F-22 or F-35. They are the end result of sometimes decades and sometimes thousands of different aircraft designs all done to explore the art of the possible and try new things in the pursuit of a winning design.
To honor my colleagues, my industry, and the art of aircraft design I wish to use 3D printed RC plane designs to educate the public on all the hidden hard werk in aerospace, all the sacrifices, all the design triumphs, and quiet victories....aaaand give the RC community a chance to experience some really unique designs and flight experiences based on REAL concepts....okay I MAY also do some SciFi vehicles (I'm looking at you Battle Star Galactica Viper)...
All that said, let me introduce y'all to my first design in work. This has been a labor of love and is about half way through prototyping so the render shown is just an early model. I give you, the Boeing "Quiet Bird".
Quiet Bird was an early 1960s Boeing Army observation concept that explored the art of possible with stealth technology. What is so amazing about this design is it was developed around a DECADE before the infamous Skunk Works "HAVE BLUE" stealth demonstrator, the daddy of the F-117 Nighthawk. It seems the F-117 and HAVE BLUE have overshadowed this adorable and radical little airplane design. So to honor those innovative Boeing engineers and drawn to its radical yet simple look I have embarked upon this 50mm EDF 3D printed design.
I am really excited to see how this may perform. It's obvious that the inlet and EDF performance will be affected but then again, this is what aircraft design is all about: tradeoffs and compromises and trying new things!
I am eager to get feedback from the many experienced RC builders on the form and see if anyone else would be interested in this.
