Designer 3D Prints Working Scale Model of Boeing 787 Jet Engine at Desktop, Includes 60 Blades

The DIY crowd can be a persistent and highly talented group that brings a lot to the table of innovation–which always has room for more guests. Standing behind some incredibly impressive projects, DIYers are responsible for a large portion of the tight-knit 3D printing community, and some might be very surprised at what they can produce from the desktop. At home. That’s right–your neighbor could also very well be building aerospace components directly next door for all you know.

One extremely productive 3D printing enthusiast who goes by the username Harcoreta has produced a complete–and functional–scale model of a Boeing 787’s GE-built turbofan jet engine that can knock your socks off right from the living room. Not just a model or a replica, Harcoreta’s work features 60 fully 3D printed blades and interior vanes, all made from a desktop 3D printer. Normally relegated to the responsibility of an industrial machine, this 3D printed jet engine is a testament to what one can do if willing to spend meticulous time and effort on a creative project.

A member of the RC Groups forum, Harcoreta is not new to designing building intense 3D printed models. This jet engine is something he considers to be an improvement on a 3D printed EDF prototype he built (which looks pretty impressive in itself–check it out here) and then shelved last year. While it does sound as if he thinks building the entire plane would be too much to take on at home (whew!), Harcoreta plans to test this on a hobby bixler plane. The design, which admittedly took a long time to bring to physical fruition, also contains a reverse thruster that has enough power for stopping the RC plane he has designed it to work with, and will be testing the engine with soon.

Specs for the design are as follows:

• 18 blades for the main fan at 100mm diameter
• 24 outlet guide vanes
• 18 blades for the internal turbine at 34mm diameter
• Thrust reverser, complete system with translating cowl, blocker doors and cascades
• NTM 1400kv 35mm motor
• Thrust target > 0.5Kg with 3S or 4S maximum
• Simplified engine pylon
• Minor reduction on the exhaust area, about 95% fsa

We’ve written a number of articles regarding impressive components being made from the home workshop, from 3D printed car engines to 3D printed solar AUVs and much, much, more, but this 3D printed jet engine was a massive endeavor on Harcoreta’s part and we look forward to an update on how testing goes with the bixler plane.

You can read Harcoreta’s project description at the RC Groups forum, and be sure to check out the video below of the engine tests. Have you 3D printed any auto or jet components? Discuss your thoughts on this complex 3D printed project in 3D Printed Boeing 787 GE-Built Turbofan Jet Engine forum thread over at 3DPB.com.