3D Printed RC Spitfire

[nitewatchman]

Ran across this website that is selling a VERY highly structurally detailed set of .stl file to print a 1:12 Semi-Scale Supermarine Spitfire.

http://3dlabprint.com/index.php?

Details and video of flying model are really impressive. I purchased the files and threw them on the printer to run in background. The interior detail and structural member are awesome. May end up being a rafter queen but it definitely does show promise.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ls9uEtk ... Y&index=11

gary

[ZakRabbit]

That's freaking awesome! Can't wait to see your results up to and through first flight!

[PartDaddy]

Thanks, add another month to the Eris project while I'm distracted with this really cool RC stuff!!

[nitewatchman]

Just doin' my part.

Several times in my life I have referred to as a distraction!

Apparently a Mustang is coming soon and a "Jug" with retractable gear is in the works.

Printed parts are light weight and thin. One layer at 0.42mm in most area so rough landing may cause damage but you can always print another section or a patch just like the real ones.

[travelphotog]

Bought! Looking forward to this one a great deal. It will spend 90% of the time in my office but that will be fine with me. Beautiful!

[Khalid Khattak]

Great job...can't wait to see the finished product

[Eaglezsoar]

The finished plane has to be awesome!
Thanks for the pictures.

[3D-Print]

That is awesome!!

[Tonkabot]

so your printing this with just plain PLA?

This model looks awesome, and I want to make on. even if I don't fly it.

[nitewatchman]

I have been playing with clear PLA. I am using S3D to prepare and have found a reasonable for me set of parameters to print with. Initially the part was not clear, had holes at the start/stop point on the layers and was very overweight. I now print both ends of a section 2 layers thick and the body in between at one layer thick. This is easy with S3D.

My parameters are:

Bed 70C
Extruder 210C
Layer .25mm
Width.42mm
Nozzle .4mm
first layer 90%
Extruder multiplier 100%
Retract 5mm (using E3D, no jamming occurring and no stringing)
Extra feed before start .4mm (solved the holes at start stop)
0-5mm print 2 layers
5 - top-5mm print 1 layer
top-5mm to top print 2 layers.

The PLA is glued with CAA. I also want to print a few test parts from ABS. I think it is more durable in a rapid disassembly event and I have better results bounding or weld sections together with acetone.

[nitewatchman]

Well I have a Spit printed. May not be the final version but it actually looks pretty good! The internal structural details are very impressive.

The majority is printed one perimeter thick with a 0.42mm layer width making it very thin. The wings are internally braced and trussed making them stiffer than any other plane I have ever assembled be it foam, stick built, etc. The fuselage is also a single perimeter thick and is pretty good but a little squishy. No doubt it is strong enough to fly but not real firm to handle. The fuselage would benefit from a frame former on each section splice.

The files were sliced with S3D taking advantage of their multiple Process capability in the Factory Files. The first 5mm was printed with two perimeters to produce a good gluing flange, the main body with one perimeter, reinforced areas like the bellcrank connection on control surfaces printed with 100% infill and solid, the remainder of the body printed with one perimeter, and the last 5mm printed with two perimeters producing a mating glue flange for the next section. This requires five Processes in the Factory File to produce. Printed parts fit perfectly, assembled wing slides snuggly into assembled fuselage.

Haven't decided if this will fly or hang. It is definitely outside my skill set. Level flight with a 4008 motor is 85mph. I have a box full of 4114's that I will likely use pushing speeds to 90 or 95mph. Only saving grace is the low speed stall of 20mph.

Guy is close to releasing a 1:12 Mustang to go along with the Spitfire and has a 1:12 P47N Thunderbolt with retractable gear in the works. These are all designed to be compatible with guidelines for R/C Combat Aircraft. If you are not familiar with this flying sport, the object is to cut a ribbon from the tail of your opponents plane with your prop. Fast, furious and sometimes more gets cut than the ribbon.

gary

[Sonrisa3D]

FLY!

[Eaglezsoar]

Very nice looking plane.
Great job printing it.

[ZakRabbit]

It looks as if there's no actual rudder, is that just because it's printed in the clear, or is that because it's designed for what I've known as "U-Controll?"

[geneb]

Nah, you can fly it only using elevator and aileron. That's a pretty common configuration for a 3 channel configuration.

g.

[nitewatchman]

There is no rudder control surface, just ailerons and the elevator. At high speeds the rudder doesn't do a lot in turns. It would basically put you into a flat skid like driving on ice. It does add an extra amount of control in things like banking dives but just like in full size planes most turns are handled by the ailerons and banking the plane. This way the plane is pulled around by the lift of the wings and up elevator can be added to combat altitude loss during the bank.

Basic radio for this plane is really simple, just 4 channels. One for the throttle running the ESC, one channel for the elevator, and one channel each for the two ailerons. Plane demos show it flying very well and pulling turns that can collapse wings on some planes.

Demo flight of the plane by the designer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ls9uEtk ... e=youtu.be

gary

[ZakRabbit]

Thanks for the education! It turned out beautiful!

[IMBoring25]

Rudder does not produce an uncoordinated turn unless mishandled (or unless such is desired). Absence of a rudder is likely to.