Howdy, wonderful people!

Here we have a little helicopter that's something of a balancing act to print!

Okay, so while this little thing is named Torture Copter it wasn't at all intended to be a torture test.  However, it isn't a print to take too lightly, and can fail fairly easily if things aren't really dialled in, so prepare for some heavy sighs when things fall over (especially if you're printing the multimaterial version!)

You see, this model prints upside-down, with only two contact points for the main body.  The blades have a nice, big surface area, but they aren't connected to the main body and won't help it stay up if things come loose!

Apart from the whole not-falling-over thing, the other part of this print that might pose a challenge is keeping the landing gear neat.  At that point in the print it's vulnerable to every little wobble, but it shouldn't cause any grief beyond a little messiness - see the further thoughts discussion below for a reflection on an earlier version that was a bit more problematic...

Print Description

This is a moderately tricky print!  Mostly because it relies so much on first layer adhesion and performs something of a balancing act.  So, make doubly sure of your first layer quality and bed adhesion, and don't be afraid to use a brim if necessary.

This is an articulated print, so be careful that your first layer is nice and neat, and that there aren't any print issues like stringing or overextrusion that might bind moving parts together.

Print Dimensions

The Torture Copter occupies 90mm x 114mm on the print bed and is 70mm tall.

Multimaterial Version

Files are provided for printing this using multimaterial systems like Prusa MMU, Bambu AMS and Mosaic Palette.  I'm going to assume that if you have one of these then you already know what to do with these files!

Please note that the multimaterial files are not intended for separate printing and later assembly!

Supports Needed?

Not at all!  Designed for straightforward printing!  Well, straightforward but delicate and careful printing :P

Scalability

You could certainly try scaling this one, but the obvious consequences will be tightening and loosening of the the blades.

Print Orientation

The Torture Copter prints upside down!  It balances on the tail and the centre of the blades, which is a little precarious.  That said, I've aimed to keep it as stable as it can be, but it's still a fairly vulnerable print!  Good luck! :D

File Location

You'll find this one at at 571 Torture Copter

Link to dropbox post: https://www.patreon.com/posts/31697592

Further Thoughts

This one had endless failed prints along the way, and it was fascinating to diagnose the little things that made the print vulnerable (well, more vulnerable) to failure.  

My favourite was the version of the landing gear that had some small bridged sections.  Those printed just fine, mostly, but the problem was that if that bit did go wrong, and something caught the nozzle, the result was catastrophic!  The nozzle would push the model sideways, snap it off at the blades, and start generating spaghetti.  Hopefully that won't happen to you! :D 

Happy printing!

xoxo Sven.