On the market, there are many types of LW-PLA available. The key difference among them is whether they are in the prefoamed or active foaming technology. Both types of filaments are well-suited for printing airplanes; however, recommended print settings will differ between them. Prefoamed filaments are typically more expensive, but they offer the potential for higher print quality and a lower risk of artifacts that may occasionally occur during active foaming printing.
How are Flightory aircrafts designed?
Flightory airplanes are designed primarily for printing with LW-PLA, with additional components printed from rigid materials such as PET-G, PLA, or ABS. Each airplane has its own instructions, specifying settings for infill and wall line count for each individual part. The general rule is to print fuselages with a gyroid infill of 3%, while wings should be printed with a cubic subdivision infill of 3%. If there are any exceptions, they are noted in the instructions for a specific aircraft. Of course, infill settings and wall thickness can be configured and changed; however, the selected settings represent an optimal compromise between the durability and strength of the airframe and its weight. The airplanes are designed to be printable on standard, inexpensive printers with a small working area. Most elements fit within a 220x220x250mm working area. Prototypes are tested on Tarantula Pro printers with a standard 0.4mm nozzle. Many users, however, choose to make modifications and experiment with other materials, such as printing whole airframes with ABS, PLA, or other harder materials. While this is possible, it should be noted that it may result in increased weight and require different settings optimized for the specific material being used.
Optimal print settings
The recommended slicer for Flightory models is Ultimaker Cura, as it offers extensive configuration possibilities and produces great printing results. Below are detailed settings for Active Foaming and Prefoamed LW-PLA. Many settings overlap, but there are specific differences in temperature, retract, and flow. If you want to use other slicers, you can experiment based on these settings. Below are the detailed print settings for Cura Slicer.
Filament used for printing Flightory prototypes
Below are the detailed print settings in the Cura slicer for active foaming and prefoamed LW-PLA. It’s important to note that the filaments used for these settings are eSUN ePLA-LW (active foaming) and Polymaker Polylite LW-PLA (prefoamed). Other manufacturers’ filaments can also be used successfully, but there may be some differences between them that might require tuning the settings, such as slight adjustments in temperature, flow, retraction, etc. Feel free to experiment and share your experiences with the community.
