Blog

2024:  cessna 152

 

This Winters project will be another 3D print!

 

The Cessna 152 from 3DLabPrint is an 1563mm scale model featuring tri-cycle ground steering, flaps and a sporty/trainer mix.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3DLabPrint Timelapse:  Speedybuild Video (Youtube)

Troy McMillans Playlist:  Build, Crash and Fly a 3D-printed Cessna-152

KY Hobby Flight Video:  Youtube Video

 

September 2024:

Files downloaded and ready to go...

 

9 October 2024:

Printing begins.  I have gone with a "red extremity" design. All white with a red nose, control surfaces and possibly the wheel spats.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Proposed livery

 

Keeping a record of the 40+ parts will need to be methodical...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Each part is labelled to aid identification later.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The largest piece so far (85% printed).  A 7.5 hour piece of the fusalage.

Use of a Creality Glue Stick has helped with bed adhesion, preventing warping. This is essential if the parts are to align correctly.

 

14 October 2024:

 

86 hours of 3D printing complete. Just the wings to go!

My 3D printer has been working non-stop night and day.

 

Fuselage pieces

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Box of control surface parts and tail (Ailerons, Flaps, Horizontal & Vertical Stabilisers)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Undercarriage parts - I have chosen to use some foam wheels that I already have rather than make 3D printed ones.

 

The motor (1000kv), 11X6 Prop, 60A ESC and 8 servos (7 + spare) are on their way from Hong Kong.

 

20 October 2024:

 

Stop the clock!  140 hours (5.8 days) of printing.  The last two wing parts...

 

 

I have also printed some decals on transparent sticky-backed plastic - ready to be peeled off.  Two fuselage IDs, a wing ID and a couple of Cessna logos for the tail fin.

 

The servos that I chose to use are smaller than the ones "recommended".  However, mine are digital rather than analog and have metal gears rather than plastic.  I have printed some servo adaptors that will fill the space and aid installation.

 

Some CA glue activator is on order...

 

 

28 October 2024:

 

A busy week of Gluing, Electronics and Painting!

 

Completed:  Wings, Ailerons & Flaps.  Rear Fuselage, Rudder and Elevator.  Motor & Prop.  Main wheels.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Still to do:  Front nose-wheel assembly and steering...   ...and finally combining the fuselage!

 

2 November 2024:

 

Complete! (almost)

 

"Just the nose-wheel".  Two days later!  I didn't like the way the steering yoke attached to the top of the steering column and was proved right when I nearly glued the whole assembly together - no steering.  This snapped off the plastic spring (which I had little faith in anyway).

 

So I bought some 12mm x 40mm metal springs.  Nope.  They twisted too much before the wheel would turn.

 

Plan C.  Remove the suspension altogether (replace the spring with a 40mm solid cylinder) and redesign the yoke from a "male" connection to a "female".  ie the steering column protrudes into the servo compartment.

 

Also, rather than swap the wires of the servo (or buy a servo reverser cable), I crossed over the steering control rods (thanks Steve).

 

Another small mod, was to add a motor-to-battery "firewall" onto the battery cover, to prevent anything coming in contact with the motor during flight...

 

 


The CoG is about 5mm forward of the mark, so it may be necessary to add some weight inside the rear fuse.

 

Taxiing:


 

 

18 November 2024:

 

Maiden flight!

 

 

Good news & not-so good news...

 

Take-off:  Heart in mouth as it pitched left on take-off, but after recovery, it took off ok.

 

Flight:  Slightly tail heavy, so a bit of elevator trim sorted that out.  Flaps need some elevator mix as it pitched up. (Only tried "Flaps 1").  Had a good 3-4 minute flight before bringing her in.

 

Landing:  Wanted to land as slowly as possible. Landed with Flaps 1.  However, a hard-landing on wet grass, snapped off the front wheel! Otherwise, everything else ok.

 

Conclusions:  I will need to re-make the front wheel with a stronger wooden shaft.

 

No video!! - The headcam was pointing too high and recorded 5 minutes of sky!

 

19 November 2024:

 

Having made a wooden dowel, the problem was always going to be how to join it to the plastic wheel spat/stem without creating a weak joint.  Therefore, a "change of plan".  I have created a leg extension in Cad and joined it to the original wheel shaft in the slicer. Printed at 90% infill, the wheel stem is printed length-ways and "should" be strong...

 

The end of the new shaft also has the updated "male" steering arm connection.

 

 

 

 

 

2023:  shark aero
 

I recently purchased a new 3D printer (Creality Ender-3 S1 Pro) after my trusted Malyan M180 retired after nearly 10 years of use.

 

With automatic bed-levelling, better software and a state-of the art controller (Sonic Pad), I thought it would be a great challenge to print and build my first 3D printed plane!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Downloadable free print-files:  Shark Aero webpage

Troy McMillans Youtube Video:  Watch here

 

I am currently printing out the 30+ parts - some of which take up to 9 hours (Fuselage 1 & 2)

Here is a timelapse video of Fuselage 3 being printed:  Watch here

 

All the parts have now been printed.  I just need to purchase some aileron/elevator hinges and 1mm control rods.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rods purchased.  The first pieces of the fuselage and canopy are glued.  I will attached the motor to the nose before glueing it to the fuselage...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hinges, motor, prop and miscellaneous parts...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To be continued...

 

2020:  AVRO LANCASTER

 

 

The Avro Lancaster was a British four-engined strategic bomber that was used as the RAF's principal heavy bomber during the latter half of the Second World War.

 

Inspired by Tom Stantons YouTube Channel, in which he uses a model Lancaster to drop bouncing bombs, I decided to have a go...

 

 

First  up was to find some plans...

I managed to find these online.

The PDF file can be downloaded here.

 

These are bare outlines of the Lancaster and I had to produce my own foam-board plans.

 

 

I used AutoDesk AutoCAD to scale the drawings.  I chose a wingspan of 1600mm as this meant that the plane could be left intact and would still fit into my car. 

 

Tracing the outline of the wings, fuselage and tail assembly in AutoCAD, I was able to produce a set of plans that could be transferred onto Foamboard and cut-out.

 

The plans were printed to true-scale on A4 paper and multiple sheets were stuck together to form templates.

 

 

 

For example, the "Right Wing" template was used to create both wings - by simply reversing the foam-board after cutting... 

 

 

 

 

The templates were trimmed and laid onto the foam-board.

A sharp pencil was used to mark through the paper onto the foam in order for it to be cut to size using a sharp knife.

 

 

 

 

The "brown" backing paper was removed from the inside of the wing.

Two cranked spars were inserted into each wing to form a dihedral when joined to the centre section.

The ailerons were left attached to the wing and scored to form a hinge.

 

 

 

The fuselage was made in a similar way.

However, 3D printed "ribs" were added to give the body strength.  The tabs were aligned with holes in the body to ensure that nothing moved later.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Each motor was mounted onto a 3D printed bracket.

The motors would exert a lot of force and need to be fixed onto something firmer than foamboard.

 

 

 

 

 

As many items as possible were designed and made from single cuts, using tabs to maximise the strength and eliminate "glued only" joints.

 

This is one of the four motor pods.

 

 

 

 

The fuselage with the central wing added.

Also, the first of the four motor pods!

 

Note the cuts into the wing for interlocking tabs.

The motors are 1000kv and each has its own 30A ESC.

 

 

 

 

The first two motor pods attached.

 

All servo wires and power cables terminate at a hole cut in the base of the fuselage - where the receiver will be located.

 

 

 

I decided against retracts (too complicated) or fixed landing gear (looks terrible) and had the idea of 3D printing a single wheel which would sit in the hole made by the receiver.

 

It still allowed future access and looks like a "Tall Boy" bomb!

 

 

  

The tail section.

 

Rather than using two servos, the elevators are joined with a carbon spar (which passes through the tail) which allows a single (larger) servo to be used.

 

 

 

 

The model chosen is based upon the DamBusters MkIII Lancaster - which doesn't have a central turret.

 

I chose to use Guy Gibsons letters "AJ" for No 617 RAF Squadron and "G" for George.

 

 

I had originally planned to use adhesive backed clear plastic which could be printed using a standard printer.

However, due to the nature of the transparent plastic, the colours were not visible against a dark background and so I decided to leave the "white" backing paper on and cut & glue the decals.

 

 

Painting begins...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

...and continues.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The canopy was 3D printed as a flat sheet of plastic and then heated onto a "moulded" foam shell.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The final model.

 

Test flight(s) to follow...

 

 

 

 

Although the engines of a real Lancaster has  propellers that all turn the same way, I chose to run two motors clockwise (right) and two counter-clockwise (left) to minimise any torque.

 

I have installed 4 no. 8" CW & CCW props. The motors are good for up to 10".

 

There is no rudder.  Being hand-launched, I have added differential motor mixing which increases power to either the Port or Starboard motors to turn right or left respectively.

 

I have also added a switched "flaperon" facility to aid slow speed landings.

 

 

UPDATE:  Unfortunately, the maiden flight did not go to plan!  After completing a 3/4 circuit, the wings folded-in and the plane dived to the ground from about 40 ft.  A complete write-off.  Just the tail section remained intact.  I have salvaged the electronics and the tail.

 

 

I hope to build another, using the same plans but this time with a much stronger wing spar!

 

 

 

 

 

To be continued...

 

2014:  dji f550 hex flamewheel

 

building an fpv compatible hex-copter with full stabilisation

You can follow me upgrading from my F450 Quad-copter to an F550 Hex-copter.

 

 

Hex F550 with motors, props and ESCs only

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

First task.  Attach the motors.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Started to attach the ESC's.  But ran out of solder before finishing.

I also need to order a XT60 battery connector and some JST connectors to power the Go-Pro Gimbal and FPV camera/Video TX.

 

 

 

Meanwhile, I have adapted some (spring-loaded) HobbyKing retracts by removing the wheels and adding a carbon spar.  Then sliding a piece of aluminium tubing over the top.

 

 

 

 

Soldering complete and the legs attached.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A wooden template made from 4mm ply (and varnished).  This adds an area at the front of the hex for a camera and for a video transmitter at the rear.

 

 

 

 

Underside.  Template bolted to hex frame along with retracts and gimbal attachment.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Top side.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Naza v1 (with v2 PMU & LED) installed.  9Ch Orange receiver.  XT60 power input and 2 spare "accessory" cables for gimbal and FPV (camera and VTx).

 

 

 

Disaster!  The Naza unit is faulty.  It will not recognise the GPS when connected to the PC Naza Assistant.  Changing the V2 PMU and even using another GPS fail to solve the problem.  (Also, the GPS unit works in my F450 Quad).

 

The supplier has agreed to swap the unit...

 

In the meantime, I have raided the Control Unit from my F450 and with a now functioning GPS, set the failsafe parameters using the Naza software.  Time to test...

 

More problems...  Powering up the Hex for the first time unconnected to the PC, there is no output from the V2 LED.  After a quick "Googling", it turns out that the very early Mk1 V1 Controllers are not capable of supplying power to the v2 LED unit.  [Read here].

 

Without wishing to open-up or solder any wires to the controller or LED, I have spliced a servo wire into the LED cable and run it into the spare Channel 9 on my receiver...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All systems go!

 

 

The new F550 Hex in fully working order.

It flies too!

 

 

 

 

 

November 2014:

I have decided to go black!

The red/white arems have been switched for black ones and at the same time, I have painted the wooden base plate.

 

In addition, the GoPro gimbal has been brought forward (to give an unobstructed forward view and the battery is slung underneath.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am currently awaiting a cable that will allow me to power the GoPro in flight (to keep it charged) and another Mobius camera mount that will be used as the main FPV flying camera.