Hornet 50

Now available!  Quick build super flyer part kit of the modern classic F-18 Hornet for 50mm EDF

£79 + £10 Blue Blasters Sticker Sheet +£10 P&P UK mainland

EnglishElectricModels presents! Continuing our mission to make classic kits of classic jets, we are delighted to announce our super little Hornet 50 part kit - a near scale but quick build F-18 Hornet for 50mm EDF.

The model has gone through some evolution to reach this final production design.  The original prototypes were smaller for 3S fan units– this production version is 12% bigger (linear, 25% bigger in area) and we have made the wing slightly bigger again.  This increase in size and wing area makes it a good match for the newer 11 blade 50mm fans that are available and weightier 4S batteries.   The wing is flat sheet as the scale wing would be very thin – but we have also tilted the wing leading edge down to make a better airfoil shape. 

The upper fuselage is a hatch which sits between the foreplanes, giving good access to battery, receiver and ESC.  The spine provides a good cable duct for the motor cables to the ESC, and aileron servos sit either side of the intake ducting, so the overall gear installation is neat and unobtrusive.  The Hatch for the EDF unit sits neatly between the fins

Construction is very straightforward and the result is a quick build model that really captures the look of the Hornet and flies great –

On a 4S EDF Hornet 50 has plenty of power with big loops, slow rolls and fast passes looking very impressive.

Flown smoothly our little Hornet tracks very nicely through turns and is a joy.  However, there is more fun to be had – it is probably the effect of the foreplanes generating vortex lift and higher angle of attack, but the nose can be pulled up hard and the little jet will pull a ninety degree corner.  Square loops, cobras can be thrown.  Another great looking manoeuvre is a spiral loop. The first half of the loop can be flown normally and then pull hard from inverted so the second half is half the radius of the first or less.

Hornet 50 is available to buy as a part kit. To purchase, email us at englishelectricjets@gmail.com or leave a message on the website

Hornet 50 – Part Kit

This is a part kit, which provides the major and time-consuming components to build a scale R/C EDF jet.   It contains laser cut ply and balsa parts:

• 3mm Liteply fuselage formers
• 2.5mm balsa fuselage sides
• 6mm Balsa wing sections
• 1.5mm control horns
• 5mm Balsa tail and intake sections
• 6mm wing and foreplane sections
• Carbon Tube, rod and strip
  • 2 off 5mm dia x 64mm long tube tail axle
  • 2 off 2mm dia x 40mm torque rod
  • 2 off 4mm dia x 10mm rod axle plug
  • 5mm wide x 0.5mm deep carbon strip x 37.5cm log x 2 (keel)
• Brass bearing tube 2 off 15mm x 6mm dia.
• Vac form canopy
• Plans
• Instructions

To finish it you will need to provide:

• 3mm balsa strip
• Triangular section balsa 12.5mm
• Art card for ducting
• Covering and finishing materials
• Glue
• 50mm EDF unit and speed controller
• R/C gear