Arrive in 3D printed aircraft

Measuring less than 4 meters to only 21 kg in weight, Thor is the first plane of the printed entirely in 3D history. Developed by Airbus and presented a few weeks ago at the Berlin Fair Aviation, is not the toy that at first sight it might seem, but a real milestone in aeronautical design.

FROM COMPUTER TO TRACK. The name, Thor, stands for Test of High-tech Objectives in Reality. "It is a field test of the possibilities offered by the three-dimensional printing," explains

Detlev Konigorski, project manager. "Our goal is to speed up the development process of new equipment made with this technology the entire aircraft, not just a few components." And the only parts of Thor 3D effects are not printed electrical circuits.

The model is driven by a pair of propellers: flies perfectly and is very stable, and forms very similar to a drone.

LIGHT AND ECONOMIC. The use of 3D printing technology is not entirely new in aviation: Boeing and Airbus to take some time to implement some components of their gigantic Dreamliner B787 and A350.

This process allows to have parts in synthetic material or metal very quickly, without the need for molds and with a very low waste of raw materials. This means lower costs and the ability to print the necessary pieces, for example for maintenance, in short times and potentially in every part of the world, without having to depend on the availability of large industrial plants.

With this technology it is potentially possible to achieve virtually everything from external coatings on engine components. Airbus is already working on an engine is currently built with 270 pieces, which once printed in 3D could become only the third.

The new aircraft will then be cheaper to build but also lighter and therefore less fuel-thirsty, to the benefit of the environment and the general costs. Over the next 20 years it is in fact expected a doubling of air traffic and the impact on the atmosphere could not be indifferent.

HOW YOU DIE THE ROCKET. 3D printing fascinates everyone, even the aerospace industry. An example is the upcoming Ariane 6 (Esa), which should take off in 2020, which will be assembled using several components made with this technology.