3D-Printed Hand-Launched Glider (HLG)

Project's Goal:

• Improve in 3D modeling

• Improve in 3D printing,

• Introduction to CFD

Tools Used:

• Fusion 360

• Creality Ender-3 V3 SE

• SimScale

HLG specs:

• Wing Span: 200mm

• Airfoil: AG03

• Fuselage total length: 140mm

• Horizontal Stabilizers wingspan: 65mm

• Vertical stabilizer max height: 25mm

Modeling:

• Fuselage: I sketched the fuselage’s profile using splines and lines to give

it a streamlined body and to reduce drag. Then used the ‘revolve’ tool

create the fuselage body.

• Main Wings: I used the ‘Airfoil sketch from file’ add-on to import the AG03

airfoil into Fusion 360. And then extruded the sketch symmetrically to

reach a wingspan of 200mm.

• Horizontal Stabilizers (HS): I used the same airfoil as the main wings and

extruded the sketch to reach a span of 65mm.

• Vertical Stabilizers (VS): I defined the VS’s base length and top length,

then from the middle of the base I went 25mm high (to represent the VS’s

max height), and then connected the top to the bottom, which gave two

inclined leading and trailing edges. The inclination was later optimized for

maximum aerodynamic efficiency.

• After completing the body, I filleted almost every sharp edge, to reduce

drag.

Aerodynamics: To maximize the lift/drag ratio (L/D) , I used SimScale for

incompressible CFD simulations. These results directly shaped several critical design

iterations:

• Wing Configuration: Selected the AG03 airfoil, specifically designed for

performance at low Reynolds numbers. I settled on a 28mm chord and a 5.5°

Angle of Attack (AoA) to prioritize high lift during the glide phase.

Stability and Tail Design: The horizontal stabilizer is mounted midway on the

vertical stabilizer (Cruciform tail) with a 3° AoA. This configuration provides necessary

pitch stability while minimizing the 'dirty air' (Turbulent Kinetic Energy) from the main

wing's wake.

Drag Reduction: Optimized the nose with a high fineness ratio (pointier, tear drop

shape) to maintain laminar flow. Implemented a Leading Edge Sweep on the vertical

stabilizer to reduce parasitic drag.

Printing: Bringing the design to life required adhering to strict AM constraints:

• Nozzle Constraints: Set the trailing edge to 0.4mm and the nose stagnation point

to 1.6mm for 0.4mm nozzle compatibility.

• Orientation: I chose a vertical (Nose-Up) orientation. This improved fuselage

quality and reduced print time/filament, though it required managing print

stability and layer-direction strength at the wing-fuselage joint.

• The result is a high-quality Hand-Launch Glider that validates the design-to-

simulation workflow.