Dwarfed by huge jets all around, the mini-plane Thor was nonetheless an eye-catcher at the Berlin air show this week -- the small Airbus marvel is the world's first 3D-printed aircraft.
Windowless, weighing in at just 21 kilos (46 pounds) and less than four metres (13 feet) long, the drone Thor -- short for "Test of High-tech Objectives in Reality" -- resembles a large, white model airplane.
Yet to the European aerospace giant Airbus, the small pilotless propeller aircraft is a pioneer that offers a taste of things to come -- an aviation future when 3D printing technology promises to save time, fuel and money.
No comments:
Post a Comment