GoKawiilUniversity of Bath graduates fly 3D-printed jet-turbine RC plane, the Kingfisher
A team calling itself the Mach Initiative, made up of University of Bath graduates, has completed the maiden flight of the Kingfisher, a roughly one-meter RC aircraft built mostly from 3D-printed PETG and PET-CF with an aluminum skeleton. The plane is powered by a Jetcat P60 miniature jet turbine producing 63 N·m of thrust and reaching about 205 mph, following an earlier electric-fan prototype called the Kinglet used to test the design.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
The team says the Kingfisher's engine is only meant to prove jet-powered flight, not to set records, with a planned successor aiming for a far more powerful 150Nm turbine to attempt Mach 0.8 and challenge a nine-year-old Guinness World Record for fastest model aircraft. This suggests 3D printing could let small, non-commercial teams build high-performance jet aircraft components that were previously the domain of well-funded manufacturers.
- The Kingfisher is a 3D-printed RC jet aircraft built from PETG, PET-CF, carbon-fiber rods and aluminum.
- Its current Jetcat P60 engine reaches about 205 mph and is explicitly not intended to break any record.
- The Mach Initiative plans a more powerful 150Nm-engine successor aiming for Mach 0.8 and a world speed record.
Bambu Lab P1S 3D Printer — If building your own RC aircraft parts like the Kingchaser's PETG and PPS-CF components sounds exciting, a reliable 3D printer is the perfect starting point. The Bambu Lab P1S offers enclosed, high-speed printing capable of handling engineering filaments, making it a great tool for hobbyist aerospace projects and rapid prototyping just like the Mach Initiative team did with their Kinglet.
See Bambu Lab P1S 3D Printer on Amazon → Affiliate link — we may earn a commission on purchases, at no extra cost to you. Product picked by AI based on this article; it is not a tested recommendation.Source: tomshardware.com — Jhet Borja, 2026-10-10
Published there as: “World’s first 3D-printed remote control aircraft with a jet turbine takes flight, aims for Mach 0.8 to beat world record for fastest model aircraft”
Read the original report → The summary and analysis above are GoKawiil's own, written from reporting by the source above. Facts and quotes belong to the original publisher.