Comments on: Student engineers design, build, fly ‘printed’ airplane

By: Ben Bradley

Ben Bradley — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 19:59:25 +0000

I doubt plans and such would be available since it was done with military funding. For some open-source (but not 3d-printed flying machines, check out diydrones.

By: asiwel

asiwel — Wed, 24 Oct 2012 04:25:56 +0000

The pressrelease linked to by this article above states:
“The way eventually led to assembly of the plane and four test flights in August and early September at Milton Airfield near Keswick. It achieved a cruising speed of 45 mph and is only the third 3-D printed plane known to have been built and flown.”

By: GatorALLin

GatorALLin — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 23:30:41 +0000

Note that you can print with metal or plastic.

here is a cool site where you can have almost any 3d printing file made for you easily. http://www.shapeways.com/themes/stainless_steel_3dprinting_gallery

By: GatorALLin

GatorALLin — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 23:24:29 +0000

…maybe the skin or covering for the wings was not a 3d printed item…. but maybe fiberglass?

By: eldras

eldras — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 21:29:29 +0000

Maybe I’ve misunderstood this – it cant fly right?

The engine that’s printed is a plastic material model and they have to use a non 3D print engine to get powered flight?

Can someone clue me in thanks (I’ve seen asiwel ‘s video)

By: melajara

melajara — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 19:24:35 +0000

Sure, targeting e.g. this $USD 500 billions+ worth symbol of arrogant colonialism/suprematism, the Eiffel tower in Paris!
see http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow/eiffel-tower-europe-most-valuable-monument-else-made-195541700.html

By: renemf

renemf — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 19:11:50 +0000

Coming soon to a fundamentalist neighbourhood near you: the people’s drone strikes.

By: asiwel

asiwel — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 18:04:21 +0000

Took a bit of time to find but here is the original plastic turbofan engine video link to YouTude, I think. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvtCPYNbO18

By: xaos

xaos — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 16:48:07 +0000

How did they print the skin?

By: GatorALLin

GatorALLin — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 14:29:20 +0000

Love that they kept at it…. amazing this is only the 3rd one ever done on a 3d printer. I just wish this university would post up all the 3d drawings to make the project open source so anyone at home could follow along and maybe even print all/some of the parts themselves. What a great learning opportunity.

By: blair

blair — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 14:15:34 +0000

YES OH GOD YES. LETS START TOMORROW. YES.

By: Gorden Russell

Gorden Russell — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 13:31:30 +0000

I wish there had been a picture of this plastic turbofan engine, not that I’m complaining.

Now that you can print a plane in Virginia, one day you will print spacecraft on the moon. (And of course, robots, solar arrays, and more printers.)

Today Virginia, tomorrow the Moon!