3D Printing Improves JPADS

The United States Army, Air Forces, and Marines have been using aerial delivery systems (ADS) since WWII. So obviously, 3D printed drones have major applications in the military - they're not just for getting a pizza delivered. Another aerial tool that the military employs is a glider, which differs from a drone because it doesn't require an engine to achieve free flight. A glider system that is frequently used by the United States Marine Corps (USMC) is the Joint Precision Aerial Delivery System, or JPADS, which uses a GPS guidance system to fly over hostile territory, for tactical air delivery resupply missions. Recent advanced technology, like commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) radio-controlled aircraft systems and 3D printing, have caught the eye of the military, as they could potentially use these advancements to help lower costs and increase accuracy of JPADS resupply missions. Lieutenant Chaz R. Henderson recently submitted a research paper, to help fulfill his Master of Science in Systems Engineering degree requirements from the Monterey, California-based Naval Postgraduate School, titled "Feasibility of tactical air delivery supply using gliders." Read more at 3DPrint.com: http://3dprint.com/166857/jpads-3d-printing-research/

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