Airbus introduced the first 3D printed airplane at the recent International Aerospace Exhibition in Germany, demonstrating what the company calls the future of aerospace manufacturing. The 13-foot-long unmanned airplane, somewhat resembling a full-scale Airbus jet but with propellers, is named Thor, short for "Test of Hi-tech Objectives in Reality," according to a report from phys.org. "This is a test of what's possible with 3D printing technology," Thor's developer, Detlev Konigorski, said during a speech at the Schoenefeld airport. "We want to see if we can speed up the development process by using 3D printing not just for individual parts but for an entire system."
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://www.avweb.com/recent-updates/business-military/airbus-introduces-3d-printed-unmanned-airplane