The Bloodhound SSC is over 13 metres long, which makes it difficult to display in small venues or in multiple locations at once. To show the updated design of the vehicle, 1:15 scale models were needed.
You can find out more about the Bloodhound SSC Project on their website.
With the potential of a large sponsorship deal, and the need to reward existing sponsors and promote the latest iteration of the vehicle’s design, a model needed to be created that was both accurate and inspiring.
One of the more ‘hands on’ projects within the Bloodhound SSC Project, the display model needed to be carefully built and finished to an exceptionally high standard. The model needed to be as dimensionally acurate as possible, and include all relevant features such as sponsor logos, graphic decals and engineering elements.
The main body of the model also needed to be completely seemless and smooth; made more of a challenge by the warping of the 3d printed sections that it was built using.
This project also looked at a wide range of 3d printing methods, from SLS to SLA and even DMLS.
The construction involved taking rapid prototyped pieces, joining them and sanding and filling until smooth. These were then painted and assembled. The models were then placed on Oak bases, with relevant decals added.
Following the success of the initial model, a small production run of the models was initiated for other sponsors of the project. These models were of different construction to aid production, but still required the same high level of finish to complete.
Placed on an oak base with a polycarbonate case, the finished model was an accurate model of the vehicle’s design at the time. It included all sponsor decals, details aroundthe jet engine and rocket exhausts and Union flag tail fin.
Following the success of this model, a further range were commissioned using a more efficient 3d printing production method.
