Airbus Drone From Mostly 3D-Printed Parts

Airbus Drone Is Made Almost Entirely from 3D-Printed Parts

Thor shows that 3D printing leads to super-light, easy-to-make aircraft.

Jon Fingas | June 6, 2016

[Blogger's note: Basic 3D printing skills can be obtained using equipment available very often in library Makerspaces. The same techniques can be learned using the basic equipment, and eventually you could move into metal 3D Printing or other more exotic materials.]
Airbus isn't content with 3D printing motorcycles -- it's crafting aircraft, too. The aviation giant used the recent Berlin Air Show to introduce Thor, a drone built almost exclusively from 3D-printed parts. Everything that isn't electrical is built from polyamide, whether it's the propellers or the landing gear. The result is a robotic aircraft that's both quick to make (there are no tools involved) and extremely light -- the entire 13-foot-long vehicle weighs a modest 46 pounds.

"Airbus 3D printed this 13-foot-long drone named Thor." Source: http://www.popsci.com/airbus-3d-printed-this-13-foot-long-drone

Light Rider motocycle 3D printed by Airbus. Source: http://www.engadget.com/2016/05/20/airbus-motorcycle-3d-printing-metal/

<more at http://www.engadget.com/2016/06/06/airbus-3d-printed-drone/; related articles and links: http://www.engadget.com/2016/05/20/airbus-motorcycle-3d-printing-metal/ (This freaky electric motorbike was 3D printed with metal powder. And it looks badass. May 20, 2016) and http://www.popsci.com/airbus-3d-printed-this-13-foot-long-drone (Airbus 3D printed this 13-foot-long drone named Thor. June 1, 2016)>