The scale of use for 3D printers just keeps getting bigger and bigger. British defense company BAE systems announced it flew a Tornado fighter jet with parts fabricated by a 3D printer. The parts included a protective guard for the landing gear, support struts on the air intake door, and a protective cover for the cockpit radio.
Those aren't the sexiest parts of a plane, so we're excited to see what else manufacturers can make with 3D printers. Last year NASA announced it used a 3D printer for a rocket engine component. Imagine how much money could be saved if entire engines could be printed. Enough to get NASA off its ass again, perhaps.
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[via Yahoo!]