3D printed mini tricopter with recycled carbon arms

[DarkButterfly]

A work in progress, using mostly 3D printed parts and using the broken remains of my bixler 2 wing spar (from the first bixler 2 I crashed ::) )

Here it is from design to printed parts, size around 300mm, can use 5 and 6" props.




It started out in Autodesk fusion 360, all the parts were designed this way then sent to makerware.





All the parts in makerware, one at a time to keep things simple, but takes slightly longer, plus the plates had to be printed seperately and the top plate had to use a raft so the first layer didn';t get all messed up and stops it fitting nicely to the bottom half.




I printed the yaw mech first in black.




Then the bottom plate in purple.







Then the motors mounts X2




To complete the main frame, I cut the CF tube to length and fitted it to the bottom plate.



Its a work in progress, nowhere near finished yet, still needs the electronics ordering and then fitting, the top plate is printing as I type this post, battery plate/ camera plate needs printing and I need to sort the landing gear out.

[quadfather]

Nice job.  How long did it take to print all the bits?

Oh, and it will be available in a couple of weeks as a Hobbyking exclusive. 

[DarkButterfly]

Nice job.  How long did it take to print all the bits?

Oh, and it will be available in a couple of weeks as a Hobbyking exclusive. 

Cheers QF, for those bits around 10 hours to print, and a day to design.

[PaulJC]

Nice little project :)

[DarkButterfly]

Updates...








All done apart from the RX and FPV gear, also setting up the naze board.

[JT]

looking cool DB

[DarkButterfly]

Its ready to fly

[crawler]

Looking good DB

Might have a crack at this myself

Dave

[DarkButterfly]

Uploaded to thingverse

http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1098251

[Hozza]

Nice one! 

[Revs]

Why use 4 motors when you can use 3?

Nice little project bud. I look forward to seeing some flight footage.

[yorkiejeff]

its stunning, very tidy build. how will the flight controller cope with three motors?

[DarkButterfly]

its stunning, very tidy build. how will the flight controller cope with three motors?

Very well, its configured as a tri using RCExplorer custom firmware.

Had to put landing legs on it.

[nub]

that';s looking pretty good, your knees better now, any video of it flying?

[DarkButterfly]

that';s looking pretty good, your knees better now, any video of it flying?

Almost

That was a pic I took last year, unfortunately I haven';t got any good video of it flying yet.

[Jazzz]

Looks fantastic