Polish Maker Flies His 3D Printed Airbike—A Actual-Life Speeder – 3DPrint.com

May 8, 2025

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Polish inventor Tomasz Patan has created an Airbike. Paying homage to the Star Wars Speeder bikes, the automobile makes use of 3D printing to fly one individual round. It seems fairly terrifying, frankly, however the Volonaut Airbike might but show to be an invention that might see wider adoption.

Exploring fast composite prototyping with 3D printing and resin infusion. Picture courtesy of Volonaut through Instagram.

To make the Airbike, Tomasz used desktop 3D printed elements. Utilizing a Prusa clone, he’s printed quick carbon fiber-reinforced elements. He then drenched these elements with resin in a vacuum bag. This sort of DIY CFRP course of has been utilized in mannequin plane and drone communities earlier than. I’ve all the time been curious concerning the properties you may get from utilizing CF filament and resin infusion. We all know now that quite a lot of the CF filaments are actually not very robust, however maybe with resin infusion, folks could make airworthy elements at house now? I’m unsure, however it positively is an attention-grabbing course of. For drones and RC plane, this could possibly be a a lot larger course of and provides lots of people a manufacturing course of with fairly a fundamental setup.

Tomasz Patan explores fast composites prototyping with 3D printing. Picture courtesy of Volonaut through Instagram.

I’d be curious to see if this sort of an method catches on with the drone crowd. It may result in stronger elements that could possibly be made in a short time in austere environments. If this had been capable of bridge a efficiency hole, it could imply that as an alternative of utilizing a high-temperature 3D printer, which will be costly, and expensive supplies reminiscent of Ultem, you might use a far less expensive PA CF after which infuse it to get a weaker however cheaper half. I can’t ensure right here, however I’m guessing that Tomasz can also be combining the elements with hand layup at house, together with sheet supplies. Doing this sort of factor could be very difficult, and quite a lot of the resins and fibers are very nasty supplies. In case you do wish to try this, please learn by the related security guides. I do know individuals who have had some nasty lingering well being results from working with these fibers and resins. Protecting tools and good air flow are a should for doing one thing like this at house. With that proviso, although, combining desktop 3D printers with resin infusion and a few type of fiber matting looks like it ought to get wider consideration.

Tomasz stated the bike has a jet engine and may attain 200 KPH. With none sort of raise from a wing, this factor will fall like a stone if the engine cuts out. Plane will be dropped at a protected touchdown, not all the time, however generally, if the engines minimize out. Even helicopters, at the moment among the many most harmful flying issues, profit from an auto-rotation impact whereby if the engine cuts out, the propeller may rotate sufficient to provide the craft some laborious however survivable touchdown. Right here, this gained’t be the case. The craft additionally doesn’t have a tail growth and seems to be single-engined.

Tomasz shares the journey along with his accomplice Anna, saying, “Feels unbelievable to have a supportive and caring life accomplice sharing one other extraordinary journey. Thanks, Anna, for believing all is feasible and serving to make desires come true.”

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As you possibly can see above, Tomasz has examined the bike on a tether beforehand, however now we will see how he zooms round in it. On Could 4th, identified globally as Star Wars Day, Tomasz rode the Airbike in full stormtrooper gear by a forest, channeling the Endor speeder bike chase. What he appears to have performed is to make use of a Honda CB 750 gasoline tank together with an engine. I’m pondering that the bike engine wouldn’t work and that perhaps he’s utilizing one thing like a Honda i-CTDi turbocharger together with the gasoline tank from the bike.

There’s additionally a man on YouTube who has a collection of movies, now over a decade outdated, displaying you how you can make jet engines from scratch. Another choice can be to purchase a gasoline turbine from an organization such as AMT. These micro turbine items had been initially meant for RC plane however are actually discovering wider utilization. A distinct alternative can be to make use of a Williams F107 or comparable engine. These engines are used for cruise missiles, so not simple to acquire. There additionally appear to be jet engines for sale on Alibaba. Most of those, in addition to lots of the micro turbine ones, appear to be underpowered. An alternate can be a Kh 55 TVD-50 engine, which was made for Russian cruise missiles and has been cloned in China and past.

I don’t actually perceive how the Volonaut will be saved in steadiness or the way it can preserve flying. It has to have some sort of gyroscope or one thing? There solely appears to be a small growth protruding on the entrance for stability. Or is he protecting it in good steadiness along with his physique, and is that this primarily a jet-powered sky unicycle? I believe we will conclude that Tomasz is a really courageous and inventive individual. Ever since Materialise founder Fried Vancraen advised us concerning the potential of private aviation and 3D printing, we’ve been watching this house like a hawk. The mix of low quantity manufacturing, comparatively small elements, low weight, low half depend, and optimized elements signifies that 3D printing, private aviation, and the broader rising aviation class are a match made in heaven. Will one thing just like the air bike come to fruition and turn into a well-liked product? Most likely not any time quickly. However, for sure folks, private aviation could also be a actuality sooner or later, and whether it is, will probably be a 3D printed actuality.