Over the years I have attempted to put together several electric fun/3D/aerobatic planes to have something I can throw in my car and fly when I feel like it. But I have been disappointed at every turn. There was always one or more of these problems, The planes were too small and too delicate or they didn’t fly well because of their lightness and/or lack of power. Power systems are always a mystery with no really good information on what to expect causing a simple fun plane to turn into a costly R&D project to find what motor/prop/ESC works.

I decided to address this problem with my own product. The new Edge-540E is 56” wing span with 525 square. inches of wing area. It weighs 2.75 lbs ready to fly without a battery and 3.5 lbs including a 4s3300 Lipo battery pack, ready to fly. It is scaled down from our 88” Edge and has many of the same features plus some new ones that are specifically suited for electric power.

The Slick 540 version is the same plane but with double-taper wings (like an Extra). Both leading and trailing edges are swept, unlike the Edge which has a perfectly straight leading edge. I find the Slick version to be slightly more stable while the Edge is slightly better suited to 3D type flying.

The bottom 2 photos show the Slick version of the plane and the upper two show Edges. As you can see there is very little difference.

This little beauty has a fiberglass cowl and wheel pants. The cowl mounts on a cowl ring and is pre-installed, looks great and works just like the big Edge.

The pre-installed and drilled motor mount firewall accepts a wide variety of motors. Just bolt it on. A variety of pre-drilled spacers are provided with the kit to allow for adjustment of motor position.

The carbon fiber landing gear is strong and light, beautifully made. The tail surfaces are keyed so they are automatically aligned correctly. It has a very flexible servo configuration, use either standard servo or mini’s for elevators and rudder.

Like our larger planes the Edge has a full length top hatch, but in recognition of the fact that the hatch must come off to change flight batteries it has has a quick release latch PLUS attachment screws for added security.

The battery mounting area is long and unrestricted, accepts large packs with room to move the pack(s) around for balancing. There is allowance for cooling air to flow through and there are vent holes that can be opened up in the bottom and under both wings.

We use removable wing panels which mount on a carbon-fiber tube spar, just like the 50cc Edges.

We use a real spring mounted steerable tailwheel, no more single wire strut dragging in the back. And we use strong CA hinges on all surfaces that are easy to install and reliable.

Complete hardware is included with the plane and it’s all good stuff that is appropriate for a plane this size. Hardware includes “glue-in” composite control horns, pushrods that are pre-made to length. There are no “quick connect” links, all pushrods use clevises and Z bends, nothing to slip or come loose.