1-metre RC airliner

June 2024 – June 2025 · high school project

An airliner-style RC plane with a 1 m wingspan that I designed and built before starting university.

SolidWorks · FDM printing · soldering · brushless motor and ESC · servos

Soldering the RC airliner electronics next to the 3D printer — Soldering the electronics next to the 3D printer (still from the build video).

Building it

I modelled the airframe in SolidWorks and printed the fuselage in sections sized to the printer bed. Each part went through several versions: wall thickness against weight, how the sections joined, and where the servos, battery and wiring had to fit. I tuned infill and print orientation part by part to keep it stiff without adding weight.

Printed fuselage sections, wing and engine nacelles laid out before assembly — Fuselage sections, a wing and the engine nacelles before assembly.

I designed and soldered the electronics myself: brushless motor, ESC, servos, receiver and LiPo, with servo linkages for the control surfaces. I also calculated the thrust-to-weight ratio.

Build video

Looking back

Most of the work was the second and third print of each part: measure what didn't fit, change the model, print again. I use the same loop on cryostat parts in the lab now.