May 2, 2016 | By Tess
22 years ago, Ayrton Senna, one of the finest Formula One drivers of all time, who won three almost consecutive Formula One World Championships in 1988, 1990, and 1991, fatally died in a racing accident. To remember the iconic driver on the anniversary of his death, and to pay homage to his skill and legacy, maker Brett Turnage has created a 3D printed replica of Ayrton Senna’s 1993 McLaren MP4/8 Formula 1 RC-Car.
Turnage, who grew up in proximity to the historic Riverside International Raceway in Riverside, California, has been an avid car enthusiast his whole life. Working as a car fabricator and composites expert, Turnage found his way into 3D modeling and printing technologies and saw the potential to create his very own Formula One RC cars. His first model, the RS01 Chassis for the OpenR/C F1 car, was even inspired by the Riverside International Raceway, which officially closed down in 1989. The impressive 3D printed chassis, which for those unfamiliar with car bodies, is the underpart or frame of a motor vehicle, is available on Thingiverse and can be retrofitted and adjusted by OpenR/C F1 owners and makers.
His most recent design, the RS-01 Ayrton Senna’s 1993 McLaren Mp4/8 Formula 1 RC-Car, is an evolution of his first 3D printed RS01 chassis design and bears the same design and details of Senna’s actual race car. The 3D printed model has also been made available through Thingiverse, so R/C Formula One enthusiasts can print their own Ayrton Senna tribute car.
To design the detailed and highly accurate F1 model, Turnage used Simplify3D’s modeling software to create each of the 54 3D printed parts that make up the model. He explains of the design process with Simplify 3D, “Immediately I noticed a difference with the way my machine moved along the paths as it built layers. No longer was my machine mindlessly moving, it was almost as if it was thoughtful — like it had eyes and could actually see what it was doing. It didn’t speed through detail sections, it slowed down and went through them carefully. The retraction blobs that previously covered my prints were gone due to the smart retractions.”
The model consists of updated and 3D printable RS01 suspension parts, rims, and tires. Additionally, the chassis of the R/C model uses the running gear from a Tamiya F104-ver.2 F1 RC race car, which includes a carbon fiber rear shaft, differential, front uprights and motor mounts. The latter can be used with either 3D printed, foam, or rubber tires, and can accommodate either 3D printed rims or the original F104 plastic rims.
In 3D printing his race car model, Turnage used Solutech filaments, which allowed him to get close to the original car model’s colors. For the sponsor logos, Turnage purchased Senna specific R/C stickers, as well as the miniature Senna helmet to make the 3D printed model as authentic as possible. For the RC model’s assembly, Turnage recommends using a 2 part 5 minute epoxy for most of the parts, while using a screw to hold the nose and the front of the car together.
If you are a racing enthusiast or a fan of the legendary Ayrton Senna, check out Turnage’s Thingiverse page and get printing. Also, see the video below to see how speedy the 3D printed R/C car really is.
Posted in 3D Printing Application
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