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3D-Printed RC Dive Bomber

A twin-engine RC plane with a 3 ft wingspan, hollow printed wings and two Nerf-dart bays.

  • 3D Printing
  • Electronics
  • Coding
  • Motors
PausedBUILD LOG #13

// What I'm building

⚠ LIPO BATTERY LiPo batteries can catch fire if they get damaged or charged the wrong way, so a grown-up handles the charging.

An RC twin-engine dive bomber with about a 3 ft wingspan and hollow 3D-printed wings, printed in PLA or PETG.

It has two 1806 brushless motors, two Heltec boards (one in the plane and one in my handheld controller), and an MPU6050 gyro to help keep it steady.

Under the body are two Nerf-dart bays with servo doors (for ground testing only), and a braking parachute helps it land.

  • ~3 ft wingspan, hollow printed wings
  • PLA or PETG
  • 2× 1806 brushless motors
  • 2 Heltec boards: plane + handheld controller
  • MPU6050 gyro
  • 2 Nerf-dart bays with servo doors (ground testing only)
  • Braking parachute
  • Budget: about $130
DIVE BOMBER · TOP VIEW ~3 ft WINGSPAN2× 1806 MOTORS 2 DART BAYS(ground test only) HOLLOW WINGSBRAKE CHUTE

// Build Log

  1. Try #1 — the first STL set

    WHAT I TRIED
    Got the first STL set: a 6-dart bay, a door and a clip.
    WHAT BROKE
    Not printed or tested yet.
    THE FIX
    Print and test the dart bay before anything else.

  2. Try #2 — fuselage size

    WHAT I TRIED
    Planned a skinny 50 mm fuselage.
    WHAT BROKE
    It's too skinny to fit everything inside.
    THE FIX
    Widen the fuselage.

  3. Try #3 — landing

    WHAT I TRIED
    Planned a LEGO catch to stop the plane when it lands.
    WHAT BROKE
    It would yank the plane too hard.
    THE FIX
    Dropped the LEGO catch and used a braking parachute instead.

  4. Try #4 — dart bay test

    WHAT I TRIED
    Getting ready to print the dart bay.
    WHAT BROKE
    Not started yet. I paused the project.
    THE FIX
    Print and test the dart bay when I pick it back up.
NEXT STEP

Paused for now; next is printing and testing the dart bay.