A Maker 3D-Printed an RC Cruise Missile and Dropped It From a Plane

What He Built

Jay Kujan, the RC creator behind @jaysrcgarage, posted a video of a 3D-printed cruise missile that actually flies. The body has Raytheon and NAVY decals, a white-and-red paint scheme, and folding wings that deploy in mid-air.

The missile runs a 30mm electric ducted fan on a 3S 850mAh battery. That 12-blade micro unit weighs around 8.8 grams and produces 50 to 56 grams of thrust. For a cylinder-shaped airframe, that is enough to stay airborne and handle a drop launch.

The Air-Drop Test

Getting the missile airborne required a carrier plane. Kujan mounted it beneath an E-Flite Carbon-Z T-28 Trojan, a 2.0-meter wingspan foam warbird. A custom release mechanism wired to a spare transmitter switch drops the missile on command.

The crew waited for a Russian-style RC jet to finish its landing run. Ground effect gave that jet an unusually long final approach. Once the strip was clear, pilot Dylan lifted the Trojan and climbed out. The missile fell free, the wings unfolded, and the EDF spooled up.

Why It Matters

A missile body with internal wing-fold mechanisms and a ducted fan bay used to be a serious fabrication challenge in balsa or foam. A 3D printer turns it into a file download and a few hours of build time. The RC community is already pushing EDF-powered jet designs on platforms like Printables. Kujan's project shows where that trend goes when someone has the ambition to combine a working airframe with a theatrical launch.