C-17 GlobeMaster
This is a 3D printed C-17 Globemaster Aircraft I designed this plane to be so EASY to print, assemble and fly on only two 50mm EDFs. This is plane is printed in vase mode, that makes it so easy to print and also results in effortless, excellent print quality. Minimum Build Volume required is 210x210x210. RTF weight: 1260 grams LWPLA Wingspan: 1.3 m Length: 1.2m Print time: 55hrs I have a full step by step assemble video on my YouTube channel. Watch below. Keep scrolling to see more features of the C-17 Globemaster.
$55.00 USD
Wingspan: 1.3m
Length: 1.2m
RTF weight: 1260g Print time: 60hrs
2x 50mm EDFs
2x 40amp ESC
4x 9g Servos
5 Channels or more
Specifications:
2x 50mm EDF
Build Video
This is my build tutorial for the C-17 Globemaster. I have always loved this airplane, it is one of my favorite planes to spot out at airports. They are usually in pairs, that's why I printed two. This is a plane designed to be printed out of LWPLA, it has recessed outlines for the windows and doors, which can be easily painted with any acrylic paint. I also include the Las Vegas stencil in the STL that I used for my own plane. This plane can be flown on one or two 4S or 3S 2200mah batteries, depending on your flight style. The battery compartment is large enough to easily accommodate two batteries side by side.
Designed to be easy to assemble
I designed this plane to print in Vase Mode, where all of the pieces can be printed out using the same print setting. There are no infill or top/bottom layers needed. This is an easy plane to print. I added a slotted key in each fuselage piece which makes for an easy to align and assemble fuselage section. The servo locations are designed to fit any brand of 9g servo.
Anhedral Wing Design
Due to the plane's anhedral wing, it doesn't have the natural desire to roll back to wings level in a steep bank. For this reason this plane is recommended for an intermediate skill level, but as long as you account for that tendency it is an easy plane to fly. To make this plane more beginner friendly, you could use a roll gyro so that it assists with rolling back to wings level during banks.
Battery Hatch and ESC Cooling
I designed this battery hatch to be spacious, easy to access and to allow the option for one or two battery packs side by side. This will allow you to decide your flight style. One battery keeps the airplane super light, has a flight time around 5 minutes and lands slowly. Two batteries will result in a heavier plane but also means a longer run time and faster flying. Please note the battery placement for the correct CG of the plane. One battery is placed very far forward in the battery hatch, two batteries are more centered as shown in the image above. I used 3S or 4S 2200mah batteries.
In the image above, I have both ESCs connected in a y-harness for single pack flying. For dual pack, just remove the y-harness, and plug one battery into each ESC.
Parachute System that works
A scale parachute system for this plane would be a cargo door. I went through tons of designs and redesigns to see if I could get to this to work, that paired with experiencing other planes that feature cargo door systems being known for jamming or not releasing the parachuters, or releasing them all at once - so I came up with a simple system. One 9g servo which actuates at a slow rate to allow parachuters to release one at a time, keeping the scale look.
Reinforced belly for landing
There are two versions of the C-17; one with an internal skid plate, one without an internal skid plate and with that one I also include an external regular PLA skid plate that can be glued on for extra rough landings. The internal skid plate option and external skid plate option aren't necessary to pair together. The C-17 is my first design that contains my new internal skid plate design, which is an extra two layers that are printed on the inside.
Controlled Takeoff
The C-17 can be hand launched, taken off from the ground, or I also designed a custom launch dolly for this C-17. This is custom to the C-17 and makes take offs a breeze. This is sold separately to my C-17 STL files, check it out below.
Getting Started
This plane requires a minimum build plate volume of 210x210x210.
I've been using this Bambu Lab X1 Carbon for a while and I still love it. I've gotten a lot of feedback that it can be tricky to print plane parts out on the Bambu Lab printer though so I made a quick guide to getting started on your plane prints. Check it out here.
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You're ready to build!
Thank you for deciding to build the C-17 Globemaster! It is an awesome plane, I know you are going to have fun with it.
Make sure you check out my Build Tutorial, in the description you will find a complete parts list for building and assembly.
Happy printing! See you on the next build.