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Jon
Jun 2, 20202 min read
3D Printing - How Just One Setting Can Make Weighty a Difference
I am currently printing a prototype of the Grumman Mallard. I have printed a lot of planes now and have seen many of the problems that...
267 views0 comments
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Jon
May 19, 20203 min read
The Ferrari of the Skies - Piaggio Avanti
Several years ago, my day job was flying corporate jets around. For a few years I sat in the left hand seat of a Learjet 45. It was a...
392 views0 comments
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Jon
May 15, 20202 min read
New Project - Grumman X-29
I have recently shared a few new or ongoing projects and I thought I would share another. I started this one back in December. It took a...
332 views2 comments
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Jon
May 13, 20204 min read
How to 3D Print an Aeroplane - Maiden Flight (ish) - Skymaster free to download
With the easing of the UK lockdown restrictions I had an opportunity to try and take the Skymaster for its maiden flight. I had some...
549 views3 comments
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Jon
May 10, 20202 min read
New Project - Grumman Mallard
Ever get an idea and feel so excited about it that you simply have to stop what you're doing and flesh it out a bit? This often happens...
379 views0 comments
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Jon
May 9, 20201 min read
New Project - Returning the LoPresti Fury to Flight
With the Cessna 337 finished but lockdown continuing its time for a new project. I have a couple of other projects going on in the...
417 views0 comments
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Jon
May 6, 20203 min read
How to 3D Print an Aeroplane - Build Complete + Discussion on Propeller Pitch
After a frantic start where I could achieve a lot in a short space of time the design process slowed to a halt due to running out of PLA....
295 views0 comments

Jon
Apr 27, 20202 min read
How to 3D Print an Aeroplane - Day 17 - Making Test Parts and Some Early Print Troubles
Making Test Parts and Some Early Print Troubles
168 views0 comments
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Jon
Apr 23, 20202 min read
How to 3D print an Aeroplane - Day 16 - First Print!
The tiny part for my printer I needed finally arrived and I have set off on the first print of our prototype. I started with the aft...
112 views0 comments
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Jon
Apr 22, 20204 min read
9 Ways To Get More Lift (Or Lose It) - Lift Augmentation
Ever since I was a kid with a window seat I have been fascinated but the mechanical goings on of the wings. Even now as an airline pilot,...
170 views0 comments
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Jon
Apr 20, 20204 min read
How to 3D Print an Aeroplane - Day 15 - 3D Printer settings
Ok, my printer is still broken, despite attempting a short-term epoxy fix. My replacement parts are still are not here but due in the...
124 views0 comments

Jon
Apr 17, 20203 min read
How to 3D Print an Aeroplane - Day 14 - Wing Loading, WCL & Why Elephants Can't Fly
The first iteration of the model is compete and it's time to start printing... Unfortunately my printer is has broken under the strain of...
253 views0 comments
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Jon
Apr 16, 20202 min read
How to 3D Print an Aeroplane - Day 13 - Housekeeping or Threat and Error Managment
We are nearly there. It's almost time to start printing our aeroplane. One of the reasons I enjoy modelling, be it with a 3D printer and...
72 views0 comments
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Jon
Apr 15, 20202 min read
How to 3D Print an Aeroplane - Day 12 - Elevator controls
Today is time to add in some elevator controls. Although it's always worth leaving this kind of thing until the majority of the modelling...
72 views0 comments
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Jon
Apr 14, 20203 min read
How to 3D Print an Aeroplane - Day 11 - Staying Cool
I have built the cooling scoop for the aft engine and also made some extrude cuts in the fwd firewall to allow some cooling air into the...
124 views0 comments
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Jon
Apr 13, 20202 min read
How to 3D Print an Aeroplane - Day 10 - Sectioning the tail booms.
This part of the design is a bit tedious I'm afraid. We need to section the boom into parts that can be printed. The screen cast is...
84 views0 comments

Jon
Apr 10, 20202 min read
How to 3D Print an Aeroplane - Day 9 - Sectioning the fuselage
In the last post of this week I have sectioned the fuselage. You can follow along with the screen cast to see how I have gone about it...
104 views0 comments
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Jon
Apr 9, 20203 min read
How to 3D Print an Aeroplane - Day 8 - Firewalls and sectioning the fuselage.
I'm going to start sectioning the fuselage. I’ll start with the motor mounts, known sometimes as firewalls (so named because in a real...
145 views0 comments
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Jon
Apr 8, 20202 min read
How to 3D Print an Aeroplane - Day 7 - Thinking about Printing
A few final things to do before we are ready to mirror the left side of the model. First, since there will be a servo in each wing for...
146 views0 comments

Jon
Apr 7, 20202 min read
How to Build an Aeroplane - Day 6 - Aileron and elevator hinges
There are so many different ways to create hinges for the control surfaces. Some of them are obviously better than others. I guess the...
664 views0 comments
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