3d printed rotors

[Joram Nevversan]

Looking online for things to print for the Typhoon H, came upon rotors for it and wanted honest opinions about them. Has anybody used them and if so, do you like them? Anybody else who has seen them and said, nope not for me, why did you choose not to try them? I don't want to spend the money on them if other users have had issues with them or if they failed mid flight and caused a crash. The file is only $12 US for the A props and $12 US for the B props and if you have a printer, you can make as many as you like. Thanks in advance.

 

[Joram Nevversan]

I forgot to put the link for the rotors I was talking about.

Black A propellers drone yuneec typhoon H

For all Typhoon H UAV pilots, propeller breakage can become expensive, especially since Typhoon H propellers are fragile. Here is an exclusive file to print your black (A) propellers yourself. And it flies like the originals? Tested over several hours of flight!

cults3d.com

 

[Stephen1988]

I forgot to put the link for the rotors I was talking about.

Black A propellers drone yuneec typhoon H

For all Typhoon H UAV pilots, propeller breakage can become expensive, especially since Typhoon H propellers are fragile. Here is an exclusive file to print your black (A) propellers yourself. And it flies like the originals? Tested over several hours of flight!

cults3d.com

Would the material cost alone not be as expensive as buying a set. I assume u would need to know ur polymers before printing these and choosing the correct material for the print would be a big part of it. The originals most certainly were injection moulded parts for mass production and precision. I’m amazing how well balanced they are from factory. I’d definitely put the 3d printed ones on a prop balancer before flight. It’s definitely an interesting idea

 

[Joram Nevversan]

Would the material cost alone not be as expensive as buying a set. I assume u would need to know ur polymers before printing these and choosing the correct material for the print would be a big part of it. The originals most certainly were injection moulded parts for mass production and precision. I’m amazing how well balanced they are from factory. I’d definitely put the 3d printed ones on a prop balancer before flight. It’s definitely an interesting idea

The material cost looks to be very minimal. Without buying the files and slicing them to see the material amount used, I couldn't tell how much the cost in material would be. I can say it is fairly inexpensive for there material since the material is about $20 per kilogram of filament. I would go out on a limb to say you could probably get 2-3 sets of both the A and B props per spool, so about 12-18 props, at least. With that being said, the cost of 1 full set of props is $12-$35 depending on where you get them. So, 2-3 sets for $20 looks good on paper. However, if they cause a failure in flight and crash, it is not such a good deal.

 

[Stephen1988]

The material cost looks to be very minimal. Without buying the files and slicing them to see the material amount used, I couldn't tell how much the cost in material would be. I can say it is fairly inexpensive for there material since the material is about $20 per kilogram of filament. I would go out on a limb to say you could probably get 2-3 sets of both the A and B props per spool, so about 12-18 props, at least. With that being said, the cost of 1 full set of props is $12-$35 depending on where you get them. So, 2-3 sets for $20 looks good on paper. However, if they cause a failure in flight and crash, it is not such a good deal.

Can the files not be got free, I definitely seen these props on a different site not more than a week or 2 ago. I must see can I relocate them. I’d be less worried about the hex that a section of prop flying off and hitting me in the face but I’m not very familiar with 3d printing, I do a lot of injection moulding as part of work on a large scale but that process is extremely expensive to produce the moulds . 3d printing seems such a fantastic idea for small print quantities or mocking up a new design yourself. What’s ur opinion on the props @mike9irish , u might have some valuable input

 

[Stephen1988]

Can the files not be got free, I definitely seen these props on a different site not more than a week or 2 ago. I must see can I relocate them. I’d be less worried about the hex that a section of prop flying off and hitting me in the face but I’m not very familiar with 3d printing, I do a lot of injection moulding as part of work on a large scale but that process is extremely expensive to produce the moulds . 3d printing seems such a fantastic idea for small print quantities or mocking up a new design yourself. What’s ur opinion on the props @mike9irish , u might have some valuable input

It was in-fact this same website I seen the props

 

[h-elsner]

I wouldn't use 3D printed props due to security reason. I also do not use 3rd party props especially the red ones which become porous under UV light when exposed to sunlight. I have had a set of them in the past for Blade 350QX and they were crap.

However, the 3D printer filaments today are fantastic. Maybe it's now the time to try it for props. But in this case it is important to have and use a prop balancer. Without proper balanced props it is dangerous to fly.

I have a DU-BRO prop balancer in use. Stock Yuneec props are all looking good, 3rd party: nearly all needs balancing.

 

[MobileTechSpecialists]

I wouldn't use 3D printed props due to security reason. I also do not use 3rd party props especially the red ones which become porous under UV light when exposed to sunlight. I have had a set of them in the past for Blade 350QX and they were crap.

However, the 3D printer filaments today are fantastic. Maybe it's now the time to try it for props. But in this case it is important to have and use a prop balancer. Without proper balanced props it is dangerous to fly.

I have a DU-BRO prop balancer in use. Stock Yuneec props are all looking good, 3rd party: nearly all needs balancing.

Also, they have the potential to spin super fast and become plastic shrapnel, don’t ask me how I know.
I was using PLA+ with 100% infill, it’s not worth the risk in my opinion. They kinda blow up under high RPM

 

[Sota701]

Also, they have the potential to spin super fast and become plastic shrapnel, don’t ask me how I know.
I was using PLA+ with 100% infill, it’s not worth the risk in my opinion. They kinda blow up under high RPM

 

[DoomMeister]

My son is quite knowledgeable about 3D printing so asked him about his thoughts. My concerns about the inefficient airflow of a normal 3D process were confirmed by him. I will post his thoughts verbatim.

3D printing propellers is not unheard of.

When MIT first announced their toroidal propeller in 2022 ( Toroidal Propeller | MIT Lincoln Laboratory ) many people were 3D printing those because no one manufactured them - in fact I still don’t think anyone does because of the patent.

FDM can work, but not well - there is too much loss from the drag cause by the rough finish. Though, post- processing can help a lot.

Polished injection mold are the best, but if I were to try and print something like this, I’d use my resin printer with an abs-like resin, specifically Siraya Tech Blu - Tough Resin This is the best in terms of consumer grade engineering resin. There are other more exotic ones that will perform better, but they get expensive: Rigid 10K Resin

Props are most efficient when they are very stiff and rigid. That’s why carbon fiber props work so well. But there is a tradeoff, too rigid means brittle in a collision.

In any case, post processing the resin print for to maximize the material qualities is important if you want the best performance. This means additional UV curing in an oxygen-free environment at about 60c. This can be done by submerging the part in glycerin in a scientific oven.

One more thing to add about FDM, post processing can help smooth out the finish on decorative items, but it is not a simple task with the engineering plastics suitable for props.

Sanding can work with some materials (like wood-filled PLA, but that is too dense for a prop), but for others it takes skill given the heat from friction can warp parts and/or gum up the sandpaper. Some materials like nylon and TPU are just too tough to sand much.

Chemical vapor smoothing works well to create glossy finishes, but with only certain plastics like PLA or ABS and can lose a lot of tolerance in the process, especially with the sharp edges of an airfoil. If you really know what you are doing hand have the right PPE, stronger solvents like MEK can be used on stronger plastics - but you’ll probably melt your part in the process.

Neither PLA, PETG, or ABS I would consider rigid enough for a prop. PLA will melt in the sun, and carbon fiber filled ABS to increase rigidity won’t smooth very well.

If I had to use FDM, I’d start with a carbon fiber filled polycarbonate, and try to very carefully sand it. A P100 respirator and/or wet sanding is a must, because those carbon fiber shards in the air are dangerous.

 

[J.Schmidt]

I wouldn't feel comfortable using 3D-printed props.

However, I have considered using a printed adapter and carbon propellers or something once.
But I have never thought further about it, let alone tried it out.

The safest option is probably to fly with original props.

 

[DoomMeister]

At this point in time I agree that non-OEM props would be an unnecessary risk.

Unfortunately finding OEM parts and consumables is getting more difficult as time goes on. At some point we may be left with no option. Left with the option of having a paperweight I would at least give 3D printing a try.

Following my son’s advice I would use a resin 3D printer so surfaces would be smooth. I would also check them for balance. There is a major amount of technology involved with 3D printing in all of its forms and selecting the best fit for the intended purpose is of utmost importance.

 

[J.Schmidt]

Props on amazon

About 20€ (might be about $25) for 3A+3B.

 

[DoomMeister]

Ask @h-elsner about the Taoke props as they are not Yuneec OEM. Note that they are available in black or red color. These are injection molded props, but at least the red ones are notorious for becoming shrapnel in flight.

Try a search for Yuneec OEM props and you will find they are now virtually impossible to find. Also note the props you posted a link for are for the H480 and not for the H Plus/H520/H3 which are slightly larger and may have a different pitch and chord. I know they are a bit quieter then the H480.

 

[Stephen1988]

Props on amazon

About 20€ (might be about $25) for 3A+3B.

I have 2 boxes of original ones, 10 in each box

 

[Stephen1988]

If anyone in Europe or uk is in need of a set of the original h480 props and is willing to cover just post cost I’ll happily post a box of 10 props , I can post to most countries in Europe for 10euro . The cost of post to America is probably more expensive than the value of the props unfortunately. So ur getting the props for just the cost of posting , first come first served.

 

[Stephen1988]

If anyone in Europe or uk is in need of a set of the original h480 props and is willing to cover just post cost I’ll happily post a box of 10 props , I can post to most countries in Europe for 10euro . The cost of post to America is probably more expensive than the value of the props unfortunately. So ur getting the props for just the cost of posting , first come first served.

1 set of 10 remaining