How to Print & Assemble The DRACO-M3

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Most of the STL files are really straight forward to print. All you need to do is load them into your slicer software (I use Cura), select your desirable settings (e.g. layer height, infill percentage, etc.) and slice the parts. I used 0.4mm nozzle (0.2mm layer height) to print most parts and 0.25mm nozzle (0.1mm layer height to print small parts (e.g. pins, washers, links, etc.)

So now you’ve got all your parts printed? Great! Let’s assemble the model!

This model is super simple (yet impressive) to assemble. However, before we start, you’ll need to purchase some super glue and magnets to put this model together:

• 10mm dia x 2mm thick N42 Neodymium magnets (LINK) | Qty: 8-off
• Super glue (LINK) | Qty: 1 bottle

What you need (refer to the photos below):

• 3x Link (a)
• 2x Apin (b)
• 1x Bpin (c)
• 2x Cpin (d)
• 1x Large Washer (e)
• 1x Small Washer (f)
• 1x Short Dowel (g)
• 1x Long Dowel (h)
• 1x Nose Cone (i)
• 1x Body (j)

Note: All parts in STEP 1 should be easily fitted together without any super glue. Some parts are quite small so I suggest you use a pair of tweezers to handle them

What you need:

• 1x Sub-assembly from STEP 1
• 4x Window
• 1x DracoFrontLeft
• 1x DracoFrontRight
• 1x DracoRearLeft
• 1x DracoRearRight
• 2x SideDraco

Assembly:

1. Super-glue ALL the Window’s and Draco’s to the Body sub-assembly (from STEP 1)

What you need:

• 1x Heat Shield
• 4x Pod
• 4x SuperDraco
• 1x Panel

Assembly:

1. Super-glue the 4 Pod’s to the Heat Shield
2. Super-glue the 4 SuperDraco’s into the 4 Pod’s
3. Press fit the Panel into the Heat Shield

What you need:

• 1x Seal
• 1x Hard Capture System
• 1x Roof
• 1x TopDraco

Assembly:

1. Press fit Seal into Hard Capture System
2. Press fit Hard Capture System into Roof (ensure that the data & power plug and data & power socket on both sides of the Hard Capture System fully engage with their slots on the Roof)
3. Press fit Top Draco into Roof (from underneath)

Fun fact: These thrusters on the top of the spacecraft are used to abort docking with the ISS whilst the SuperDraco engines you assembled at STEP 3 are used for launch abort)

What you need:

• 1x ‘Ceiling’ sub-assembly from STEP 4
• 1x Base from STEP 3
• 1x Exterior sub-assembly from STEP 2
• 1x Nose Ring

Assembly:

1. Fit Exterior sub-assembly (STEP 2) to Base (STEP 3) – use glue if required
2. Cut open the Nose Ring at the marked location
3. Super-glue the Nose Ring and ‘Ceiling’ sub-assembly (STEP 4) onto the sub-assembly above

What you need – refer to the photos below:

• 1x Trunk * (a)
• 1x Pressurised Crew Section from STEP 5 (b)
• 1x Latch (c)
• 8x Magnets (10mm dia x 2mm thick) (highlighted in ORANGE)
• 2x Astronauts (d)

Please note: I printed the Trunk on an dual-extrusion printer (Ultimaker S5), therefore, I can print two halves of the Trunk (Front and Rear) at the same time with two different colours (Black & White). If you don’t have a dual-extrusion printer, you can either (1) print the whole Trunk in one colour (use the Trunk (1-piece) STL) and paint half of it with another colour OR (2) print two halves separately in two colours and glue them together.

Assembly:

1. Super-glue 4 magnets (10mm dia x 2mm thick) into the 4 holes located on the top face of the Trunk
2. Super-glue 4 magnets (10mm dia x 2mm thick) into the 4 holes located on the bottom face of the Heat Shield (ensure that these magnets are installed correctly so that they attract the ones on the bottom face of the Trunk, instead of repelling them)
3. Place the Pressurised Crew Section on the Trunk, the magnets should hold these two sections together beautifully and concentrically to each other.
4. Press fit the Latch into the Trunk (this can be super-glue to the Trunk if you want) and place astronauts next to the model

And THAT’S ALL DONE! Congratulations, you have just built a super cool spacecraft!

If you really want to take this model to the next level, why not check out the upgraded and visually enhanced DRAGON-MS, or the DRAGON-MS’ bigger and even more impressive sibling, the DRAGON-MJ?