Ekco Ercoupe (3D Printed)

[wonwinglo]

My good friend has a 3D printer and has very kindly made this for me,a 3D printed Ekco Ercoupe to 60 inches wingspan,the maiden flight will be this week.
The type of costruction could not be further away from the way I build old school keeping those skills alive but I have to say what amazing construction with tiny membranes keeping everything in place,the software cost me £40 but bear in mind you can build as many extra parts/models that you like,there is also a web site called Thingyverse which has things like complete radial engines to add to your models with free downloads.

Over the weeks I have gathered the inner fittings and parts for the model so they could be fitted in situ,the undercarriage has springing which utilises model car oleos,the undercarriage is a swinging arm,I think it looks very beautiful and look forward to flying it.




The first 3D model the PZL P.2C was not too successful,on its one and only flight it flew reasonably well but suffered from a weak undercarriage that just sheared away,the plastic is rather brittle for areas such as this and sadly the model was so badly damaged it had to be scrapped as repairs proved awkward.

[wonwinglo]

Three flights today,then a spectacular crash !

[Steven000]

Hi Barry, seemed to fly well but sad to see it crashing like that...
Did you get a glitch on the elevator-channel or was it some sort of control error?

cheers Steven

[colin m]

What a sad ending. Ok, silly question, but is a printed model solid ? I'm guessing individual components were printed then assembled?

[wonwinglo]

What a sad ending. Ok, silly question, but is a printed model solid ? I'm guessing individual components were printed then assembled?

What a sad ending. Ok, silly question, but is a printed model solid ? I'm guessing individual components were printed then assembled?

No Colin the innerds are very complex almost woven type structure,a honeycomb mass of membranes,I am not impressed with the material for flying models it has no give in it like foam or wood,it shatters like glass,literally the ground was blue tiny particles,itt urns out the battery was ejected at some stage as it slid rearwards altering the centre of gravity it all happened so quickly.
Yes parts are printed as small sections for example the wings are done in panels glued together at the edges,whoever designs these are very clever,perhaps in time they will improve.

[wonwinglo]

Hi Barry, seemed to fly well but sad to see it crashing like that...
Did you get a glitch on the elevator-channel or was it some sort of control error?

cheers Steven

No glitch just literally broke up as it bounced at the end of the take off run,the canopy flew off filling the fuselage with air and the battery detached ejecting itself some distance from the crash site,the canopy was held in place with a strong latch so the fuselage must have literally bent when it touched,a very bizarre crash Steven.

[wonwinglo]

Hi Barry, seemed to fly well but sad to see it crashing like that...
Did you get a glitch on the elevator-channel or was it some sort of control error?

cheers Steven

No glitch just literally broke up as it bounced at the end of the take off run,the canopy flew off filling the fuselage with air and the battery detached ejecting itself some distance from the crash site,the canopy was held in place with a strong latch so the fuselage must have literally bent when it touched,a very bizarre crash Steven.