3D Printed Aircraft
A 3D printed aircraft was successfully launched off in front
of a Royal Navy Warship and landed safely on a Dorset beach. The aircraft is
printed in four major parts and can be assembled without using any tools. Weighing
3kg and measuring 1.5m, the airframe was created on a 3D printer using laser
sintered nylon. The flight, which covered roughly 500 meters,
lasted less than few minutes but demonstrated the potential use of small lightweight
UAVs, which can be easily launched at sea, in a maritime environment.