3D-Printing

I found quite the interesting large capacity 3D printer for home and small business use.

In the late 90’s / early 2000’s I got some exposure to stereolithography 3d printing at ERAU. while a novel concept making small desk display models the technology has advanced greatly since then.

What really got my attention recently on this is a video from flitetest on using 3D printers to make full RC aircraft built in sections and bonded with CA glue. This can open up all kinds of possibilities for RC aircraft, Drones & even parts on Home Built aircraft. Contour, trapped features, complex geometries are a non issue with this technology. There are also some online sources where you can buy or freeware the .stl files to make these aircraft. more details below.

More info on the Chiron printer:

Extra Large Build Volume, ANYCUBIC Chiron 3D Printer comes with one of the largest build volume of 15.75 x 15.75 x 17.72 inches, you can print models that 90% of other printers could not, The unique high precision nozzle of 0.4mm hot end with straight through design reduces the weight on the X axis which delivers better performance even on very tall prints, Your creativity will be maximized
Semi Auto Leveling and Resume Print, Equipped with an auto leveling module which automatically detects 25 points, supports real time adjustment compensation of nozzle height, Chiron 3D Printer can resume printing after power outage or any other unexpected stoppage, One click to resume from the last recorded position when suffering power outages, And the sensor pauses prints and sets off an alarm when you run out of filament which greatly saves time and material
Easy to Assemble and Use, Full metal body, stable and durable, modular design and only take 5-10 minutes to assemble, TFT Touch Screen with brand new friendly UI to preview model and printing process on screen, offline printing, We use high grade Titan Extruder, smooth feeding and not easy to plug, which can provide you a better printing experience of flexibility
Printing Precise and Safe, Equipped with Y Axis Dual Sideway and Z axis dual screw rod design, the height on both sides of the Z axis will be recalibrated before each printing which can reduce the probability of releveling before each printing and our Chiron 3D Printer’s print precision is greatly improved, 24V DC high power heated bed, heating up to 100℃, Independent high-power mosfet drive, taking into account safety and heating effect
More Function, Ultrabase Pro, Coated with a special composite coating make the printed large model not easy to warp and easy to demold, All ANYCUBIC 3D printers backed with lifetime technical support and 24 hours professional customer service

PLA seems to be the main filament or “stock material” for the printers, here is a good starter option:

【Premium 3D Printer PLA Filament】Clog-Free, Bubble-Free, Tangle-Free, Low warping, perfect 3D Printer PLA Filament 1.75mm for smooth and stable 3D printing experience, making printed parts an outstanding surface finish.
【4 Colors 3D Printer PLA filament】Comes with 1KG/2.2 lb 1.75mm 3D Printer red, white, blue and black PLA filament bundles, 0.25KG/Spool 4 Colors. Note: The roll hole in the middle of the filament is 1.26 inch/ 32 mm, please check whether it fit on the holder of your printers before you order it, the spools may not fit on the holder of some printers.
【Dimensional Accuracy & Consistency】LABISTS 3D Printer PLA Filament, 1.75 mm in diameter, Minimum demission tolerance +/- 0.02mm to ensure consistent feeding and smooth printing.
【3D Printer PLA Filament Using Tips】 Recommend Printing Temperature: 190℃-220℃. Recommended Print Speed: 50-100mm/s.
Note: The roll hole in the middle of the filament is 1.26 inch/ 32 mm, please check whether it fit on the holder of your printers before you order it, the spools may not fit on the holder of some printers.

Some more info on the flitetest P38 build

https://www.flitetest.com/articles/3d-printed-p-38-lightning

Beyond Flitetest, Troy McMillan’s YouTube channel has a ton of 3D printed aircraft content, as you can see from this Tucano video the level of detail is only limited by your imagination