Designing True to Scale 3D Printed Airplane Models

As an aerospace enthusiast, I've always been immersed in aircrafts and planes. Recently, I purchased a 3D printer, which motivated me to model my own printable 3D model plane on Fusion 360.

The aircraft I chose was a Boeing 737-800, which I accurately modeled using 3-view blueprints of the plane. This tutorial will show how you can make a to scale version of this 737, or any plane of your choice.

1. CAD Software - Fusion 360
2. 3 view blueprints of aircraft
3. 3D printer (optional)

To get a 3 view blueprint, simple google "3 view [aircraft name]" and find a clear image. Screenshot each view: top, side, and front. Don't worry about scaling for now, we will fix that later in Fusion.

Insert the three views of the plane onto the front, top, and right planes (XZ, XY, YZ). For my model, I used a 1 to 300 scaling factor. For every view, choose one dimension you can find online (for instance length of plane, distance from wingtip to wingtip etc.) and divide by your scaling factor. Right click an inserted canvas to select the calibrate tool, and draw a line for your selected distance (ie: wingtip distance divided by scaling factor) and type in the new value after scaling.

On the top plane, create a "Form" and select the cylinder option. Adjust the cylinder to fit the width of the plane fuselage. (Use the "Add edge" function when you right click to add more adjustable sections). Complete the shape of the fuselage, and adjust both the top and side views to match the drawing.

Switch from the "solid" tab to "surface", then path both ends of the fuselage, making it a closed cylindrical shape instead of open. Then use the stich tool to make the surface shape a solid object.

Using the canvas drawings, sketch out the shape of an airfoil on the right plane. This will become the wing. Make sure there's a flat line in the middle of the airfoil sketch. Create a incline plane angled at 6 degrees to this line, this will create the upward tilt of the plane's wings.

Create a sketch on the top plane, and project the airfoil sketch onto it (click P and select the airfoils). Then, use the top view canvas to sketch out the shape of a wing, as shown in the second image for this step. Use the "sweep" function with the Path + Guiderail setting to create the solid wing. Use the mirror function to get a copy of the wing on the other side of the plane as well.

A similar process can be used to make the horizontal and vertical stabilizers in the back.

Create a plane under the wing and sketch out the shape of an engine according the the top view canvas drawing, as shown in the first picture of this step. Revolve this shape to get the outer part of the engine. Behind this part you've created, sketch and revolve the back of the engine. If you are printing this model, make sure to create a solid object inside the engine to make it easier to print. I did this by creating a cylinder and cone that the fans of the engine can rest on (see image 3).

Sketch a circle about the same circumference as the engine and draw 3 lines 5 degrees apart, this will become the engine fans. Make an identical sketch with one extra line 5 degrees apart a bit in front of the last sketch. Use the loft tool to create a curved fan blade shape connecting these two sketches. (Can also just use extrude on the first sketch for simplicity if desired). [images 4 & 5] Use the circular pattern tool to populate the engine with fans.

For the flaps under the wings, create a Right Plane (using the top view canvas to determine where each flap is) and use the same process as the wings and stabilizers to make them. Copy and paste 3 on each side of the wing according to the canvas.

Your model should now be complete! You can now upload the model onto a slicer and print.