Project Butterknife

An Open-Source Fully 3D-Printed Combat Glider

Combat gliders are typically 4-foot wingspan radio-controlled gliders built around EPP foam cores with carbon spars and a durable heat-shrink skin. Here are a couple of videos to give you the idea:

Building these planes requires more effort than most people are willing to spend. The goal for this project is a fully 3D printed version that should cut the build times to minutes and result in even more durable planes. Here is the glider that it is based upon. Because of the current high cost of printing large models, this is a long-term project. The printing costs should continue to drop rapidly and become affordable. Until then it is possible to design the smaller parts and to test them on conventional planes where they can begin to cut build times and improve performance.

The image above shows the first print of the "Component Assembly" which is at the heart of the design. It is a compact container for all of the electronics and ballast, and can be easily moved between planes. It is the most complicated part. You can print your own here.

Would you like to help with the design and testing? You can find the current models here. If you make improvements to contribute or any questions Send me email. Here are some more images of the component assembly.

Modelling by Pedro Araujo.

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