XF-18 Super Hornet - Twin 70mm EDF Jet - Build Pics & Plans

[Mid7night]

Thanks for that detail on yours, Carl. Now I'll have to take mine off the wall and go weight it...

Meanwhile, to your mentions of BDF variants: They will ABSOLUTELY be lighter, and must be necessarily. But their whole power system is lighter, and that's the point of going that direction. These plans would not work with a BDF as they're currently sized, so expect the BDF-Overstreet F-18 to be a bit bigger: It runs on two 4" diameter BDFs.

Update: Ok, my Blue Angel F-18 SuperSuper Hornet, ready-to-fly with batteries weighs 8lbs -11oz. O_O

Good thing it's got two beefy 6S 74mm metal EDFs!

 

[wilmracer]

Update: Ok, my Blue Angel F-18 SuperSuper Hornet, ready-to-fly with batteries weighs 8lbs -11oz. O_O

So I went to the way back machine and found some details on the one I built as a pusher. By ripping everything out of it, switching to a pusher prop setup, and pushing the battery as far forward in the nose I was able to get the weight down to just under 5lbs. It would float for days, even without flaps. I'm pretty sure we're both going to be fine. I'm just hoping I get it dialed in on the first flight, because hand launching it myself will be the most risky part of every flight.

 

[The Hangar]

Ok, so I ordered an EDF for the F-16 but due to slow shipping because of corona virus, it's ETA from Amazon is in about a month. So I'm going to build the F-18 while I wait. I really wanted to buy freewing 6s edf's for this project but since I'm still in school and cash is kinda low, I just couldn't justify dumping $150 into it at the moment, so I'll be making it as a pusher prop version. I'm thinking that by keeping the build light, the FT radial 2218 should be able to carry it around just fine on 4s. I know it won't look or sound as cool, but hey - it'll still be an F-18. I will definitely put the lights in the ducts though, since those up the cool factor by several notches.

 

[ScratchBuildMast]

Thanks @Mid7night I love this! Is there going to be an XF-15 in the future??

 

[wilmracer]

Ok, so I ordered an EDF for the F-16 but due to slow shipping because of corona virus, it's ETA from Amazon is in about a month. So I'm going to build the F-18 while I wait. I really wanted to buy freewing 6s edf's for this project but since I'm still in school and cash is kinda low, I just couldn't justify dumping $150 into it at the moment, so I'll be making it as a pusher prop version. I'm thinking that by keeping the build light, the FT radial 2218 should be able to carry it around just fine on 4s. I know it won't look or sound as cool, but hey - it'll still be an F-18. I will definitely put the lights in the ducts though, since those up the cool factor by several notches.

This will make a GREAT pusher prop conversion. Good luck and be sure to share your progress!

 

[SlingShot]

Thanks for that detail on yours, Carl. Now I'll have to take mine off the wall and go weight it...

Meanwhile, to your mentions of BDF variants: They will ABSOLUTELY be lighter, and must be necessarily. But their whole power system is lighter, and that's the point of going that direction. These plans would not work with a BDF as they're currently sized, so expect the BDF-Overstreet F-18 to be a bit bigger: It runs on two 4" diameter BDFs.

Update: Ok, my Blue Angel F-18 SuperSuper Hornet, ready-to-fly with batteries weighs 8lbs -11oz. O_O

Good thing it's got two beefy 6S 74mm metal EDFs!

Hey Ben. Nice work here! Can you eleborate a little on the differences between the EDF and the BDF. Reading between the lines it looks like the EDF's are giving more oomph?

 

[The Hangar]

Hey Ben. Nice work here! Can you eleborate a little on the differences between the EDF and the BDF. Reading between the lines it looks like the EDF's are giving more oomph?

A BDF is a race quad motor with a high kv spinning a tiny prop that is inside a duct. They are more efficient than an edf but they will have a lower top speed. Basically thy are a cheaper and more efficient version of an edf, but you sacrifice sound and top end performance.

 

[Crawford Bros. Aeroplanes]

Man, this is BEAUTIFUL! I would really love to build one but the edf's I was looking at were $40 a piece, and then I'd need to buy some 80 amp esc's which are another $40 a piece, and that doesn't include a 5000 mah 4s pack which would probably be another at least $50, probably more like $80. So unfortunatly this project is out of my budget at the moment, but I have the F-16 plans printed off and the batteries for that so all I need is one EDF and one ESC!

These might cut the cost a bit for the F-16

http://www.valuehobby.com/skywalker-80a-esc-t-connector.html

http://www.valuehobby.com/powerfun-70mm-edf-3300kv.html

 

[The Hangar]

These might cut the cost a bit for the F-16

http://www.valuehobby.com/skywalker-80a-esc-t-connector.html

http://www.valuehobby.com/powerfun-70mm-edf-3300kv.html

Hey, thanks for the links! I had seen the powerfun edf’s on eBay and Amazon but hadn’t realized they were from valuehobbies - plus they are cheaper from the valuehobbies website and also there are way more specs.

 

[Crawford Bros. Aeroplanes]

Hey, thanks for the links! I had seen the powerfun edf’s on eBay and Amazon but hadn’t realized they were from valuehobbies - plus they are cheaper from the valuehobbies website and also there are way more specs.

$30 for a complete EDF and motor isn't bad

 

[OliverW]

I think that Hobbywing and Castle creations make the best ESC's out there. I highly recommend them

 

[The Hangar]

$30 for a complete EDF and motor isn't bad

Not at all!

 

[Mid7night]

I finally got all the decals and the wingtip rails on, AND it stopped raining long enough to take a few shots outside. It sucks everything is shut down right now - gonna be waiting a while just to maiden this bird.

 

[mayan]

I finally got all the decals and the wingtip rails on, AND it stopped raining long enough to take a few shots outside. It sucks everything is shut down right now - gonna be waiting a while just to maiden this bird.

I hear you so much I want to fly and just can’t go out to field because we are under lockdowns at home.

 

[wilmracer]

Looks fantastic!

 

[Crawford Bros. Aeroplanes]

I finally got all the decals and the wingtip rails on, AND it stopped raining long enough to take a few shots outside. It sucks everything is shut down right now - gonna be waiting a while just to maiden this bird.

There's probably somewhere you can sneak off to. There's a spot in Chino I'm probably going to try to fly a sailplane at later.

 

[BATTLEAXE]

There's probably somewhere you can sneak off to. There's a spot in Chino I'm probably going to try to fly a sailplane at later.

I am lucky that way I can walk 5 mins in any direction and I am still isolated. Even though we aren't under sanctioned lockdown there is a personal space sense of awareness now, which is respected. I am still miles away from any common human contact, unless there is a car that passes by me on the road which is 100 meters away from me anyway. I think if travel is limited then it makes it tough to just drive out of the city to a farmers field or random clearing to get a flight or two in. But just because the official field is closed doesn't mean there are no un-official fields that can't be found.

 

[Crawford Bros. Aeroplanes]

I am lucky that way I can walk 5 mins in any direction and I am still isolated. Even though we aren't under sanctioned lockdown there is a personal space sense of awareness now, which is respected. I am still miles away from any common human contact, unless there is a car that passes by me on the road which is 100 meters away from me anyway. I think if travel is limited then it makes it tough to just drive out of the city to a farmers field or random clearing to get a flight or two in. But just because the official field is closed doesn't mean there are no un-official fields that can't be found.

Exactly. Here in Socal it can be a bit difficult finding good flying fields though, but there are some great places for sloping.

 

[The Hangar]

I finally got all the decals and the wingtip rails on, AND it stopped raining long enough to take a few shots outside. It sucks everything is shut down right now - gonna be waiting a while just to maiden this bird.

That looks incredible!

 

[Mid7night]

Exactly. Here in Socal it can be a bit difficult finding good flying fields though, but there are some great places for sloping.

Yeah we’re not in total-lockdown, just the fields where I fly jets - with paved runways - are also parks-land. So when the state told the parks commission to shut down, all those fields had to lock up too. 😣
There certainly are other places to fly, but So.Cal is pretty densely populated, you’ve got to drive quite a ways to find anything “deserted”. Basically the desert 🤣