Hi there! if you're old enough or you've gone thru my paper model section, probably you already know the CHICHARRA. Originally, it was a nice quick paper model project destined to create an easy to build small utility vehicle... just like a Kiowa or a Cayuse (little bird) helicopters from the Vietnam War era. The model was not very popular becouse the legs was pretty badly designed, and it was primarily designed to be an ornithopter, nice if you are a Dune fan, but a little weird for the Infinity universe. I was able to get some spare time, and after some unsuccessful attempts to create an Utility Hopper, finally I went back in time and decided to rework the old Chicharra design for the 3D printer. Attempts were failed becouse I didn't got the formula for a side loading VTOL without rotatory wing that is small enough to be easily printed and yet convincing. This is just a work in progress but really advanced, most parts are ready for a test print, engines and cockpit is finished, and the back hull is only waiting for the ramp and some other small details. Apart from that the legs and the extras are the other things left. Model is made to be printed without supports, that's a plus for me About the extras metioned, I've got plans for: Rocket pods (under wings) Heavy machine gun (ammo depot under wings, chaingun front of the wing) Autopilot pod (a big sensor rotatory head on top) Utility wing/antennae, to be glued wherever you want Alternate glass-less cockpit, with a sensor dome (similar to the chickenhawk or the samsara sensor dependant versions), the idea is to use this for a military version. That extras means a lot of stuff to make variants. So, that's all... while you wait, remember you can download and print the MONTARAZ :tonguewink:
This i pure awesome! I loved the Montaraz and I'm looking forward to print the Chicarra once I get the ol' Prusa up and running :)
Some advances, some little things to change... I've test printed the engine with two results... the engine outtakes are awesome!!! model has too much detail for the size but printing looks gorgeous. In the photos you cannot notices how small it is and how well it looks (photo zooming makes it look worse). But my printer didn't worked out the main part overhangs... as you can see in the photo, the back and sides looks amazing (look at the details of the airbrake and it is only half inch long) but the front is very irregular with all details swallowed up by the overhang problems. I'm going to rework the engines a bit to correct this, basically add about 10º inclination to the problematic face, and increasing the size of the outtakes about 120% to match the changes in the main part (and to allow some little details to appear). Printer settings this time is 0.1 layer with medium speeds, no raft no supports (I'm not a support fan if you can model the pieces to be printed without them). More advances next week.
Nice! The first shot of the main engine almost look like cast resin, those hinges on the airbrake came out great!
That is a pretty steep incline. I have two different printers and one has a horrible fan by default (Wanhou i3) and probably would look way worse then what you've got. Really need to replace that part with something better.
Wow thats great! Cant wait to print the Chicharra! Without knowing of your thread here, I have printed the Montaraz 2 weeks ago. I think I messed up the scaling though. Once I'm finished painting it, I'll send you a picture. Great work dude, thank you very much!
Some small but significative changes to the engines. Added some aditional details here and there, decreased the steep of the overhangs with a nes design, relocated the rotation bar (a little more centered on the piece) and upsized the outtakes about 20%. While I can test print the part... I'm going to work on the ramp and the legs to be able to fully print one. The legs has 4 junctions that will be printed along the hull, so to test print the hull I need to work on them first.
Mmmm... Are the legs going to be printed fused to the hull? Considering this is a sorta military design, it might be better to glue the legs, so we can place wheel-based landing gear, snow-based landing gear, or "spider"-based landing gear... Also, I don't know if it's already like that, but do the thrusters touch the ground while on "takeoff/vertical landing" mode without the landing gear deployed? While not critical, it's a touch that can "save a lot in repairs" if the landing gear won't deploy and the Chicharra has to body-land, since the hull would absorb the weight while the engines should be safe (which not only would avoid damage to the exhaust ports, it will also avoid the risk of fires and fuel leaks).
Legs are different parts, glued later to the hull... You can glue three of them, and then the last one to let it lay flat. The idea is to make them very similar to the ones in the Chicharra... with Ball-Omni-Wheels on the tips but being more sturdy than the paper ones (ouCH! paper ones where awful!). You need the hull to be high to allow the ramp to deploy properly, so different wheels or skids has to be tall too... the insect like legs are one of the reasons why it is called the Chicharra (Cicada in spanish). The engines are above the belly, so a crash landing will not harm them much, except the vertical thrusters near the nose.
There you go! I think the ramp didn't need any more work, and the leg "links" seem good to me, so, I can test-print the whole thing. I will be surprised if all goes well and I don't need to do additional changes.
Maybe size and purpose is not clear enough with the perspectives and the fake miniature... here it is a moc picture of a version with the ramp down (just a quick job hollowing the hull and adding a little detail to the rotated ramp). I'm really liking this bird... a pilot and four full equiped soldiers will have a really sardines in a can experience... but they can land any rooftop and wreak havoc among their enemies.
And... everything is printer ready. I've just adjusted some tolerances (the engine rotation axis holes, pieces base to allow better removal, etc) I hope I can start test printing late this evening. Mi printer is only 100x100x100mm, the hull back is the taller piece going for near 95mm, so everything should print fine with no supports. I'm going for 8 printing sessions, grouping only the legs in a single print, and doing the rest one by one. Will print medium speed and 0.1 layer height.
Basically a 160€ Fabrikator Mini Ver.II... It is an awesome machine for the price. I've had previously a non heated bed 200x200x200 volume machine and had a lot of troubles with big printings (the few I needed) as vibrations kept the success ratio really low. For miniature projects, this one is perfect, metal frame, no vibrations, easy to mantain, cheap to get... for me it's perfect, and heated bed works amazingly well with PLA (adhesion is perfect). It may not be fast at all and lacks of some features, but I love it! I think, if you're into the "hobby", now it is a must have, just like a hot glue gun or a dremmel. The cheaper models go as low as mine (probably one of the cheapest) but if printing time is not one of your concerns, and you don't need production quality printings, it will be good for any project from small vehicles to terrain detailings. *** Printing update *** I've started with the butt of the cicada for the prototype full test run. about two and a half hours in the printer and it is about 33% complete. It is resulting just AWESOME! the first details, the handle to unlock the ramp, leg junctions and so, are poping out amazingly detailed... This model is going to be great.
Nice. Heard those are good printers for the price. I have a non working heat bead on my Wanhao I3 but glue sticks solve all problems. I've had many successful prints that were full plate size that failed or warped too much without. Though now I've found out it's just the thermistor that's broken and not an issue with the board so I need to take it apart and see what I need to fix it. Agreed. I just leave my longer prints going over night or while I'm at work. As long as your printer has a mosfet for your heater you'll be fine (most outside the absolute cheapest have one).
So, after 4 hours and 15 minutes the first piece came out... It is just perfect. Piece got details really vibrant and sharp, and surfaces are pretty smooth. Nothing to correct in this one to be printed properly. I hope the rest of the pieces turns out as good as this one! Sorry for the poor quality of the photo. It's too soon in the morning.