A small, white airplane called Thor was an eye-catcher at a Berlin aviation show this week. The tiny, windowless Airbus plane was the first 3D-printed aircraft in the world.

Weighing only 21kgs and four metres long, the mini-plane was praised for “flying beautifully” and being “very stable”.

Thor, short for Test of High-tech Objectives in Reality, is a "pioneer that offers a taste of things to come", according to Airbus. 3D-printing technology promises multiple ecological benefits in aircraft, such as saving fuel and emitting fewer pollutants. The technology is also said to save time and money.

The little pilotless plane is printed with material called polyamide. The only parts that are not 3D-printed are the electrical parts of the aircraft.

"The printed pieces have the advantage of requiring no tools and that they can be made very quickly," said Jens Henzler of Hofmann Innovation Group.

Being a more economical solution for manufacturing aircraft, 3D-printed planes may cost half the price of its predecessors.