Flyer Mk. 1

thingiverse

For the last two years, I have been working tirelessly to push the boundaries of what is possible with 3D-printed model airplanes. The challenge in doing this was to create something powered only by a rubber band that is not only light enough to fly, but also strong enough to survive repeated landings without sustaining damage. After nearly two years of experimentation and testing, I am proud to say that I have finally achieved this goal, and the Flyer Mk. 1 is the result. This video provides a comprehensive overview of the Flyer Mk. 1, showcasing its capabilities in action: https://youtu.be/2k9LypU1OJI. In addition to witnessing the Flyer soar through the air, you can also see it experiencing rough landings, which I attribute solely to pilot error. The secret behind this incredible achievement lies in the use of a lightweight PLA filament produced by ColorFabb BV in the Netherlands. This innovative material expands as it is being extruded, resulting in a unique 'foam plastic' that can be as little as 35% of the density of regular PLA. Depending on your print settings, this filament can produce structures that are incredibly lightweight and resilient. I firmly believe that this filament is one of the most groundbreaking 3D printing materials to emerge in recent years. The Flyer Mk. 1 is not a model that can be printed quickly. As you can see, this seemingly simple design comprises many parts. However, with patience and dedication, you can bring this incredible creation to life - a truly flyable, 3D-printed rubber powered airplane. Until now, I believe that no one has ever achieved this feat before. I have made some updates available for the Flyer Mk. 1, which include wings with more rigid spars (that do not add weight), and steeper pitch propellers. These updates can be found at https://cults3d.com/en/3d-model/various/flyer-mk-1a-modifications. From now on, I will be using this site for all my designs. The latest update to the Thingiverse site has made it difficult to read the description text and instructions for this design. To address this issue, I have added an 'rtf' document to the files section of this design that contains all the printing, assembly, and flying instructions. If you haven't already done so, I recommend that you download this document and refer to it instead of the instructions listed below. I have also added a change log to the file section, which will list any improvements or corrections made to the printing instructions and print files.