British Navy tested 3D printed drone to be launched from ships
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The Royal British Navy tested a 3D printed drone named Sulsa which was designed by Southampton Universtiy on its Ship HMS Mersey. The drone flew autonomously for five minutes after being launched from a three meter catapult and was then piloted into landing, reported the MIT Technologyreview website.
The drone, which was developed by aeronautical engineers from the Southhampton University, is propeller-driven and has a wingpan of 1.5 meters. It is clipped together from four parts made by a printer that fuses together nylon powder with a laser.
The cheap drone had been printed on shore and then assembled on the ship. The test was meant to demonstrate how more-or-less disposable drones that could, in a pinch, be printed onboard might cut costs and let a crew adapt quickly to a new mission, for example after a natural disaster. This drone could, then, be used as an alternative to the already existing ship-launched drones which are usually much larger and very expensive.
Even the craft’s hinged control surfaces like rudders and ailerons are made in the printer. A battery, control electronics, propeller, and motor are needed to complete the drone, and sensors like cameras and radar can also be added. The finished drone can fly at up to 100 miles per hour.
