Pinshape Ambassador Brett Turnage Releases Two New 3D Printed RC Cars

One of our favorite design ambassadors to cover from 3D printing community and marketplace Pinshape is BTI3Dlabs founder Brett Turnage, who is also a huge racing fanatic. We have previously appreciated his various 3D printed RC motorcycle projects, like this 2016 Suzuki GSX-RR 1:8 Racing RC MotoGP and rider.

Pinshape just shared some exciting news with us – Turnage has recently released two new functional, 3D printed RC cars of the Mazda 787B and the McLaren Mp4/6.

“The Mazda 787B has always inspired me, and ever since I started building 3d printed RC cars, it has been the car that I have always dreamed of building,” Turnage told 3DPrint.com.

This car, which won the 24 Hours of Lemans active sports car race in 1991, has long been one of Turnage’s favorites. He was inspired to turn the sleek car into a functional 3D printable model by several of its attractive features, including the deep dish Volk rims, large rear wing, iconic Renown Livery, and generally low-slung appearance.

“Whenever I build a car, I have to be inspired by something,” Turnage said. “The Mazda 787B, winner of 1991 24 Hours of Lemans and Group C car, has always captured my eye.”

Turnage turned to Fusion 360 by Autodesk once again to design and test the 1:10 Mazda 787B scale model, which was 3D printed using 3D Solutech PLA. A two-piece assembly was used to make the car’s rims, and the front two have a white cover that be added as well. The chassis of the vehicle model features, as Pinshape explains, “a panhard style rear suspension with rear pod and a Tamiya F104 rear axle.”

All of the 3D printed parts were bolted together to make up the final assembly and multicolor paint scheme of the model RC car.

“I hope that this 3d RC car can inspire and encourage people to go out and push the limits,” Turnage said.

Turnage’s second new design is the McLaren Mp4/6, which is what legendary Formula One race car driver Ayrton Senna drove to the 1991 F1 Championship; two years ago, Turnage memorably created and 3D printed a replica of the 1993 McLaren MP4/8 in remembrance of Senna.

Pinshape explained that another F1 fan contacted Turnage personally to see if he would be able to recreate the ’91 Mp4/6 design, which he was more than happy to do.

“The Mclaren MP4/6, the car that Aryton Senna drove to the 1991 F1 championship was inspired by a F1 fan who contacted me,” Turnage said. “This fan wrote to me about how my previous Senna build, the MP4/8, moved him and reminded him of when he would watch F1 with his son, now years later he wanted to build the rc car so they could relive watching the old races. Moved by this letter, I decided to refresh the F1 lineup. I decided to design a car that memorialized Senna’s last championship, with the iconic MP4/6.”

Thanks to a Tamiya F104 rear axle, the 3D printed McLaren Mp4/6 model has a design that’s similar to the Mazda 787B. The RC car also has a smart modular design, front suspension, and a functional rear rain light, which flashes while the car is driving.

Both the 3D printed Mazda 787B and the McLaren Mp4/6 models have several interesting features, like functional air ducts and diffusers and pre-threaded bolt holes, for ease of assembly. Turnage also used some new design techniques, like lofting and curving, to make the cars more realistic.

Turnage included full manuals on Pinshape for each of his new RC model designs. Why not try to design and 3D print one of these new models for yourself?

Will you try to recreate one of these new 3D printed RC models? Let us know! Discuss this story, and other 3D printing and design topics, at 3DPrintBoard.com, or share your thoughts in the Facebook comments below.