Wing Hangar – Interlocking puzzle by Osanori Yamamoto

Wing Hangar

Interlocking puzzle by Osanori Yamamoto

Insert the two burr pieces into the frame, as shown in the photo.

This puzzle is an amazing challenge given that it consists of just two identical pieces and a frame! A total of 22 moves are required, including some tricky and unexpected maneuvers. It’s a solid challenge and well worth printing.

Printing Instructions

Print one copy each of yamamoto.wing-hangar.frame.stl and yamamoto.wing-hangar.pieces.stl. For a contrasting effect as shown in the photos, print each STL file in a different color.

This puzzle uses snap joints so that the frame can be printed without supports. After you print it, first assemble the frame before attempting to solve the puzzle. Snap all four joints firmly into place. They are oriented so that they will fit together in one way only.

The joints are designed to be tight, and depending on the printer and filament used, you may need to hammer them into place. If they come out too loose, a drop of superglue will make them more solid (in most cases this shouldn’t be necessary, but unfortunately tolerances vary across printers and filaments). The snap joint concept is discussed further in this blog post: Adventures in 3D Puzzle Printing.

The puzzle is modeled using puzzlecad, and I have included the .scad file in case you want to remix it.

About the Designer

Osanori Yamamoto is widely admired for his clever and inventive puzzle designs. His puzzles often look simple, but conceal unexpected twists such as unusual rotations. Yamamoto’s work has featured prominently in puzzle design competitions, and his gem Identical Twins won the Puzzlers’ Award at the 2017 International Puzzle Party in Paris, one of the most prestigious puzzle awards in the world.

Happy puzzling!