3DLabPrint DC3

[davidk]

This is my first, and last, 3DLabPrint plane.  I was blinded by the classic DC3 but the more I got into printing it and building it the more I realized that it's a badly designed, cheaply designed model.

If the motor alignments are anywhere close to good I'll be amazed - it's all just eyeballed - there are no alignment tools.
The recommended power system is 4S but the recommended motors are 3S.  I had the motors in stock so I didn't review them until I was ready to install them.  According the 3DLabPrint... it'll be ok... the manufacturers numbers are just a suggestion... I'm giddy with confidence.
The tail wheel is controlled by a servo and control rod.  A plastic spike goes from the tail wheel up into the rudder and a bolt goes through the rudder and through this spike.  When the wheel moves, the rudder moves.  I'll be they spent 10 minutes thinking that one up.

Whoever got the landing gear design job should get a bonus - it's brilliant.  I wish the rest of the plane was designed half as well.

The outer wings get a carbon spar - not glued, not screwed, running from one wing, through the fuselage, and out to the other wing.  The wings are then screwed on with 2mm self tapping screws.  These screws are going through 2 single wall layers of LW-PLA... the weakest walls in 3D printing. 

If this otherwise very pretty plane gets in the air and stays there I will be amazed.  A PlanePrint plane it is not.

What 3DLabPrint does well is make an excellent Polylight 1.0 Light Weight PLA... in many colours.  This blue is Sky Blue and it's striking.

Well, I've got to go take the centre wing off now... because there's no way to get the aileron wire through the centre wing to the fuselage once the centre wing is on.  Yay!  Not a word about this in any doc or video... their wings just magically appear installed.  Terrible docs, terrible videos.

[Michael]

I'll bet it'll fly well!

[sihinch]

You can do it, Davey!!!!

[msatin]

Very nice indeed!

[davidk]

The retracts are the gem of this build.  The white part is printed with a tougher PETG filament.  It slides over the Retract Pin... and... it's 2 arms extend down into the retract side screw area where the grub screws hold the retract pin in place.  3mm screws go through the arm and screw into the retract grub screw area.  This white part then pivots with the retract and actuates the landing gear.  I've never seen a retract system used like this before... brilliant.  Notice the landing gear is also spring loaded... with ballpoint pen springs.

https://youtube.com/shorts/rTD33b69jxg?feature=share

[Andy Hoffer]

Beautiful work David.  You're really tempting me to dive into 3D.

Now, how durable are the landing gear?

Andy