{"id":10526,"date":"2015-11-10T00:56:55","date_gmt":"2015-11-10T07:56:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/cafe.foundation\/blog\/?p=10526"},"modified":"2015-12-13T22:19:50","modified_gmt":"2015-12-14T05:19:50","slug":"biggest-fastest-3d-printed-airplane-so-far","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/cafe.foundation\/blog\/biggest-fastest-3d-printed-airplane-so-far\/","title":{"rendered":"Biggest, Fastest 3D Printed Airplane So Far"},"content":{"rendered":"

Unveiled at the Dubai Air Show this week, the collaborative effort between Stratasys and Aurora Flight Sciences is the largest and fastest 3D-printed aircraft so far<\/a>. \u00a0With a 9-foot wingspan and weighing 30 pounds, the unmanned aerial vehicle is also the first jet aircraft to be made through additive manufacturing.<\/p>\n

\"Scott<\/a>

Scott Sevcik with Aurora\/Stratasys 3D-printed jet plane at Dubai Air Show<\/p><\/div>\n

80 percent by weight was made through the advanced process, the rest consisting of the engine, electronics and tires.\u00a0 Because the airplane was designed in a collaborative computer aided design process, the parts could be printed in Stratasys\u2019 facilities even though they were designed primarily in Aurora\u2019s Virginia headquarters.<\/p>\n

Besides saving weight, the process saves time, the complete aircraft going from initial idea to first flight in under nine months.<\/p>\n

Scott Sevcik, aerospace and defense business development manager at Stratasys, and a recent presenter at the ninth annual Electric Aircraft Symposium, says, “Aurora wanted to look at the feasibility of producing a vehicle tailored to unique mission requirements.\u00a0 They identified a set of performance parameters, then designed the outer mold line of a vehicle that would be ideal for meeting those mission parameters.\u201d<\/p>\n

Scott explained, “We looked at that outer mold line and asked, what is the optimum structure internally.\u00a0 Instead of the ribs and spars of a more conventional structure, \u201ca more organic structure\u201d allowed light weight, stiffness and uncompromised outer geometry.<\/p>\n