Well lets get started at the very beginning and define EDF Jet.  The EDF stands for Electric Ducted Fan, which is basically a propeller mounted inside some form of cylinder or duct.  These applications are used in everyday real aircraft, such as fighter jets and airliners.  Any sort of housed Jet motor has a fan mounted inside it.  So these R/C model jets, are modeled pretty true to their origin jets.  

A ducted fan doesn't have to be powered electrically, it may also be powered by gas.  Our site mainly focuses on those that are electric, because most remote control models are powered electrically for many reasons.  The number one reason being cost, a electric jet engine is far cheaper than any sort of jet turbine or gas powered jet engine.  

So what type of Advantages do a ducted fan jet have over a propeller?  The number one advantage is Thrust, these ducted fans direct all thrust backwards, which leads it to be a much more efficient.  So a much smaller ducted fan can generate the same amount of thrust than a much larger propeller.  Another advantage is that a ducted fan allows for much higher speeds than a propellor, because air is directed into the duct, allowing for more flow and thrust. Ducted fans also allow for something called thrust vectoring, when you can direct the thrust in more ways than parallel.  So you might see some jets that have tilting parts that allow you to control the EDF Jet using its own thrust.

Now that you understand how a EDF Jet is powered we can talk about how it is controlled.  Of course what you will be holding in your hand is the radio transmitter.  This transmitter controls the planes actions during flight.  They are described by the number of channels they operate with. You will see either something like 2-channel, 4-channel, or 6-channel for example.  What that means is, the more channels the more motions of control there are.  So a 2-channel would just have 2 joystick motions, a (up and down) motion and a (left and right) motion.  So we would recommend a fewer number of channels for the less experienced flyer.  Of course there is a second joystick that controls the thrust of the engines, pretty much the accelerator petal for your model jet.

Now what do those joystick motions control on the plane, to allow it to perform maneuvers?  Well, these EDF Jets will have servos mounted or you will need to mount the servos yourself.  A servo is a mechanism that performs commands, or a simply motion, in the case of a RC plane.  The servos have a small thin arm that is attached to the elevators on the jet.  An elevator is the small flap on the wings or tail of a plane that redirects air, which allows for steering and control.  So basically when you pull down on your joystick to ascend the jet, a signal is send to the servos which controls the elevators to rise, thus lifting the jet upward.

That is pretty much all the basic knowledge of an RC EDF Jet, and those basics will help you understand the physics of these jets.  Now that you understand the ins and outs of these jets, you only have to decide which model is best for you.  There are pretty much models made after most fighter jets and airliners, so its up to you to decide which ones is best suited to your liking.  Its always best for a beginner to select a ready to fly (RTF) jet, so that you have all the parts you need included in your purchase.  These Jets operate on battery power and will simply require a recharge to keep it coming back to the skies.

So enjoy your EDF Jet