The U.S. Air Force has 3D-printed its first metal part for a jet engine. The replacement part, made for the engine that powers the B-52 Stratofortress bomber, will keep the plane flying until new engines are fitted to the aging jets in the late 2020s.

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The Air Force likes additive manufacturing technology, with its promise of cheap and always available parts, but is proceeding slowly to ensure it doesn’t push the tech too far to potentially disastrous results. ✈ You like badass planes. We like badass planes. Let’s nerd out over them together. Air Force engineers at […]

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