OWL T-33 50mm and 64mm EDF
( Semi Scale Model )
~ LW-PLA Digital Balsa and Foam Series ~

OWL T-33 50-64mm EDF

The OWL T-33 Shooting Star offers a versatile platform designed for pilots who want a customizable flight experience. Whether you prefer a lightweight, standard setup or a high-speed powerhouse, this airframe adapts to your needs.

Dual EDF Compatibility & Power Options

The T-33 is engineered to grow with your skills, supporting two distinct power configurations:

Entry-Level / Standard: Start with a 50mm EDF for reliable, standard performance.
High Performance: Upgrade to a 64mm EDF for increased speed and thrust.
Battery Specs: Both setups are optimized for 4S LiPo batteries ranging from 1500mAh to 2200mAh.

⚠️ Critical Installation Note: To fit a 64mm EDF into this fuselage, you must remove the intake lip before installation. This model is incompatible with 64mm units that have a fixed (non-removable) intake lip. Please note: We cannot provide support or entertain requests regarding fixed-intake-lip 64mm units.

“Digital Balsa & Foam” Engineering

We continue to utilize our innovative “Digital Balsa and Foam” design approach. Based on excellent feedback from our customers, this method ensures:

Superior Strength: The internal structures are significantly more robust than traditional 3D-printed designs.
Weight Efficiency: It provides this extra durability while maintaining the ultra-light weight characteristics of our original “Digital Balsa” models.

Maintenance Tip: To prevent scratches and abrasions during belly landings, we recommend applying fiber tape to the underside of the fuselage.

Launching & Flight Success

To ensure your T-33 has a successful maiden and a long flying career, we recommend the following:

OWLplane Catapult Launcher: If you are unfamiliar with hand-launching EDF jets, our catapult system is the best solution. It eliminates “human error” during the toss, allowing you to focus entirely on the transmitter sticks from the moment of release.
The Maiden Strategy: Use the catapult for your initial flights. Once you have successfully trimmed your aileron and elevator surfaces, the aircraft becomes much more stable and predictable, making future hand-launches (if desired) much safer.

In general, this model must be printed with LW-PLA/ePLA-LW/PolyLight 1.0 filament only (you still may want to experiment printing some parts with PLA * for example printing wings with PLA for having extreme maneuver *). It is not with landing gear model (it is hand launch or catapult launch type of model),

Videos and Pictures

Flying Play List

2 Videos

OWL T-33 Shooting Star - 64mm EDF - 2200mAh 4s LiPo - Part#1 - Coming Soon !

2:28

OWL T-33 Shooting Star - 64mm EDF - 2200mAh 4s LiPo - Part#2 - Coming Soon !

2:32

Digital Balsa and Foam Series

Printing Profiles with Gyroid Infill :

As you can see from the pictures below, they illustrate a 3D printed part when using gyroid infill and ribs. You can pick infill percentage to you preferences where the higher you set it will be stronger. To get optimal result, we also still use ribs so that we will achieve parts using optimal gyroid infill percentage. With having gyroid infill, we have tried to use top and bottom layers. The good news is that the AUW is still acceptable for the jet and allow it to use like lego style blocks to assemble.

We run some research and experiment with some number of setting values for infill percentage. Final values will be used in our OWLplane slicer profiles. Feel free to increase or decrease the values including playing with other settings if you feel better than ours (we are happy listening / getting your input/feedback, so keep us posted about your build in our facebook group).

To learn slicing with OWLplane profile files and project files (3MF files) for “Digital Balsa and Foam” series, please click me to get to the PrusaSlicer user guide for slicing OWLplane model (or click the picture below).

*) Below is from F16 part for illustration.

Like Playing Lego :

As explained above, click the right side youtube video showing how to assembly the fuselage like playing “lego” blocks.

Expected Some Stringing but Easy to Clean :

Since active foaming filaments such as LW-PLA is not affected by retraction, some stringings are expected. The good news is that they are easy to clean compared to printing with standard PLA/PLA+.

Note : sample parts from F16 model.

Sandpaper Cleaning the Excessive Materials Surrounding Plug-In Blocks :

Sanding parts would make assembling much easier and clean. Excessive materials can be found on the top surfaces. For example, the circle in the picture need to sand so that there is no need to push the part later to fit into the next part.

Note : sample parts from F16 model.

Sand The Surfaces To Get Smooth Ones :

Comparing surfaces before and after sending it. LW-PLA material let you smoothing surfaces where it would not be applicable with standard PLA or PLA+.

Specification and Some Details

Click here if you would like to know about WCL (comparing how easy to fly the plane best described by utilizing WCL instead of Wing Loading. The plane with the same Wing Loading is easier to fly with higher Wing Area than smaller one). It can be best described by WCL value.

Spar Requirements :

1 x 6mm OD and with 380mm long fiber carbon tube as front fuselage and wing spar.
1 x 6mm OD and with 380mm long fiber carbon tube as back fuselage and wing spar.
2 x 5mm OD and with 355mm long fiber carbon tube as wing spars.
1 x 5mm OD and with 280mm long for stabilizer spar.

Locking Belt for Attaching Wings to Fuselage :

Aileron/Wing Control Surfaces Rods:

Elevator/Horizontal Stabilizer Control Surfaces Rods:

Electronic Positions :

Feel free to locate the electronics for getting the correct CoG.

50mm and 64mm EDF Bracket and Installation :

Two type of EDF brackets are provided, they are for 50mm type of EDF and 64mm type of EDF. Please note for 64mm EDF that only removable intake lip EDF can use the bracket. STEP file is provided if you want to modify for brands not in the list. It means that fixed intake lip would not be supported only for 64mm EDF. Make sure your EDF are supported by the requirement above since we will not entertain if your EDF can not be installed. Please check if your current EDF can use the provided brackets by printing them. It is free to download by clicking the button below.

In summary *** requirements to use the brackets *** :

1. 50mm EDF – need to keep/to use intake lip. Please hot glue the EDF into the bracket. Since it uses hot glue, it should be easy to remove the EDF later from the bracket using hot water to loose the glue if you would like to reuse the EDF.

2. 64mm EDF – need to remove/take out intake lip. Since it uses hot glue, it should be easy to remove the EDF later from the bracket using hot water to loose the glue if you would like to reuse the EDF.

Please go to “OWL T-33 50mm-64mm – SUPPORT ver 1.0\EDF BRACKETS” directory to get EDF brackets for 50mm EDF or 64mm EDF motor.

Below are 50mm and 64mm EDF bracket pictures from the CAD :

Below some QX-Motor 64mm EDF pictures installed into the fuselage :

*) Pictures above are from OWL ViperJet 50/64mm EDF for illustration only.

Left side : using hot glue for 50mm EDF motors.

Right side : using hot glue for 64mm EDF motors.

Special note when gluing 50mm EDF bracket :

Make sure that the 3 cables from EDF about perpendicular with EDF bracket arms as shown by the picture below.

EDF Hatch Support Rods :

Please insert steel support rods 1.0 – 1.2mm OD into the provided holes to make parts stronger as shown by the pictures below :

*) Pictures above are from OWL ViperJet 50/64mm EDF for illustration only.

Center of Gravity (CoG) :

How to Launch OWL T-33 Shooting Star 50/64mm EDF Model :

Two methods are suggested to launch the model. The first one is to use OWLplane Catapult Launcher. Please visit OWLplane Catapult Launcher product page menu under “SHOP & PRODUCT LIST” tab after hovering the mouse over (you can use your own Catapult Launcher so that you just need to print the hook adapter). The second one is by hand launching.

It is recommended to launch the model by utilizing OWLplane Catapult Launcher or your own launcher since it is human error free.

#1 – By Utilizing OWLplane Catapult Launcher.

Watch the following videos how easy it is to launch the rc model with OWLplane Catapult Launcher and human free errors.

#2 – By Throwing.

Follow the following tips to launch :

– Lean your body backward.

– Put your fingers on designated locations (shown in the following section below).

– Start throwing by also moving your body forward.

Note : Above pictures are illustration only, using 50mm BAE Hawk T1 model.

Printing and Preparing OWL T-33 Shooting Star 50mm/64mm EDF Launcher Adapter :

If you plan to launch the model with your own catapult launcher, please print the parts shown on the right side from “OWL T-33 50mm-64mm – SUPPORT ver 1.0\CATAPULT ADAPTER\STL and GCODE” for the puller and need to glue the hook bar “T-33 HOOK # GR3” from “OWL T-33 50mm-64mm – STL, 3MF and G-code ver 1.0\1. FUSELAGE\STLs” directory.

Feel free to use your own catapult launcher or you can print OWLplane catapult launcher for free.

Finger Resting for Hand Launching :

If you choose to launch by throwing, please put your fingers as shown in the following pictures.

Optional : Fiber Tape Protecting The Model During Belly Landing

By using fiber tape attached to the belly skin, it will protect a model during landing from rough surfaces. Not only protecting, you may no need to clean the belly after sometime by replacing it to get back clean.

We have tested it and really happy with the result. The model is still in a good condition after landing it on rough surfaces.

*) Using F16 belly part as illustration only.

Some Note for Slicing STL Files :

Default Value are :

– Retraction : Set enabled only to make “extra restart length = 0.05mm” (PrusaSlicer), “extra restart amount = 0.05mm” (IdeaMaker) or “retraction extra prime amount = 0.5mm^3” (Cura) to compensate loosing materials due to stringing issues.

– Heatbed: 55 degree C.

– Hotend: 245 degree C (you may want to change it between 240 – 250 degree C).

– Extrusion Multiplier : 0.55% (feel free to update this value).

– Extrusion Width: 0.40mm (feel free to find your preference value, but it will be around that value).

– Extrusion Height: 0.25mm (greater is faster but less stronger bonding).

– Printing Speed: 35mm/sec.

– Retraction Speed : 50mm/sec.

Weight and Time Estimation :

Following tables show the weight of printed parts, number of required filament rolls and time required to print. But the number may vary from printer to printer due to:

– Stepper Jerk value.

– Stepper Acceleration value.

– Steps per unit (either calibrated or uncalibrated).

– Extruder quality/condition.

– Nozzle quality/condition.

– Filament quality/condition.

– Etc.

Here are the summary table (estimation with 64mm EDF setup) :

Klipper Firmware Does Not Accept “#” / Hash Character

Unfortunately the Klipper firmware does not accept the “#” / hash character when naming the file. More and more 3D printers nowadays and upcoming most likely will use the Klipper firmware where when using previous firmware such as Marlin, Prusa, etc. do not prevent it from processing.

Since our naming convention for our g-code files utilize the “#” character and already since we started the OWLplane, we still keep them until our new release models dated after July 2024 (after BD OWLjet 70mm 6s EDF).

No worry, to use our g-code files, just need to remove the “#” character, that is it !

Fore example :

“FUSELAGE-1 # P3_H15″ replace the file name with “FUSELAGE-1 P3_H15”

Note : no “#” character is used in the new file name.

How To Extract Our Zip Files

Somehow when the folder path is too long, files and directories can not be extracted directly to a destination directory. There is a workaround for this, just follow the guide below. What you need to follow is to double click zip file until you find the directory. From there, right click to invoke a “copy” command. After that, just copy and paste the directory into your destination directory. That is it !

Update History

None.

Recommended Setup

All 50mm and 64mm EDF above are supported to use with the model since their brackets are provided. If you would like to try the brackets, feel free to download by clicking free brackets button above.
Servo Options : 4 x 12gr servos for aileron (left and right) and elevator (left and right).
ESC Options : ESC ranges from 40A - 60A (40A ESC is for 50mm EDF where 60A ESC is for 64mm EDF), please consult to your EDF manual if safe enough to use that rated Ampere value.
Battery Size : LiPo 4s 1500mAh - 4s 2200mAh rated 70C with weight around 185gr - 270gr respectively. It is suggested to use 2200mAh for 64mm EDF but whatever the battery you would like to use, make sure it will get the correct CoG location.

Tools and Materials

Printer, in general 180mm x 180mm x 180mm (W x L x H) for all 64mm EDF OWLplane Models.
Filament: LW-PLA from ColorFabb, ePLA-LW from eSUN and PolyLight 1.0 from 3DLabPrint.
CA glue with accelerator. Use thick glue to join surface to surface. Use thin CA glue for coating the joint surface areas.
Velcro sticker/polyester hook and loop peel-n-stick self-adhesive for locking the battery.
Fine sandpaper.
Sharp knife.
Screwdriver and/or allen wrench for chosen screws/bolts.
Pliers, needle-nose pliers, nippers.
Steel bolt cutter.
Dremel/rotary tool for cutting carbon fiber tubes and rod with more than 2.5mm.
Electric drill, its drill-bit size from 1.5mm - 5mm and step cone drill.
Propeller shaft reamer or hole puncher reamer.