Airbus THOR
| Industry | Aerospace |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Germany |
| Products | Aircraft, including the THOR UAV |
The Airbus THOR (Test of Hi-tech Objectives in Reality) is an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) developed by Airbus that incorporates partial manufacturing through 3D printing. It ranks among the earliest 3D-printed aircraft worldwide, following the pioneering Sulsa model which first flew in 2011. Unveiled at the 2016 ILA Berlin Air Show, this drone-like UAV is almost entirely fabricated using 3D printing technology with polyamide, excluding only its electric motor components. Although still under development, platforms such as THOR aim to enhance flight efficiency and safety.
THOR achieved its inaugural flight in November 2015 near Hamburg, successfully completing the majority of its test protocols.