Aerodynamic Testing of a 3D-Printed Aircraft Model with a Post-Processed Surface

The subject of the research in this article were experimental tests of the M-346 Master aircraft model, carried out in a wind tunnel using the 3D printing method (FDM) in terms of the impact of surface post-processing technology on its aerodynamic characteristics. The measurements of key aerodynamic parameters concerned forces and moments in various airflow conditions taking into account variable angles of attack at a constant sideslip angle. The main purpose of the work was to verify the hypothesis that properly performed surface treatment significantly affects the accuracy of actual aerodynamic measurements in terms of solving the research problem using the post-processing technology, to conduct selected tests in a wind tunnel and analyze the obtained results. The obtained results of the tests, which showed a significant impact of the technological parameters of 3D printing and surface treatment methods on the correctness of the representation of real aerodynamic characteristics, were used mainly to analyze the aerodynamic performance of the model, verify the distribution of forces and moments, and evaluate the behavior of the structure in various flight scenarios. The obtained research results, the analysis of the obtained results, and selected tests were used to present important observations and formulate practical conclusions.