This is such a perfect example of why right-to-repair matters: sometimes a “$1,590 part” is really just access. Also, that print looks solid — I’d still check material/heat/vibration limits on a rotor part, but the ingenuity is 💯

See, what no one in here realizes is that the plan was to use this as a master to cast an aluminum one. Aluminium is a metal, and metal is strong. I'm sure everything will be fine. Bonus--aluminum doesn't rust, so it should last forever. OOP wonders why they weren't made of aluminum in the first place, and figures it's "planned obsolescence."

He's just waiting for his casting kit to be delivered. He expects to be flying again later that day.

I nominate it for the Darwin awards...

Not needing food or shelter anymore because you're dead is also great for your budget.

This is called the Jesus nut. It holds the main rotor onto the helicopter. It doesn’t have any redundancy, so if it fails, you’re going to be meeting Jesus in moments.

To be fair, if you don't have the files. This is an easy way to make a prototype and fit it, and then if it fits you can order it in metal. This is a cheaper proces in iternating in metal from the start

I printed an ABS powerwheels gear out for a friend to test the fit. 100% infill, tt was chonky, was going to get it redone in nylon.

it fit and was ripped to shreds in 30 seconds :)

Someone who owns a helicopter but is bitching about spending $1500???

And now you've just given Boeing executives some great ideas how to further reduce costs! I don't thank you!!

Big Helicopter hates this one weird trick:

3d print part, with added shrinkage factor Finish 3d printed part. Cast the print in cement. Burn the plastic out the new mold. Fill mold with the alloy of your choice. Pre-finish, finish metal part. Congrats, many 1000s spent on furnace materials for a 1.5k part but a new understanding for lost wax casting.

3d printing is the king of prototyping. Just print the part with sprues and all. Do a one off, write SOPs, prepare for full production. Profit.

Wasn’t there a news story recently where someone had actually done this and (obviously) died?

One time, this was back in my skydiving days so a very long time ago, the drop zone's CASA 212 was down due to a bad hydraulic pump. The pump finally arrived and the DZO asked me to help him install it. He was a certified A&P, I just had a lot of experience wrenching on cars but it allowed me to get a lot of free jumps due to helping him out on things like this.

He handed me the pump, which was a LOT lighter than I expected and told me with a smile: "Don't drop it."

In inquired as to how much it cost and he replied: "$10,000."

I was holding a pump in my hands that weighed barely 10 pounds that cost more than my car (this was circa 1998 or so).

A couple years later the igniter box on the port engine died and I helped him replace it... That was a cool $15000. The engines were about $250,000 a piece back in those days.

Is that why those two helicopters crashed into each other in New Jersey?

You are ready to own an airplane if you can wake up in the morning, burn a $100 bill and flush it down the toilet without feeling anything.

You are ready to own a helicopter when you can do the same thing, except with ten $100 bills.

RIP

With all the bad shit happening due to corrupt government agencies, it’s refreshing to read comments in this post about how the FAA is still anal as fuck like they should be, though flying on a Boeing still makes me nervous.

Of course it's a joke, but I am genuinely curious about why the 3d printed part looks so shitty.

Ok, i'll bite: 3D print... in what material?

Please tell me they're not done, and they're going to make a ceramic moulding of it, to pour a very strong alloy into... And have the competence in chemistry, metallurgy, metalwork and engineering to know they have the precision and strength to make it work.