F7U-3M Cutlass

The Cutlass was one of the most radical fighter designs to ever achieve fleet service with the US Navy. It was the first tail-less airplane to go into production in the United States, and the first US jet fighter designed from the outset with afterburners.

When everything worked right, the Cutlass was a joy to fly. Unfortunately, there were a lot of things that could go wrong, and they frequently did. By the time the Cutlass entered the U.S. fleet in 1954, it already had a reputation. Word on the Cutlass was out: it was underpowered, hard to maintain, and had a tendency to kill or cripple its pilots. It could ruin your day - or your career.

The Kit

Our kit was originally based on Roger Winger's pusher-powered Cutlass design that took second place overall in the RCGroups.com 04/05 Jet Design Contest (Pusher).

We re-engineered the design for EDF, and added a scale-outline built-up wing. Our kit includes all laser-cut balsa and ply, full-size plans, construction manual, authentic decals and a vacuum-formed canopy.

Even better, our revised Cutlass is suitable for your choice of MiniFan EDF or 400-size pusher power.

We also offer the Cutlass sized for a 90mm EDF or two WM400 midi fans.

Steve St. Martin - the Master Craftsman of Model Aviation - just finished building the second mini-fan Cutlass prototype, and recorded the build at RC Groups Ezone.

Steve's build thread for the 90mm version is at RC Groups Ezone.

Flight Report by Steve St. Martin

I have been building and flying models for 51 years, and every now and then a design shows itself that simply amazes me. I built the first prototype Cutlass in the late winter of "08". Test flights were late spring. It has flown two seasons and still thrills me with its wide envelope of flight. It will fly so slow you will get bored. Or, so quick that the verticals never seem to stop. On a recent video, 75% power resulted in a 95mph pass.

It can be flown as tight-in as a second prop trainer, or wide maneuvers that are full scale. Roll rate can be so fast it's hard to count. I have yet to stall it into a snap. Stalls are just a mush and loss of altitude. Because of the very low frontal area, she will glide forever. 25% power will fly the jet with a 500W system. I get consistent launches with 10 pounds pull on the bungee, 50% fan power, and holding 50% up elevator.

Click here for a video of Steve's Cutlass

To order this kit, please go to the Kits page.

Free Downloads