How about printing your next stunter?

[Randy Powell]

I guess you just have to see this:

[david smith]

There are some out there that are around $1000 and can print about 50% of themselves.  Now I don't know the cost of the program to run it but that is pretty cheap considering the one we have at work is around $25000

[Tim Wescott]

That particular one makes parts out of plastic.  I've heard of 3D printers that do sintered metal, but the closest to that that I've seen is a 3D printed thing made out of wax that could have been used for investment casting.

None of them have the precision needed to make a moving part of an engine -- those gears are impressive, but they wouldn't last for long in real use.

They're way cool, but don't sell all your stock in machine tool companies yet.

[Jerry Leuty]

   Wow. I'm gettin me a 28 oz. Legacy that a .46 will pull. But does it qualify for BOM? Hmmmm, a whole new can of worms. Fortuantely this is not a reality to print a 59" stunter but the thought of it all is intrigueing. No building. It boggles my mind.

[John Sunderland]

Sure! Who wants to spend all that time at the board?

[RogerGreene]

Gee, how about an engine??

Roger

[Ed Prohaska]

Check out this You-Tube post. I see a giant Cox product engine that was printed in resin.



Since this can be done with apparent relative ease, the engine makers should offer low cost plastic versions of some popular engines. They could be used for setting up a new model. They would also make neat conversation piece and just be fun to have and play with! If a high temperature resin ever becomes available, all plastic or mostly plastic engines might someday be a reality. EWP

[W.D. Roland]

A decade ago.....

http://www.3dsystems.com/newsevents/newsreleases/pr-001204.asp

Thought I had the original article with pictures and such.
lost?

[Dave Adamisin]

A bump for this thread....

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110728082326.htm

[Douglas Ames]

Think of this...
What if you "printed" a set of ribs, bulkheads or control surfaces from a lightweight material that was compatable with CA or epoxy? The rest would be balsa sticks and sheeting. How neat would that be!

[Jim Hoffman]

The 3-D printer is similar (or identical) to Stero-Lithography technology, commonly called SLA.  It is used frequently to make investment castings and repelaces the wax of the "Lost wax process".  It has a myriad of other great uses too.  We use it frequently to produce fit check mock ups prior to production.

Here is a link to a video of a working model plane using this technology.  The technology permits ultra complex structures, perfectly optimized strength, weight and stiffness.  AND............NO FIXTURING to get perfect alignment.

http://blogs.airspacemag.com/daily-planet/2011/07/print-your-own-airplane/?ref=nf

Jim Hoffman

[Norm Faith Jr.]

In 1993 While attending school at Garrett Engines in Phoenix, (Allied Signal/Honeywell) my class was given a tour of their R&D facility. Somehow I got separated  from the rest of the class and walked into a room that had, what looked like a pop corn machine; the type at a movie theater. It had a wire grid in a pan of brown liquid that was moving back and forth in the liquid. Rising up out of the liquid was what looked like a brown, translucent engine componet. Upon the discovery of my presence by a "large male figure,"  I was escorted out into the hallway and given a lecture about secure areas and some other rules; with an intimidating voice. After he was through...I...cautiously asked him "what was that?" He said "if I told you I would have to have you killed." As I turned to leave; he smiled and said "It was brand new, saves us tons of money and time doing research." It seems from viewing the clip; that "popcorn machine" has come a long way since 1993.
Norm