MOSQUITO CLOSED ALPHA
FUNCTIONALITY
Where it all began. The MOSQUITO was born in the summer of 2020 to be a real pest on the airsoft battlefield and compete against other established airsoft platforms in both size and weight. Desite the unpolished and primitive appearance of the Closed Alpha model, the primary goal of perfecting the fundamental functions was ultimately achieved, paving the way for the final MK1 release.
The MOSQUITO was originally designed to be an AK conversion kit, utilising existing AK parts such as the grip, hop-up chamber, and selector. This early version also incorporated a modular system for future proofing, allowing easy interchangability between magazine types, barrel systems, and rear stock configurations.
INSPIRATION
The goal for the MOSQUITO was to be super compact and lightweight "box cannon", while maintaining the same firepower as every other airsoft model.
The Closed Alpha model took inspiration from compact Russian, B&T, and CZ firearms, capturing the essence of a mass-produced standard-issue firearm, emphasizing a form that follows function. The PP19-KEDR, in particular, fit the theme perfectly, given its rectangular and blocky form. As such, the Closed Alpha model would be based on that form.
CONCEPTION
The original AK conversion kit idea was chosen as AK platforms (specifically Tokyo Marui) use a V3 gearbox internally, which has a low vertical profile, making it ideal for a compact design.
The design began by quite literally lining the gearbox against a reference image to gauge an appropriate real-life size. From this, key dimensions were translated into CAD to create the first few prototype receivers to house the airsoft components.
As the goal for the design was to be modular, the receiver was eventually split up into five sections: main receiver, front end, rear end, top cover, and magwell, with each part secured to the main receiver using steel pins.
THE VISION AHEAD
Early in the development stages, long before the MOSQUITO became widely known, a vision for the design was established: to allow users all over the world to easily reproduce it at home.
One of the key decisions reflecting this vision was the use of the MP5 magazine. Although it was not the optimal aesthetic choice, it was inexpensive and widely available, as airsoft MP5 models have been around for a long time.
This approach extended throughout the design. Common components such as metric screws and nuts were used wherever possible to create a more accessible design, ensuring the MOSQUITO could be built almost anywhere in the world without reliance on specialised hardware.
MATERIAL CHOICE
Selecting a suitable 3D printing material for the MOSQUITO was not easy. A wide (and very expensive) range of materials were tested, including PLA, PETG, ABS, ASA, TPU, CPE, and some carbon fibre-filled materials.
Standard PLA by itself was not sufficient due to its brittleness, as it would snap under heavy environmental impacts. PETG faired slightly better. However, the range tested exhibited a crystal-like shatter upon strong impacts, which was not desirable. Both ABS and ASA had good mechanical performance, but they require more stringent setups which makes them a hassle. TPU, despite being indestructible for airsoft uses, had too much flexibility regardless of the shore hardness, directly affecting the internal airsoft functions.
Contrary to popular belief, carbon-filled filaments perform worse (aside from stiffness) than the pure base material they are infused with. That is because these filaments contain chopped fibres rather than woven composites commonly seen on racing cars and bikes. Chopped fibres do not enhance layer adhesion.
In the end, PLA+ was chosen as the primary material for a few critical reasons. 1: Readily available everywhere. 2: Inexpensive. 3: Printed parts are physically tough. 4: Very easy to print. PLA+ differs from regular PLA in that there are additives that greatly increase the range of plastic deformation upon impact, making it much more suitable for airsoft.
WHAT COULD POSSIBLY...
One of the stranger ideas tested was the implementation of permanent magnets on the top cover, and the locking mechanism of the folding stock to reduce user interaction into a one-step process (shown above). Unfortunately, there were a few critical oversights with this.
Firstly, the top cover could fly off when running or bumping into the environment, especially if there was an optic mounted on top. Secondly, and similarly, the folding stock would not hold its position during the heat of moments in games, leading to frustration. Lastly, and most importantly, achieving the desired stable and locked positions required using magnets that had the size and strength to shatter themselves into fragments if they accidently collided with each other. As such, this idea was deemed a safety hazard and therefore scrapped.
MAGWELL DESIGN
The magazine had to be placed close to the grip to maintain the model's compact size. However, as the size of the airsoft parts internally stretched further forward, this led to a mismatch in the feeding mechanisms. This required creating a channel inside the magwell to redirect the BB path to the hop-up unit.
A clever design choice was to split the magwell into two halves which allowed the channel to be printed smoothly along the direction of the layer lines. If the magwell were to be printed as one piece, it would be difficult to post-process it internally.
MEASURE TWICE, CUT ONCE
It was important to test and validate each feature before moving on to ensure that functional problems that arose could be isolated and solved more easily. In this example, the smoothness of the flow of BBs through the magwell was tested, with great success. This meant that feeding issues down the line were not attributed to the magwell, one variable that could be confidently crossed out.
FIELD TEST
Once the Closed Alpha model was fully functional, it was taken to the real proving grounds: airsoft skirmishes. Weighing only 1.3KG, and with the stock folded, it was essentially half the weight and length of typical off-the-shelf airsoft models, giving it a huge competitive advantage in mobility.
As expected, it excelled in close-quarters scenarios as it could be comfortably wielded with one hand, effectively manoeuvring around corners. Accuracy and effective range matched every other rifle on the field as the MOSQUITO uses the same full-sized internals. The lighter weight also translated to noticeably lower fatigue over extended games.
There were, however, early shortcomings. The folding stock mechanism occasionally jammed, and the selector was not the most reliable. Even so, the skirmish tests proved the concept of the MOSQUITO to be reliable; it was a strong and successful first step.
