Raider Planetary Exploration Vehicle - 28mm

thingiverse

The original Raider Planetary Exploration vehicle was unveiled by Danaug Industries in March 2103. The fusion-powered electric rover initially debuted in four-wheel and six-wheel platforms, but by 2109 the modular platform had gained popularity on harsh planets such as Mars, Croyden 5, Muemar 3, and Glisten, prompting the release of eight-wheel & tracked variants. By 2119, there were over a dozen major variants of the Raider, with thousands of configuration options available. The vehicle was manufactured by Danaug and a dozen licensees on 15 planets, with over a hundred planets throughout human space utilizing it by 2125. Its simple rugged design combined with widespread use and high availability of parts have made the Raider a favorite among colonists, corporate security units, mining companies, planetary militias, and even tour lines. As released, the Raider PEV consists of 32 STL files that can be combined to create 12 major vehicle platform variants, and by mixing and matching various options, over 10,000 unique combinations are possible (although not all combinations are practical). Various parts from my other designs, such as the hatches and turrets on the Tycho AFV and Rottweiler Grav Tank, can also be used to further increase possibilities. These parts have been designed for optimal printing on an FDM printer using a 0.4mm nozzle with a 0.2mm layer height using PLA, and most parts should print without supports. The few that may need supports are noted below their picture. To facilitate the alignment of parts that are to be glued together, 2mm holes are provided for use as alignment pins. The parts have all been aligned at what I feel is the best/easiest print orientation. The completed and painted models shown in the photos were printed on a Prusa i3 MK2s with a 0.4mm nozzle using Black Tianse PLA filament at 0.2mm layer height. A couple of them had undergone some post-processing work, including the use of putty to fill seams/rough parts, and automotive fill primer along with minor sanding to smooth out more obvious layer lines. A build guide is included to help identify parts and provide information helpful for adding your own options. A challenge: If you like this model and want to see more options added to it, I'm issuing a challenge. There's no way that I can build and paint every possible variation already available here, so I'm putting the onus on you. I have some other ideas to expand on this, but I won't work on them until I see some makes of printed and painted models posted. For every four people who post a make of a printed/painted Raider, I'll post up another piece or two.