Retro Thrusters RT6 - Sci-fi space buggy rover toy - no supports

Mini toy sci-fi spaceship inspired by, and somewhat in the style of the Astro Mini's space exploration themed mini toy series, produced by Bruder in West Germany in the 1980's. Features a lift up hatch with a small load cargo area, four working wheels, and long travel independent suspension. Great for those looking for a non-franchised and non-weaponised space exploration themed toy.

SAFETY WARNING: THIS MODEL IS NOT FOR YOUNGER CHILDREN - SMALLER PARTS MAY BREAK OFF AND BECOME A CHOKING HAZARD. THIS MODEL DOES NOT COMPLY WITH TOY SAFETY STANDARDS!!!!

● Easy to print parts - no supports required

● Designed with colour breaks. Print parts in different colours on single colour printers for a more interesting look.

● Requires multiple #4 x 3/8" pan head screws (or 4G x 9mm sheet metal screws), and 2 loom bands (very small rubber bands often used for bracelet making)

The part orientation as per upload is correct. Some parts require a little bridging while printing, though still print well enough without support. Interconnecting part fit may be tight, depending on the plastics used, or the printer/slicer settings. Carefully warming female parts (hot water works well if printing in PLA) can help with assembly, as can some careful sanding or filing, or even reducing/enlarging the part size slightly during printing. The tolerances on the tyre/hub 'print in place' combo are particularly prone to sticking to each other, but as is, they work on my printer. Occasionally I need to place the hub over a rubbery handled set of pliers (or anything you have that will fit snugly into the hub and not damage it), and give the tyre a firm twist to break it free from the hub. I'd suggest printing the tyre/hub combo one at a time until you get the settings right.

Multiple #4 x 3/8" or 4G x 9mm sheet metal screws are used to join parts throughout the model. All but one are hidden when the buggy is complete. A loom band double looped around the suspension arm hooks and over the support (on each side) is required for suspension action. The rubber band looping is best done after SuspHang, SuspArms, SuspCap, and WSR_Assembly are completed as a sub-assembly. Unfortunately, due to the small size, the arm pivots on SuspCap are nightmarishly fragile so a lot of care is necessary when screwing into this part, but once secured, they're ok. The pivot hole on SuspArms will require clearing out with a small circular needle file for free motion. The completed suspension and wheel unit assembly can be then inserted onto the chassis and cabin sections. Assembly of the model parts in the correct part order is necessary, though it is a bit of a puzzle that you will need to figure out yourself :) With correctly sized parts, no glue is necessary. Lastly, and in general, I get great results printing on rafts.

This is the sixth vehicle in a series of 7 unique models based around this theme (all using the same #4 x 3/8" or 4G x 9mm pan head screw size), with the seventh and last of the fleet coming soon. And finally, if you like the model enough to print it, please consider taking a pic or two, and posting a make.

Happy space exploring!