Aurora Flight Sciences, an aerospace company, teamed up with 3D printing company Stratasys to create the first 3D-printed, jet-powered aircraft for the Dubai Airshow.
The drone is believed to be the fastest unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) ever assembled, reaching a top speed of 150 miles per hour.
Dan Campbell, an aerospace research engineer at Aurora Flight Sciences, said in a video that the goal of the project was to show aerospace companies how 3D printing can speed up the process of building a UAV.
The team's feat shows the immense potential for drone production in the future. 3D printing the drone sped up production, lowered costs associated with production, and allowed the team to experiment with complex designs that could allow drones to accomplish more than they can currently.
Here's how 3D printing aided in the drone's creation:
About 80% of the aircraft was assembled using 3D printing. 3D printing the drone helped researchers reduce the weight of its components, which means it needs less fuel than other drones that are about the same size.
The 30 pound drone has a nine-foot wingspan and can reach up to 150 miles per hour. It's one of the fastest, if not the fastest, drones in the world — with other drones reaching top speeds of 100 miles per hour.
3D printing also significantly helped reduce production costs, which enables developers to create mission-specific air crafts.
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