Airbus 3D Printed Plane

I saw this article on CNET – interesting and amusing at the same time, about a concept for 3D printing an airplane. I was particularly amused by the Star Trek material.

Along with regulations, finding the right materials is proving a challenge. The concept plane that Airbus has designed for the printing method contains materials that are currently not commercially available → including transparent aluminumum > for the fuselage, specific biopolymers and other materials which have to be strengthened through carbon nanotubes to become fully functional.

Always think big!

Nerd Alert:

The future aint what it used to be

Whoa, that aluminum material is crazy! What 3D printer are they using though to do these airplane parts? Chances are it isn’t actually a ‘printer’ but an SLA/SLS machine.

Kind of reminds me of something that was in the news a few months ago:

When I watched the video I swear that thing looked like a great big SLA

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:U.S._RQ-170_on_display_in_Iran_3.jpg

they might have just built it in parts & glued it together

… the printing method contains materials that are currently not commercially available --including transparent aluminumum …

Scottie must have warped back and dropped off a load.

see> Transparent Aluminum: A Real See-Through Metal | Designs & Ideas on Dornob