was waching videos in youtube and was thinking ..they got the ink to paint a cocpit and the ability to make one i guess..

..wondering if its a good idea



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZboxMsSz5Aw

I have seen some video of the 3D printing it looks like they could do alot with it. Pretty cool

You think cockpit kits are expensive now??? Try printing out one and then asking for the price............ whoa doggy!

You might have a point here..delete thread

I think it is a great idea and the cockpits would look FANTASTIC, but the economics of it would be tough. Now what I would do is have a prototype made for silicone molds, then I would use the molds to resin cast parts, now that would be worth while.

Actually, i am planning on having the instrument panels and side consoles for my F-14 kit 3D printed. Depending on how they charge you (most charge by volume of material + machine time) if your parts are able to be hollowed out, the pricing is very reasonable. Now, if you have large parts for example a 1/7 Aim-54 phoenix (about 24" long) the pricing is around $1,000 for ONE missile.
I am expecting the 3D printed parts for my F-14 cockpit to be under $500. The down-side, is many of the printers are limited to about 2.5mm resolution (.098") so anything smaller than this can not be printed. And at 1/7th and smaller scales, many of the switch details and all will either have to be omitted or done from scratch anyways.

The problem is weight. The material used is pretty heavy.

If you are able to hollow the part so the material used is only the stuff necessary for the visible portions, the parts aren't all that heavy. It would also be use-ful for one-off parts to be used to make silicon molds for resin cast parts.

how about the final sufrace..is it smooth or full with holes?

I have a little experience in working with a 3d printer. The one our school has is an older model and prints with flour. The parts do come out looking pretty neat but because they are flour, they can only be used as proto type models. I did however go down to an ATMAE competiton with my school and saw one of the latest model printers that uses plastic to make the models. Its amazing to see the things it makes like adjustable wrenches and things with moving parts and other intricate designs. And to top it all off, the tools you make with it can actually be used to complete the task you want to do.


David

It depends on the materials. some of them can print to a very smooth finish (but it costs more) Most of the ones i have seen all have an amount of texture than can easily be polished out, but none of the newer ones gives porous surface unless you draw it that way as far as i am aware.