Altitude
Fine layer lines on a 5 inch circle
Most obvious on curves and large faces. Expected on every unit. From your chair you look at the screen, not the grain.
Home · Quality and finish
Honest finish
3D printed case quality.
An honest finish.
Mini, Altitude and Connect cases are 3D printed in the United Kingdom in PLA+ or PETG. They are not injection moulded. You will see fine layer lines and feel a light texture. That is how the case is made, not a fault. Each unit is printed, assembled and tested when you order it.
Cloud is the only option with no FlightAbove printed case.
FINISH
Printed case
What you will see
Close up it looks printed. That is the truth.
FDM printing lays plastic in thin layers. Those layers leave a fine horizontal grain. It is visible in good light, and you can feel it.
Mini
Same print, smaller object
A dry, printed plastic you can feel if you run a thumb along the bezel. Not glossy like a phone. Not a defect.
Fine layer lines
A light grain around the case. Expected on every Mini, Altitude and Connect.
A tactile surface
Not glossy. Not sticky. Printed plastic you can feel on the bezel.
Small batch variation
Filament colour and surface can shift slightly between production runs.
3D printed, not injection moulded
Two ways to make a plastic case. We print.
Injection moulding is how consumer electronics usually get a seamless, glossy shell. It needs expensive steel tooling and a large production run. FlightAbove is produced in the UK, a few units at a time. Printing is how that is possible.
Mini, Altitude and Connect
3D printed, to order
- Printed in PLA+ or PETG in the United Kingdom
- Fine layer lines you can see and feel
- Produced when you order it, not taken off a warehouse pallet
- The case can improve as we learn, without scrapping a steel tool
Mass-market gadget
Injection moulded stock
- Glossy, uniform plastic from a polished mould
- Pays off only at thousands of identical units
- The design freezes early because the mould is expensive
- Usually made far from the people who answer your email
Expected or a fault
Do not send a warranty claim for layer lines.
The 1-year warranty covers manufacturing defects that stop the device working. The expected surface of a 3D printed case is not a defect. If the unit is unused and you simply do not like the look, that is a 14-day change-of-mind return for UK and EU consumers.
Expected
Not a fault
- Fine, even layer lines on the case
- A light texture you can feel
- Slight colour shade differences between batches
- Small cosmetic marks that do not affect use
Contact us
This is a fault
- Cracks, splits, or layers peeling apart
- Warping that stops the unit sitting flat
- Gaps that expose electronics or the screen edge
- A unit that will not power on, or a display that fails in normal use
Which products
Printed cases are Mini, Altitude and Connect.
Mini and Altitude are displays in a printed housing. Connect is a printed case that plugs into a TV or monitor you already own. Cloud is a private link, from £3.99 a month, with no FlightAbove printed case.
Mini
4 inch square, display included
Printed housing with an IPS panel inside. Same layer lines as Altitude, smaller footprint.
Connect
Printed case, your screen
The box we ship is printed. The picture lives on a TV or monitor you already own. Same grain as the desk displays.
If a seamless injection-moulded shell is a hard requirement, do not buy Mini, Altitude or Connect. Use Cloud.
The facts
What the case actually is
- Applies to
- FlightAbove Mini, Altitude and Connect
- Process
- FDM 3D printed in the United Kingdom
- Material
- PLA+ or PETG, indoor desk use
- Finish
- Fine layer lines and a light texture. Not injection moulded.
- Display
- Mini and Altitude: IPS panel in the printed housing. Connect: your TV or monitor.
- Build
- Printed, assembled and tested to order
- Dispatch
- 5 to 7 business days production, then courier
- Warranty
- Expected print texture is not a defect
- Returns
- 14 days on unused hardware for UK and EU consumers
Before you order
Questions about the finish
Are FlightAbove cases 3D printed?
Yes. Mini, Altitude and Connect cases are 3D printed in the United Kingdom in PLA+ or PETG, then assembled and tested before they ship. They are not injection moulded.
Will I see layer lines?
Yes. Fine layer lines and a light texture you can feel are part of FDM 3D printing. They are expected on Mini, Altitude and Connect. They are not a manufacturing defect.
Is the finish as smooth as injection moulded plastic?
No. Injection moulding produces a glossy, uniform shell from a steel tool. FlightAbove cases are printed layer by layer so we can build to order in the UK. Close up, you can tell they were printed. From a desk away, you look at the screen.
Is a visible print texture a defect?
No. Layer lines, a light tactile texture, and small colour shade differences between batches are normal. Cracks, peeling layers, warping that stops the unit sitting flat, or gaps that expose electronics are not normal. Those are faults. Email [email protected] with photos.
What are PLA+ and PETG?
They are the filaments we print with. PLA+ is a strengthened indoor plastic with a clean surface. PETG is tougher and a little more heat resistant. We use PLA+ or PETG depending on the batch. Both are for indoor desk use.
Why not injection mould the case?
A mould is a large upfront cost and only pays off at high volume sitting in a warehouse. Printing lets us build each Mini, Altitude and Connect when you order it, and improve the case without scrapping a steel mould.
Does Mini look different from Altitude or Connect?
Same print process. Mini is a 4″ square all-in-one. Altitude is a 5″ circular desk display. Connect is a printed case that plugs into a TV or monitor you already own. All three ship in a factory finish, 3D printed in PLA+ or PETG.
What about Cloud?
Cloud is the only option with no FlightAbove printed case. It is a unique URL you open on a laptop, tablet or TV you already own, from £3.99/month.
What if I do not like the finish when it arrives?
UK and EU consumers can return unused hardware within 14 days of delivery as a change of mind. Expected 3D printed texture is not treated as a fault. Return shipping on change-of-mind is at your expense. See Returns and Delivery.
Are colours identical between batches?
They are matched as closely as we can. Filament colour can shift slightly between production batches. Minor variation in finish or packaging is allowed for in our terms.
Can I sand, paint or wrap the case?
The case is not designed for customer finishing. Opening, sanding, painting or modifying it can void the hardware warranty. If you want no FlightAbove printed housing at all, Cloud runs in a browser on hardware you already own.
How is quality checked before dispatch?
Each hardware unit is printed, assembled and tested in the UK when you order it. Allow 5 to 7 business days for production before dispatch, then courier transit. We email you at each stage.
You know what the case looks like
If that is acceptable, the display is the reason to buy.
Live aircraft on Mini or Altitude. Connect if you already have a TV. Cloud if you already have a browser. Hardware paid for once.