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1:32 Boeing P-8A Poseidon?


Iain

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I've wanted a 3D printer for years: I first came into contact with them decades ago - but the cost was absolutely prohibative. They were very expensive/complex beasts that were the domain of industry, not the individual.

 

However, the price/performance equation has radically changed, making such technologies the affordable domain of the common man.

 

Now - several influences have come to play in my thinking this year:

 

  • Tim Perry (@wunwinglow of this parish) is a good, and very patient, friend. As many will know, he was the man behind PP Aeroparts, the inovative, and pioneering, accessory company from the '80s. For the last couple of decades his day job has been in the rapid prototyping world - so his knowledge/experience/expertise in the field of 3D Modelling and 3D Printing is right up there with the best. And he's been nagging encouraging me to take the plunge for years. I'm currently building a Tornado F.Mk 3 with parts that Tim has designed and printed, using both FDM and SLA printers - and playing to the strengths of both. He's also been experimenting with printing HIPS (High Impact Polystyrene - the same material as plastic kits).
  • Earlier this year I took delivery of a 1:32 Hawker Siddeley HS.780 Andover, designed and 3D Printed by Toshihiko Shimizu of One Man Model - the process of design and print of a small batch left me absolutely mesmerised by the process - and very inspired!
  • As many will know, I've been researching/working on a fix for the wing cross section on the HobbyBoss 1:32 B-24s. I'd come up with an airfoil fix, but was looking at ways of producing a viable 'correction' set, originally looking at a series of longitudinal formers to be used with a modified spar - but modifying the kit spar to work with the new sections proved almost impossible and I parked it. Until I got the Andover - and until a few conversations with Tim - and I had that "light bulb" moment. Design as a 3D Model in CAD - print in several pieces on an FDM printer - in HIPS (High Impact Polystyrene) - the same as kit plastic!

 

But I didn't have a printer...

 

48b427_fd7ae36ec29a4c409759fdddd6daace3~

 

Well, I do now - a Creality Ender 5 Pro - with a 220 x 220 x 300 print volume and capable of printing HIPS (and ABS) filament, as long as the printer is in an enclosure to keep ambient temperatures around the print high and constant, in order to prevent distortion and shrinkage.

 

So I purchased a thermally lined and fire resistant enclosure too:

 

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48b427_631c070252334f26a68ba53945e3079a~

 

OK - so new printer - needed to test print, obviously!

 

I didn't have anything ready yet as part of my playing with CAD software - and, being a kid a heart, wanted to find something other than a cat, or frog model to do some test prints.

 

A bit of Googling and I found a pre-drawn model of a 737-800 available to purchase and scaled to print at 1:100. The model looked really good - so I bought it!

 

Then, well, you know how you do, I thought 'I wonder if I can scale that' - so I did - to 1:32 scale and did a few test prints of the engine, using the free PLA filament that came with the printer.

 

So, this CFM-56 engine pod was the very firstest thing I printed with my new printer - and I was very pleased with the results:

 

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It's not small! Ignore exhaust angle - that's just loose in pod.

 

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But shapes look well researched:

 

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Now, it just so happens that the P-8 Poseidon is based on the 737-800...

 

Can you tell where this *might* be heading?

 

Back in a mo...

 

Iain

 

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The resulting parts - in this case for the port engine, came out really well - very light and strong, and with a commendably smooth surface.

 

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Originally the idea was to just test print the engines, but they came out so well I thought I'd print a few more parts once I'd got my enclosure, and a supply of HIPS filament - purely for testing purposes, you understand...

 

Iain

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Well - everything was in place Friday evening - and I'd split the first third of the fuselage model into 3 in Meshmixer: the section was too long as designed to fit in the vertical (Z-Axis) of the printer once scaled up to 1:32.

 

Then it was prepped for printing using a program called Cura - and, well, this happened:

 

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Not a bad result for a first test print in HIPS - but it did take 18 hours to print!!

 

From there I've been playing with layer thickness/quality/speed...

 

Iain

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Then I got carried away - and printed the next short section - well, you would, wouldn't you?

 

This is the first real failure - as one section didn't adhere properly to the heated bed. But, hey, it's a learning experience, right?

 

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OK - so if I did something with this - over time - it would take a lot of scratchbuilding - but as a canvass I think it looks good!

 

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Now there's a little shinkage at the rear of the nose section - I suspect I removed it too quickly from the build table.

 

Just so happens I have another part cooling off now before I remove from the build table - maybe more later if it's worked.

 

This is addictive...

 

Iain

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Quote

and, well, this happened

This is what I say to my wife when she asks about packages arriving with more parts/supplies/kits  :D Things happen!

 

Very cool project and very jealous of the printer. Looks like a good start to the Poseidon! 

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Crikey! 200mm.....that’s about 8” in old money isn’t it? So how long will the finished jet be?

 

Is this going to be a commercial venture in resin Iain?

I know it’s probably rude to ask but what does each section cost roughly in materials?

 

This should be fascinating to see come together particularly since Waddo is gearing up to receive their Poseidon’s at some point in the future.

 

Good luck with the project.

 

Cheers 

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1 hour ago, geedubelyer said:

Crikey! 200mm.....that’s about 8” in old money isn’t it? So how long will the finished jet be?

 

Is this going to be a commercial venture in resin Iain?

I know it’s probably rude to ask but what does each section cost roughly in materials?

 

This should be fascinating to see come together particularly since Waddo is gearing up to receive their Poseidon’s at some point in the future.

 

Good luck with the project.

 

Cheers 

 

Fuselage length in 1:32 is 1190mm - not small!

 

No to anything commercial - this is a 3D model that someone else has drawn and I've purchased for personal use only.

 

If it were mine to sell - I'd probably say no anyway - the fuselage is going to take around 100 hrs to print a single one - and that's at lower resolution. I don't think what sanity I have left would survive!

 

This is purely for testing purposes fun.

 

Oh - and it really wouldn't work in resin - and would cost a fortune! The thing about the FDM 3D Prints is they are very light and strong - there's a viod between inner and outer shells that is filled with a honeycomb structure.

 

It's absolutely ideal for something like this!  :)

 

Iain

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I thought you had been quiet for a while Iain.  We should have been afraid....very afraid!

 

LOL, that's brilliant mate and love your tenacity.  Sorry, it seems I was a small part of being your catalyst with that Andover!  hey, now you can do a 1/32 Bristol Freighter!!

 

Cheers Anthony

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I mentioned earlier that I had another component that had printed and was cooling off on the printer - well, here it is - the largest part so far at 191mm in height:

 

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If this goes anywhere, it'll be a P-8 (very little interior to be seen/made!) - but I will have to fill the windows with styrene.

 

There may be a way of editing the .stl files in one of the CAD programs - investigating that at the moment.

 

Iain

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