RC Airplane 101—RC Jets: Pusher, Ducted Fan and Gas Turbine Models

Gas turbine-powered jets are the fastest and baddest members of the RC airplane family but are strictly for only the most serious and experienced pilots. There is also the cost of gas turbine models, which can easily run into the thousands for engine, plane and radio system. For beginners and those with less advanced skills and smaller disposable incomes, an electric RC jet plane is a good alternative. The two types of electric-powered models are the pusher propeller and the ducted fan jet and each has its pros and cons.

Electric pusher jets are driven by one or two rear mounted propellers and powered by a brushless motor. While they do not come close to approximating either the look or unmistakable sound of a real jet, they do perform more like than a jet than an RC airplane and are slow and stable enough for novices and agile enough for intermediate fliers. Pusher props can be purchased Ready to Fly (RTF) or Almost Ready to Fly (ARF) and are the least expensive of all RC jet plane types.

The next step up in terms of realism is the ducted fan jet. Ducted fan models powered by an electric motor are called EDFs (for electric ducted fan) and those powered by a gas/glow engine are called GDFs (for glow ducted fan). If you have experience flying an RC airplane and want to add a jet to your flying stable, ducted fans are much closer to the real thing than pushers. Not as fast as gas turbines but faster than a conventional RC airplane, they are also not nearly as expensive or hard to fly as turbines and can be operated by intermediate level pilots. Some prefer EDFs over GDFs because they are cleaner and do not require the maintenance that a gas RC airplane does. Both types of ducted fan jets come in RTF and ARF models and a variety of construction and channel options.

Flying a ducted fan RC jet is quite different from flying a conventional RC airplane and practicing on a flight simulator can be a big help in making the transition. A good quality simulator will feature a variety of models to practice on and will help develop confidence as you upgrade your flight skills. At the speeds they travel, even jets made of sturdy, crash-resistant material can be damaged or destroyed upon impact, and training on a simulator can help reduce costly real-life crashes.

Wanting to fly a jet is why some get into RC aviation in the first place, but a jet is not a good first RC airplane. If you must jump right into jets, go with a slow and sturdy pusher jet and hold off on the EDF until you are fairly experienced. Strictly for advanced fliers, gas turbines are amazingly like the real thing but VERY expensive. If a turbine RC jet plane is your ultimate goal, my advice is start saving now!