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The world’s fastest 3D printed R/C Car

Posted in 3D printer

James Beswick always had a bit of a thing for radio-controlled cars – especially high-speed drag racing. He’s been building them for a few years now, but decided to take things to the next level. To do that he realised he was going to have to think outside the pre-built box and build his own!

rc car on road

After reading about 3D printing and giving it a try for himself it changed his whole world. The entire process of building and designing his own RC-car became so much faster and easier. According to James,“It sped up the building process significantly and opened so many more exciting possibilities. I think I can honestly say I’d be lost without my Ultimaker in my life.”

rc car

With bold new ideas to try James wanted a machine he could use to create both the 4-foot-long body-shell and the high precision internal parts required. The Ultimaker 2 Extended got his attention thanks to its taller build volume, which was exactly what he needed. To beat the competition James would need to come up with a unique body design that was strong and had minimal air resistance. The build volume of the Extended allowed for larger, more streamlined parts to be built.

The current R/C world record has very recently been set at 202 miles per hour and I won’t be stopping with the development of my project until I can go faster.

The open filament system was another big plus, as it allowed him to experiment with various materials to uncover the best characteristics for different parts. After a short spell of testing James settled on a flexible filament for shock absorption, but a PLA/PHA filament – PLA made less brittle by being blended with a more flexible PHA polymer – for the body due to its strength and lack of warping.
rc car protoype
Well, then I guess we’ll see him in the Guinness Book Of Records next – good luck!
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