3D printing is fast becoming a rage in the manufacturing industry, with many vendors creating custom parts with the help of the technology. MakerPlane has now undertaken a very ambitious goal of gathering funds for an open source aircraft made entirely from 3D-printed parts.
The campaign, launched on Indiegogo, aims to gather funds to the tune of $75,000. These funds will then be used in creating the aircraft which will be made from 3D-printed parts and will run open source software. The goal certainly sounds very promising, but it is also a little too ambitious at the same time.
As of this moment, the campaign has been able to muster a mere $2174, which hints that it is not exactly popular among backers of Indiegogo campaigns. And this shouldn’t be surprising. Although most can easily imagine a smaller object being created through 3D printing, not many can visualize an entire aircraft made through 3D-printed parts. This video gives a hint at how such a plane may be created.
Another reason for the lack of adequate support from backers could be that nearly every online crowdfunding campaign rewards the backer with something tangible. For instance, if you back a product, the product is eventually shipped to you. However, in the case of MakerPlane’s open source aircraft, campaign backers wouldn’t exactly receive anything. Rather, even if you pay up as much as $10,000, that will simply put your name or corporate logo on the fuselage of the aircraft.
It is probably for these reasons that the campaign hasn’t gained much traction so far. However, there are still 54 days left in the expiry of the campaign and a better marketing strategy may turn the tables in favor of MakerPlane.
Source: Indiegogo
Courtesy: Engadget
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