HOTOL Spaceplane 3D print model

HOTOL Horizontal Take-Off and Landing. A Rolls Royce/British Aerospace design for a SSTO (Single Stage to Orbit) vehicle. Very little information is available on this proposed design, and there is no documented proof that anything more than a Wind Test model was ever made, even though the design was changed a few times on paper. Flight International displayed a cutaway drawing of the design, where it depicted the size of the HOTOL to roughly the same length as a 747. The project was cancelled in 1989 but project Skylon was created out of the HOTOL's ashes, although Skylon also followed the same fate and was cancelled in late 2024.

I recommend using a few short lengths of 3/16brass tubing for securing the wings and some 1/4 for the rocket nozzles, along with a 3 short lengths of 1/16rod for the front fins. If you don't have brass you may be able to source an alternate source such as toothpicks or dowels. Hull parts have lap joints with slots for accurate part mating. A medium sized printer that has a 250 bed in XYZ will be able to print all hull parts, except for the base. Test fit all parts before assembly. You may need sandpaper, files and other tools to get the proper fit, depending on the setup of you printer. Fully assembled, the model measures 1149mm long (45.25). If you want to resize it, ensure that you resize all parts by an equal percentage in your slicer. Use Meshmixer to subdivide parts if necessary.

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