!Introduction

@FA-18.jpg:Here is a full-scale F/A-18 of the U.S. Navy Blue Angels squadron.

The McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing) F/A-18 Hornet is a modern all-weather carrier-capable strike fighter jet, designed to attack both ground and aerial targets. Designed in the 1970s for service with the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps, the Hornet is also used by the air forces of several other nations. It has been the aerial demonstration aircraft for the Blue Angels since 1986. Its primary missions are fighter escort, fleet air defense, suppression of enemy air defenses (SEAD), interdiction, close air support and reconnaissance. Its versatility and reliability have proven it to be a valuable carrier asset. The Hornet has also been exported to several nations worldwide.

Hobby Lobby's F/A-18 is offered in a RTF and a receiver-ready ARF version. It's an exciting model that's a joy to fly and is the perfect way to get hooked on ducted fan flying!

| spec2
| @F18-2.jpg
|> <b>Wingspan:</b> |< 28"
|> <b>Wing Area:</b> |< 256 sq in
|> <b>Wing type:</b> |< molded bead foam construction
|> <b>AUW weight:</b> |< 19 3/4oz
|> <b>Length:</b> |< 37"
|> <b>Wing loading:</b> |< 8.19 oz/sq ft (25 g/sq dm)
|> <b>Servos:</b> |< 3 – 9 gram micro-type
|> <b>Battery:</b> |< 3 cell 1300 mAh Lipo w/balance taps
|> <b>Motor:</b> |< Inrunner-type brushless
|> <b>ESC:</b> |< 20 amp brushless
|> <b>US distributor:</b> |< <a href=http://www.hobby-lobby.com/index.htm>Hobby Lobby</a>
|> <b>Available From:</b> |< <a href=http://www.hobby-lobby.com/index.htm>Hobby Lobby</a>
|> <b>Retail Price:</b> |< RTF - $229, ARF - $199

!Kit Contents

The review package shipped from <a href="http://www.hobby-lobby.com/index.htm/">Hobby Lobby</a>, and it arrived double-boxed and free of damage. The components were secured inside the box and were well protected. Since the F/A-18 is offered in RTF and ARF versions, the parts count is extremely low. In fact, the airframe consists of just eight pieces!

@FA-22.jpg: The box with its colorful artwork (the RTF version with radio is shown).

@FA18-6.jpg: Here are the contents ready for assembly!

*Kit includes:
*Prepainted foam fuselage nose with steerable nose wheel installed
*Left and right painted foam wing halves
*Prepainted foam main fuselage with ducted fan motor and ESC, aileron and elevator servos installed
*Prepainted foam elevator halves
*Prepainted foam vertical fins
*Hardware package (hold-down straps, screws and clevises)
*Wire main landing gear and wheels
*Battery and receiver compartments with ventilated doors
*Assembly guide and instructions
*3-cell 1300 mAh 15C LiPo battery
*12V DC balancing charger

*Kit requires:
*4 channel radio and receiver

!Assembly

The F/A-18 can be assembled in about 2 hours using 15 minute epoxy or UHU POR and a small Phillips screwdriver. The included Lithium Polymer wall charger is a 12V type, and it took a little over an hour to fully charge the battery. The photo-illustrated instruction manual has small photos, but the assembly is pretty straightforward.

@FA-20.jpg: The photo-illustrated instruction manual
@FA-21.jpg: Inside the photo-illustrated instruction manual

!!Wing

The ailerons and elevators are pre-hinged and use small plastic clevises with screws and back plates. There are molded depressions in the foam where the clevises install. The ailerons use a single servo with bell crank hardware on each wing to link them to the single aileron servo.

@FA18-10.jpg: The wing utilizes a single servo and bell crank-style hardware for the ailerons.
@FA18-8.jpg: The wing halves are glued to the fuselage with epoxy

!!Fuselage

The two-piece fuselage glues together with epoxy and the parts fit together very well. The canopy is held in place with canopy glue, but foam-safe CA would also work fine.

@FA18-5.jpg: The pilot (not included) sits in the cockpit of the F/A-18 interior
@Pilot.jpg: My custom painted pilot courtesy of my friend Doug Cohen. So nice to have talented friends!

!!!Tail assembly

The vertical fins glue in place with epoxy, and since the rudders are fixed, no other hardware needed to be installed here.

@FA18-9.jpg: The horizontal stabilizers and elevator halves are glued in place with epoxy
@FA18-15.jpg: A close-up of an elevator control horn with the clevis attached.

!!!Landing gear

I installed the pre-bent main landing gear into holes and slots on the underside of the fuselage with hold-down straps and screws. The steerable nose wheel was already installed from the factory!

@FA18-13.jpg: Here is one of the landing gear assemblies attached to the fuselage
@FA-23.jpg: The steerable nose wheel was already installed and was very sturdy

!!!Motor, ESC and battery installation

The inrunner brushless motor, 5-blade ducted fan and 20 amp ESC were all factory installed. The battery compartment was perfectly sized for the included 3-cell 1300mAh LiPo pack, and features a nice ventilated latching battery door. Another ventilated compartment houses the receiver.

@FA18-12.jpg: The battery compartment with its ventilated door
@FA18-11.jpg: The ESC is protected from damage by this plastic cover
@FA18-7.jpg: A view of the pre-installed fan unit with brushless motor
@FA-19.jpg: This 3S 1300mAh 15C LiPo battery is included

!!Finish

After installing my own receiver and battery, I verified that all control surfaces were at neutral trim. Only the ailerons needed some adjustment which was easy to do thanks to the included clevises.

I could not find any information on the Center of Gravity placement, but there was no room for the battery to move fore and aft, and using the “1/3rd of the wing chord from the leading edge at the wing root” method, the plane seemed to balance slightly nose heavy.

!Flying

I did a few taxi tests first to get a feel for the F/A-18's ground handling. I was very surprised at how much taxiing power the plane had. Just a few clicks of throttle were needed to get the plane moving, and the F/A-18 turned easily thanks to its steerable nose wheel.

!!Takeoff and Landing
I decided to start my takeoff roll with plenty of runway available. I started off by advancing throttle quickly to half, and the F/A-18 began to accelerate quickly. When I applied full power the F/A-18 lifted off in a nice, shallow climb and gained altitude quickly. The plane stayed level and felt very stable from the second it left the ground!

Although the F/A-18's all-up weight of 19 3/4 ounce might make you think the plane would land fairly hot, it slows down amazingly well with just a few clicks of throttle. It's also a lot of fun to try high alpha landings with a little more power and some additional up-elevator just before touchdown. The plane just felt smooth and rock-solid, and touch-and-go's off of a paved surface were a blast to perform!

!!Power
The stock inrunner brushless motor and 5-blade fan provided plenty of motivation for the Hornet. As you'll see in the video, it provided more than enough power for a brisk takeoff, yet the plane is not a speed demon. The fuselage has two intakes that provide plenty of airflow through the ducted fan chamber and the twin exhaust nozzles really look authentic. The 3-cell LiPo battery pack was fairly warm to the touch upon landing, but I'm told this is common with ducted fan airplanes, as they typically demand significantly more amp draw from their batteries and therefore reduced flight times. That said, I was surprised that I was able to fly the F/A-18 for over 6 minutes before the battery started to lag! The battery compartment could use a little better ventilation, but this could easily be accomplished by adding a homemade air 'scoop', like a plastic spoon for example.

!!Aerobatics/Special Flight Characteristics
The F/A-18 surprised me again with how gentle and predictably it stalls, and it recovered quickly once full power was applied, with no hint of a wingtip dropping.

Loops were big and smooth, and easily accomplished after starting a shallow dive and pulling back smoothly on the elevator stick. Again, the plane recovered beautifully each time a loop was performed.

Rolls were crisp and axial, and could be done slow or fast depending on the amount of throw.

Tail slides are actually one of the most impressive maneuvers the F/A-18 can perform. Just go to a safe height, then apply full power, and put the plane in a steep vertical climb. Chop the throttle, and the Hornet does a nice tail slide into a half-loop. Apply throttle quickly, and the plane recovers beautifully and predictably. You might even get a little half twist at the bottom of the loop (watch the video)!


!!Is this plane for a beginner?
Although the F/A-18 does require some aileron experience, I would have to say that if you're an intermediate pilot looking for your first ducted fan plane, or just wanting a great-looking semi-scale aircraft that is a joy to fly, look no further than the Hobby Lobby F/A-18 Hornet!


!!Flight Video/Photo Gallery
+FA18Movie.wmv: The F/A-18 doing what it does best!

@FA18-4.jpg:
@FA18-1.jpg:
@FA18-2.jpg:
@F18-2.jpg:
@FA18-3.jpg:
@FA18-1.jpg:

As you can see from the photos, the Hobby Lobby F/A-18 Hornet is a terrific looking aircraft!

!Conclusion
As I've previously mentioned, the Hobby Lobby F/A-18 Hornet is a fantastic flier and the perfect choice for your first ducted fan aircraft. It’s very nimble yet easy to fly, and even if you've never flown a ducted fan before, you will be look like a veteran the first time you fly it. Its factory-installed brushless ducted fan power system is surprisingly powerful, and the F/A-18's amazing speed range and stable flight characteristics put it in a class by itself. It is a plane you will want to take to the field every time you go!

*Pluses:
*Beautifully finished with factory painted Blue Angels colors
*Super-stable even at slower speeds
*Fast assembly
*Good instructions
*Good quality hardware
*3-wire servos allow easy programming of 72 MHz or 2.4 GHz radio systems

*Minuses:
*The plastic nosecone is very thin and can be dented if not handled properly.
The Hobby Lobby F/A-18 ARF is a great performer and an excellent value. It can be purchased in two versions, an ARF (almost ready to fly) version that is receiver-ready, or an RTF (ready to fly) with 72 MHz radio and receiver installed. Either way, you can not go wrong. See it at your local hobby shop or at <a href="http://www.hobby-lobby.com/index.htm/">Hobby Lobby USA</a>!

Many thanks to Mike Llewellyn, John Hadaway and Kelvin Ritchie for their help with the video and pics taken for this review!

In-flight photo #4 is my favorite!

This looks like a very nice way to help a budding EDf'er?

Just how many planes DO you have from Hobby Lobby???

Another nice one. Looks tempting.

-Lee

Thanks Jon, it would be an EXCELLENT choice!

Lee, is there such a thing as too many? Hope to see you at our toy drive/funfly on Dec 8th!

Ronnie

this reveiw is almost too perfect.

Originally Posted by flybye

this reveiw is almost too perfect.

So is the plane! flybye, I'm a decent r/c pilot, but this little plane really does fly that well and makes me look like a better pilot than I am!

Ronnie

I posted Flybye's maiden flight video...

www.myspace.com/rcihcc

to include his wonderful soldering skills for the lipo to ESC connection... LOL

Sorry Scott, had to include it...

I don't suppose this comes in grey? or better yet, not painted at all?

daved.. I thought I saw a teaser photo of it in grey but I dont recall where... it was in RCG but its not available yet...

Another Great Review Ronnie. I was really surprised at the slow speed handling of the F-18. I thought that most EDF jets would stall and fall out of the sky at anything less than half throttle. In the video, the F-18 looked rock solid. The recovery from the tail slides was almost a non-event. The bird just resumed flying as if nothing had happened. Looks like Doug's masterpiece pilot has a new home for a long time to come.
Mike McD

Another very nice review Ronnie with great still pictures and a very nice video. I think your F-18 is considerably faster then my SU-27 from Hobby Lobby. Hope to shoot my video on Saturday. Both fly nice and slow when that is desired. Wouldn't want to have to do combat with mine vs yours. Keep the peace. Mike

Michael... I have the SU-27 and FlyBye has the F-18... we flew back to back and the F-18 is faster... even after I upgraded to EFlite 400 (4200kv) motors which doubled the power of the SU-27... the F-18 comes well equiped. The only issue Flybye and I had with his F-18 was the paint job was terrible. You can see it in the video I posted.

thanks bryan, its cool. man after watching my vid it looks like I cant fly worth a dam. now that I have set expo and set the cg right it flys soooooo much better, smooth. wonder if anyone has flown with the radio that comes with the rtf version?

Thank You for that review.
I've been looking for more info on this plane.
I should be getting mine in a couple days
Happy Holidays

Thanks guys!