RC Swift S1

A fun, lightweight sport glider designed for precision aerobatics and pure enjoyment, completely 3D printed from LW-PLA and PETG.

The Swift features fast and secure snap and friction-fit connections on the wings and canopy, allowing for quick and uncomplicated setup at the model airfield.

Minimum printer size: 250 × 250 × 250 mm

General Specs

Wingspan: 2100 mm

Length: 1150 mm

Versions
Wings

There are two options for the wings: 2-surface and 4-surface wings (with or without flaps). The flaps can help slow down the glider during landing in both the propeller and pure glider versions.

EDF Glider

The EDF version is designed for the Freewing 64 mm 6S setup. I fly it with an 80A ESC and a 1700 mAh 95C 6S LiPo. For launching, I suggest using a launch cart. The high-mounted EDF can overpower the elevator when airspeed is insufficient.

Flying weight: approx. 1.7 kg

Propeller Glider

The propeller version is designed for simple use at airfields or in the mountains. It uses a 3S power setup with an 11×8 folding propeller, delivering sufficient climbing performance. Hand-launching is easy and comfortable. The motor mount can accommodate any motor with a maximum outer diameter of 33 mm.

Flying weight: approx. 1 kg

Pure Glider Version

This version does not feature a power plant. It is designed for mountain soaring or to be towed by another plane—or any other creative way to gain altitude.

Flying weight: approx. 800 g

Build Instructions

I used ColorFabb LW-PLA with 65% flow. All parts are single-wall printed with 3% infill, except for all rudder surfaces, which are printed with 5% infill. The PETG skid is printed with a double wall to strengthen the fuselage for mountain flying.

The fuselage is built around two CFK rods running the length of the fuselage. Start by gluing these two rods into the tail section, then stack the next parts on top using the rods as alignment and support.

When building the fuselage, make sure to connect the elevator hinge to the elevator before gluing the tail cone, as shown in the picture above.

When building the wing, use a 10 mm × 1000 mm CFK tube to align the sections. The 10 mm tube is glued into each wing side, while the 14 mm tube is removable.

Center of Gravity (CG): 50–45 mm aft of the leading edge, measured at the wing break.

Materials Needed

2 m × 10 mm CFK tube, cut into 2 × 1000 mm front wing tubes

1 m × 14 mm CFK tube, main wing tube

5 m × 2 mm CFK rod for linkages, hinges, and fuselage strengthening (2 × 660 mm)

1 × spool of ColorFabb LW-PLA

1 × spool of PETG

Flying video:

https://www.instagram.com/experimental_rc_com/reel/DUONAwZDUP6/

https://www.instagram.com/experimental_rc_com/reel/DUOOcqNjU1o/