A new Hawk on the way

[AMTJIM]

http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXGZK6&P=ML
Looks pretty good, it's a spd 400 pusher.

[demetrius]

http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXGZK6&P=ML
Looks pretty good, it's a spd 400 pusher.
yea you're right, not bad!!

[Robert May]

Very nice

I can't help wondering how much these guys have been influenced by the incredible popularity of the stuff produced by Nigel, Matt, Ron and co

[skyhawk]

They go like stink on the stock setup! They might just give GWS a run for their money!

There is a review with videos here on ezone somewhere. They also have an su-27 an an F-16 (both pushers) - VERY FAST!!! :cool:

[skyhawk]

Here is the link: http://www.rcgroups.com/links/index.php?id=4426

The videos are hot! They (jets) are all speed 400 size pushers with a gearbox.

[Racebelly]

I've been watching this on Towers site for awhile now. This is a must have for me as I'm a big Hawk fan. It has been delayed until the end of this month though. I hope they don't delay it anymore. I can't take it! :D

-Mark

[JPHen]

Available this morning - placed my order already. Get 'em while they're hot!

[bmizes]

I bought one too just now. It should be a nice complement to my flytosky.net F-16.

Barry

[Racebelly]

Bought mine last night. Can't wait to get it. Not sure if I'll go with the T-45 or the Red Arrows scheme.

-Mark

[JPHen]

Well Mark - will you take the honors of first to maiden or will Barry get it before both of us, since he is closer. I think I'm going to try my Kontronic 400-23 in this one... Guess we'll see.

Joe

[Racebelly]

Joe,

You guys will probably beat me to it. I still need to get my motor. Thinking of a Mega 1615/5 & a 6x4.5. Should give me plenty of omf on 3s LiPos.:D

-Mark

[bmizes]

Mark and Joe,

My kit arrived Saturday, but you guys will probably beat me since I have one other plane on my building schedule before I get to this one. I did open up the box and look at the kit and it looks very nice. I'm going to try it stock first before I put a brushless motor in it and really see what it can do. Good luck with your builds. Whomever starts on it first should post a build thread for others to see.

Barry

[JPHen]

Goodness Barry, how did you have it sent, next day? Tower told me the 28th or 29th. Could you give some details on the materials in the kit - what type of foam, etc?

Joe

[Racebelly]

Barry,

I'll definitely post pics of the build when I get mine. I too have a few other builds going right now but I'm going to try & squeeze this one in between. Good to here that the kit looks nice.

Is the kit depron foam?

-Mark

[bmizes]

Mark and Joe,

I received mine so quickly because Tower Hobbies is not too far from St. Louis, so I guess it's just a 1 day delivery. When I get home tonight, I'll try and take and post a couple pictures of the kit and it's contents. I'll have to see if the box says what type of foam it is - I only took a quick look last night.

Barry

[bmizes]

Sorry I didn't get pictures taken and posted last night - you know the routine, too much to do, too little time. I'll be out all tonight, so it looks like you will receive your planes before I can actually post pics. Nonetheless, I'll bet you will be pleased with what you receive from Tower.

Barry

[FlightofSong]

If you go LiPo in the Hawk, be sure to use a light motor and check that CG! A couple of millimeters off either way turns a really nice airplane into a nearly unflyable mess. That said, this airplane ROCKS. Even on the NiMH packs, it's got a lot of power, and really trucks along. How do I know? I did the stateside testing of the airplane before it went into production. The verdict: FUN!

I'll be looking forward to hearing what motors you guys toss in there. For an easy fit, the Ultrafly A/30/29 drops right onto the back, and kicks some serious butt: http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXGYC7&P=7 (link edited)

[bmizes]

Thanks for the tip on the Ultrafly brushless motor. Two questions:

1. Your post said to use the A/30/29, but your link went to the A/30/24. Which motor did you use or which one do you recommend?

2. There are no specs whatsoever for this motor on the Tower site. Do you know where one can go to find out more about the Ultrafly brushless motors so they can be compared to other motors that are out there?

Thanks.

Barry

[JPHen]

Barry - try www.aircraft-world.com. Nothing but good things to say about them. I'll be running a Kontronic Fun 400-23. FOS - I have an Etec 3s2p 2400 and a TP 3s 2100, and lastly a Tanic 3s2p 3000 - so I'll find the cg, one way or another....

Just looked at the specs for the Ultrafly - goodness! Only 53 grams?!?!?! I may have to rethink the Kontronic motor....

[FlightofSong]

I did mean the 29... The 24 works well, too, but the higher kV motor gives it the most zoot.

As to specs, the quick way to look at it is the last number - it's the kV/100, so the 24 has kV=2400, and the 29 has kV=2900. I've had trouble getting constants to work well in motocalc, but some others have had luck with them.

A quick search for Ultrafly will turn up a few more threads on the motors. The really nice thing is that they are tailored to fit in the same boxes as the stock Falcon 400 that comes with the Ultrafly planes.

[JPHen]

Does that mean that you're using the gearbox or is it direct?

[FlightofSong]

It seems to work best in the gearbox on the lowest ratio (1.98:1), spinning a 6X5.5E. On 10 1100mAh NiMH's it's pretty extreme.

Does that mean that you're using the gearbox or is it direct?

[JPHen]

Hmmmm. So 12 volt at around 1500 kv. If I decide to go direct drive with the kontronic and 3s lipos - do you think the small change in the thrust line will affect the flight?

[DrZiplok]

The problem with the Kontronik and LiPo is that you've moved a bunch of weight from the front (battery) to the back (motor). You may have a hard time getting the CG right.

= Mike

[JPHen]

Mike, that's the same thing I was thinking. For my other pushers (I have an S&B Komet and F-27 Stryker) I've used lighter motors (mega 16/7/8, axi 2208/20) and lipos and they've worked out fine. The little AXI is very light and may fit the bill. Check out www.flyingmodels.org. With a 6x5.5 prop and 3s lipos, I figure (guesstimate) around 20 amps and 180 watts. I think I need to find a different home for my Kontronic....

Joe

[Racebelly]

Any thoughts on the Himax 2025-3200 direct with a 6x5.5 or 6x4.5? If the Mega is too heavy then maybe the Himax on lipos would make a good combo.

The 2025's are about 1/2 oz. lighter & a bit cheaper.

-Mark

[Ralph A. D'Amelio]

Just got mine from LHS looks great going away for the weekend but will get to it Monday. Really looks good. Oh yea its the BAE HAWK!

[JPHen]

I think I'm going to stay up late tonight and see if I can bang it out. I was looking at the instructions this morning and it's designed for 8-10 1100 mah Nimh packs. The stock motor with gearbox is around 90 grams, so it should balance out with Lipos and my little AXI... If I can have it ready, I'll try to maiden tomorrow.

[DrZiplok]

Racebelly,

First thought is that you'd better be thinking 2s with that setup. 3s with a Kv of 3200 and a 5x5 is pushing 300W, wheras the 2025's are rated for 175W max. But none of the Himax motors are really happy DD.

A 16/15 Mega weighs the same as a generic 400 can motor, so your only issue becomes the thrustline (if the stock gearbox is offset).

My gut feeling on this plane would be the Mega 15/15/4 combat (5mm shaft) and 8 cells, turning something bendy propwise; say a Grish Tornado 5.5x4.

However, I'm looking forward to what folks actually do with it. If it's anything like Nigel's hawk, it wants to go *fast*, and no geared setup is going to provide that.

= Mike

[Sparhawk]

Two nights building and maiden is today. Right now she is completely stock. I will run 9 cell 950 KAN packs and see how she goes, but I have a couple HiMaxx motors lying in wait :D ! I also fly Nigel's Hawk and it will be interesting to see how it performs overall. Balances perfectly on the recommended 95mm CG.

AUW with:

2 Bluebird BMS-371 8g servos
CC 20 Pixie ESC
Hitec Electron 6 Rx
9 cell 950 KAN NiMh pack

And the total is:::::>> 19.5 oz

A before shot is in order!!

Spar

[Racebelly]

Mike,

Don't know what I was thinking. At 3200kv that would definitely toast the motor at over 300w. :eek: I'm planning on going 3s lipo so I think I'll go the 5T Mega on 3s rather than the 4T on 8 NiMH. Should be pretty fast at under 20oz. like Spar posted.:)

Spar,

Looks awsome!:D I can't wait to hear the maiden report. I'm on vacation this week. But, mine should be waiting for me when I get home next week.

Did you apply all the decals or were they pre applied? I ask because I'm thinking of maybe going with a Red Arrows scheme.

Thanks,

Mark

[Sparhawk]

I applied the decals, and if you do, the ones that show where you make relief cuts should be the ones that you apply first. The elevator linkage is a little tight, so, instead of gluing in the rods, just make the holes in the fuse for them and insert them later when you are ready to put in the rods.
Tip
When it comes time to insert the rods, insert the plastic rods in as far as it takes to match up with the metal rods. Once you do, push the linkage as far back as you can. Slide the plastic rods back out of the fuse (they are on the linkage rods at this point) and look inside the fuse, leave about a 1/4" of plastic rods showing inside the fuse. Glue in place, then cut off all of the excess plastic on the outside. It is a Royal B#@ch to align and get them out any other way.

I used 15 min apoxy very sparingly on the fuse. The supplied "foam glue" is actually pretty good and I used it for the rest of the build. It dries pretty quick too. You will also need to exrtend the ESC wires a bit to reach the battery to motor length as it is a fair distance apart.

The two part canopy is a cool idea of doing something and the rare earth magnets are very strong. I suggest mating the two parts (canopy and floor), mask off, then paint the underside of the bottom canopy floor black after the glue dries. Unless you plan on doing a full mockup of the cockpit.

There are loads of decals in the kit that will you to cut them off the sheet, Be careful when peeling them off the sheet or you will peel off the color layer and leave the tape side behind.

Parts are of excellent mold. I assembled my entire fuse dry before I started and the fit is very nice and tight.

Have fun on the build,
Spar

[Sparhawk]

Maiden:

Success! It flew right out off hand with no problems to get away. With the recommended throws (+-10 mm elev, +-6mm ail) it is a good starting point. Rolls are axial and very fast at this rate. Flies pretty good and scale looks are something to look at! Club members had nothing but good comments.

The Falcon 400 motor is probably a 7.2v version as I tested the amp draw on a fresh pack (9 cells) and it only drew 10.3 A. So it can still be propped up a bit to get a more optimum 12-13A. She will snap at the top of the loop and starts flying a course 90 deg from what you started, so watch out if using under 10 cells on the geared setup, as there is just not enough power to get you over the top without getting you into trouble.

Visibility was great and I had no trouble seeing it. Since Nigel's hawk is much faster, this was pretty slow compared to it for sure, but it is a nice flier. Follow the recommended throws as your low rate and if you can add a bit of expo do it, and dial in about 3 mm of up reflex in the elevator before flying.

One thing I forgot to mention earlier was that there is enough room in the forward battery bay area to dremel away another inch of material so that you have more room to move the pack ahead if you need to. So, I would recommend doing it before you glue the fuse together. My packs are 4 on 5 config, but a 10 cell pack will need to be in that config as well (5 on 5). Do not glue the gearbox to the stick. Mine was actually way too tight and I sanded the stick so that it was just a snug fit. This will allow you to pull it off the stick. That's if you need to later to make hop ups (read brushless :D ) to the setup.

Landings are a non-event if you keep some speed on. Get it really low on the deck then cut your power for it to slide in, else it might catch you offguard. Wind was a bit much today ~20 km and gusting, but what the hey, you can't sit on the bench forever.

Next setup might be on a DD brushless, or I might just change out the speed 400 and use the same gearbox.

Spar

[jefferyj]

Any videos of the Maiden jet looks sweet...

Thanks,
Jeff

[Racebelly]

Spar,

That's great to hear.:) Let's see some more pics.:D

-Mark

[Sparhawk]

Mark - about the decals. Before I went to far into the build, I took some 220 sandpaper and knocked down all of those molding bumps. It sands easy and it makes for a better surface for either paint or the decals. Even though I applied the stock decals, they are not too difficult to remove if you wish to paint it later. I,too, was thinking of painting it up into the Red Arrows scheme and might do it later. But it does look pretty good as is.

mmm - one thing I noticed is that the fuse was very well though out. On the inside, just above the wing saddle, there are two slots (one on each side) that run forward-aft from almost up to the nose and all the back to just ahead of the stab, and are perfect for some carbon fibre rods (go smalll here). I had some small dia rods and glued them in, thinking about a more powerfull setup later. Also, under the nose, there is a nice slot where air can enter the fuse and flow over the batteries. You can look in it and see darned near right down to the motor too. Very nice touch. As for air, the fuse is molded in such a way that the engine intakes could be opened up to allow more air in, as there is a molded channel on the fuse side that would accomodate it. Too bad there isn't enough intake area to drop a fan inside the fuse!!

Spar

[Ralph A. D'Amelio]

Gotta build mine tommorow or tue. if I don'y have cf rods for re-inforcement. Nice tips Do you think 3s1p 1900 or 2100tp will balanced included motor or should I go to my Mega 5t.

Ralph

[Ralph A. D'Amelio]

Gotta build mine tommorow or tue. if I don'y have cf rods for re-inforcement. Nice tips Do you think 3s1p 1900 or 2100tp will balanced included motor or should I go to my Mega 5t.

Ralph

[JPHen]

Ralph, I have a pretty light motor in the rear and the 2100 3s packs need to be moved forward about a 1/2 inch further than the stock placement would allow, so I did what spar did and cut some area out to accomodate that pack and my ETEC 2400. I also sanded the entire plane and will tape the bottom of the fuse for my landings prior to maiden. My AUW with the TP packs is only 15 oz.

Joe

[Ralph A. D'Amelio]

Great Joe, I got home early and luckily enough I had a .080 cf rod I inserted int the fuse grove that Spar mentiond and tack glue about 6 places with epoxy. I am sure that this grove going from le to te was meant as a location for a longitudial spar that would prevent the fuse from cracking at the le or te as most foam planes do, due to bending stress.

With a mega 6T I can get it to balance with the TP2100d move foward about and 1.5 ".

I also found its easier to start the split elevator rods into the tubes when you glue the sides together. BTW I needed to cut back the plastic tubes (in the fuse ) about an 1.25 to get the pushrods to reach the elevators without binding. You should dry fit to make sure you have the required movement.

I also plan to fg/wbpu the nose and under belly to take landing loads landing abuse.
My camera batteries went dead but will take a few shots tonite.

I really like this kit!

Ralph

[JPHen]

I'd have maidened the plane today, but my mojo wasn't working as I totaled my Stryker earlier in the day. I'll need an expedition to find it... :-( Not going to take my chances, I'm already $300 lighter in the wallet b/c of it (Kontronic, Berg, Tanic, etc....).

BTW - Ralph - I was thinking of fg too, but didn't want to add too much weight.... I do know one thing, though. If I have some weight to spare, the bottom of this plane will be painted red.

Joe

[JPHen]

Ralph, forgot to ask - are you using a separate mount for the Mega? I tried to test fit the Mega into the stock 400 gearbox and couldn't get it in without reaming it out.

Joe

[Ralph A. D'Amelio]

I had pick up a laser cut gimzmo from ALLRc or Stevens aero its a mount that adapts to the gws gb mounting stick beam? You are right about needing to ream out the 400 gb to fit. Having flown other pushers with maginal to reasonable success I am looking forward to this one.

I should come in around 18 oz I know better tonite.

[Sparhawk]

Ralph - I used the exact size carbon rod .080 and adds very little weight.

I also found its easier to start the split elevator rods into the tubes when you glue the sides together. BTW I needed to cut back the plastic tubes (in the fuse ) about an 1.25 to get the pushrods to reach the elevators without binding. You should dry fit to make sure you have the required movement.

This is what I meant. If you hold off gluing in the plastic tubes, you can assemble the fuse and then insert the tubes as far forward so you can install the elevator rods, then pull the plastic rods back out of the fuse and leave about a 1/4" - 1/2" inside the fuse. This is what I did so that the rods wouldn't bind.

So, are you guys going to use the existing gearbox with the Mega? Let us know on how that setup works (& prop) as I have a HiMAxx 2025-4200 that I can change out for the Falcon motor.

Spar

[JPHen]

Spar - I'm using an AXI 2208/20 with the ply stick mount that sold at Stevens Aero and I think Ralph is going to use the same mount. Ralph that reminds me - you will need to carve some foam out of the way for the ply mount to work.

You know - I didn't get the fg rods for the front of the stab nor the depron control surfaces. I let Charlie Hua know about this and he was going to see if it was a problem with the other the other kits. Sounds like you guys got yours. No big thing, I cut my own depron from my junkyard and I was going to tape the leading edge anyhow. Just a nuisance.

[Ralph A. D'Amelio]

Motor wise I got a couple of choices stock, mega 6T dd or as Joe got me thinking my Axi 2212/20 runs my Spitfire real well.....although the mega really pulls my Formosa at a good clip. Also once the HV tail assembly is glue in place can't change the motors if you put the mount all the way in the fuse. Decisions, decisions.

I think the depron control surfaces is a great idea since the control surfaces tend to be soft.

[RMason]

Another way to go is a HiMaxx 2025-4200 in a GWS 2.8:1 gearbox and a 7X5 prop. 1:1+ unlimited vertical and good speed. Launch is a non event, just a little toss and off it went.

Rob

[Ralph A. D'Amelio]

Thanks Rob but have a Himax 2014/4100.
The Good & the Bad

The Bad News: :( On the maiden flight the prop hit my index and middle finger and give me two good gashes about 1" and 1.5" long. Thank goodness its a flesh wound but it poured blood like the dickens. Patch it up with my first aid kit and proceeded to try again. :eek: Its not like its my first pusher either. The reason I bring this up at all is I been flying about 30 yrs and consider myself a thoughtfull and safe flyer. But things happen. For newbies out there be careful with these pushers. On the next flight I proceed to launch under hand which is pretty easy since you have a large canopy/turtle neck to grasp.


The Good New :) I did put in my AXI 2212/20 7/4APC and TP2100 pack a little tail heavy. I need to add some wt to nose because its pretty pitch sensative being slightly tail heavy. It goes like a bat out hell. No problem with vertical.

Ralph

[Tram]

Wow.. that's pretty neat! Very nice price too! :)

[JPHen]

I've pointed Charlie Hua of Ultrafly models to the link. He was extremely helpful with every question I've had about the plane. I'd like to thank him for his wonderful customer service.

Ralph, did you ever fg the plane or did you fly without it? Sorry to hear about your mishap. I hope it wasn't too painful... Any more details about the flight?


Joe

[Ralph A. D'Amelio]

Joe, I did fg/wbpu the nose ..good thing I did and added the .080 cf rods because when it hit my hand it spiral in and the canopy just flew off :D

I really can't tell you too much about the maiden because I just wanted to see how it flew and went a few curcuits around the field and didn't like the cg and promptly landed.

The auw with fg is 17.2 oz and the little AXI flew it fast..fast ..fast. With a strong bl the extra oz or so should not make much difference. In fact I just might paint the nose, I need the wt in the nose anyhow :)

Ralph

[JPHen]

Ralph - you didn't fly it with your cut fingers, did you?

I'm only at 15.1 oz AUW so I think I'll go the fg route also. I know I'll be painting the bottom red though. I think I'll start with dual rates also. Any recommendations?

BTW - this has got to be one of the prettiest ARF's I've seen. Put me in line for their SU-27....

[Ralph A. D'Amelio]

Yes, I did..gotta maiden I thought the elevator setting was high but I believe it was because of the cg location. I believe if you get the cg right the settings are ok.

Ralph

[Ralph A. D'Amelio]

Had good early evening flights with the Hawk tonite. :D

Easy underhand launch...no finger cuts ;)

I added 1/2 oz wt to nose ....much better cg. Rock stable in straight flight wide turns are fine, quick turns at low speed will cause it to tighten the turn....not good ..need to keep speed up. Maybe be related to a to a nose nose heavy condition. I will drop down to 1/4 oz addition wt tommorrow. Also as Spar noted it you try to loop with insufficient power it will drop right out at the top.

You guys probably know this but while getting a new tire several weeks ago in the balancing area they had different size wts. I pick up a strip of six 1/4oz that had sticky tape on one side and you break off what you need. Easy & quick way to balance in known increments.

Looking forward to another flight tommorrow nite.

[skyhawk]

Does anyone have any pics?????????? :confused:

[Ed Waldrep]

Yes, pics please, especially of the internal layout of the fuselage. I have an urge to throw a fan in it. It would take new intakes and cardstock ducting but I think it could be done.

[charlie2020]

Hi Jet lovers,

I would like to thank you first for trying a new model from a brand new company!
Let me tell you guys a story of our company. When we start the company 16 months ago, we defined the power system and battery before we start anything. We selected the SP400 type motor and 1000NiMh battery in order to reach 100watt power. We want to use high volt with low current to reach 100watt. And 9.5amp by 10.5 is around 100watt. Then we start to find a motor that would reach this goal but can't find anyone that would give low current at 10+ volt. So we custom build one and ask somebody to manufacture it for us. That is Falcon 400 motor. This motor is a low KV motor which will deliver power with efficiency at hight volt. The logic is totally different from before. The KV is even lower than the SP 400 7.2V but may survive at 12volt or 3S lipo at 12.5amp continuesly.
All the models we developed is based on this power system. We redesign the airplane to fit the motor because we only have one motor now. Our models may fly very well because it was properly sized to fit this power system. And the power system is about 8-10% better in efficiency than the SP400 7.2V at 12volt operation. You may put in a SP 400 to test and you will know what do I mean.

Now back to the Hawk design! If you used the stock motor, it is better to fly it on 10cell NiMh or 3S lip. Because it was desgned to fly on this power. The model should not have problem to complete a 70feet loop with full throttle. It should not turn at the top if you have 100 watt power.
If you put on a brushless power, you would find there is additional power to do maneuver or vertical. However, the speed is not gaining too much because scale fuselage cause large cross section which generate pretty big drag. This model can not compare with pylon or similar designed models in speed. We try to compromise on scale and flying performance.
Forgive me if I am wrong! I think this model would be one of the best jet like flying foam models in the market in stock setting.

We are going to ship Extra 300S early Sep. The Su-27 is scheduled to ship on late Sep. F-16 is scheduled to ship on middle or late October.
Since this is a Jet forum, I would talk more on the Jet.
Su-27 is really a unique model. I would use "Aerobatic Jet" to describe this strange flying FUNNN models. The entire design team were blow away from the flying performance. We don't mean fast but many strange maneuver you can never imagine. You can even do torqu roll if you got brushless setting!

F-16 is between the Hawk and Su-27. Not too much Aerobatic as Su-27. We give 25% more wing surface to F-16 so that you can put in a lot more weight for stronger power system. You can also balance with heavier motor on the tail. Its top speed will increase a lot than the Hawk if you want to!

Sincerely yours!

[Ralph A. D'Amelio]

Charlie, you did an excellent job on the aerodynamic and a well thought and strong structural design. You are right it does fly quite well as is. Good luck and I will definitely buy more of your future products.

[JPHen]

I agree. A lot of times, building an ARF can be as frustrating as a kit. This was very straight forward. Now if I can find time to maiden the plane, I'll be happy....

[Ralph A. D'Amelio]

Some pics

ED I was thinking the same thing and putting my Alpha Mig 15 fan in it. Using the same inlet /outlet areas would be difficult to achieve without a lot of modifications

Joe Apple Barrel craft red paint is a good match its on the nose.

[flanker]

very nice Ralph. Did you do the panel lines as usual or does it come that way?

[Ralph A. D'Amelio]

Flanker, did them myself. I going tonite to fly about 7:30

[AirX]

Some pics

ED I was thinking the same thing and putting my Alpha Mig 15 fan in it. Using the same inlet /outlet areas would be difficult to achieve without a lot of modifications

Joe Apple Barrel craft red paint is a good match its on the nose.

Ralph,

what is the outlet diameter?

Eric B.

[Racebelly]

I got back late last night from vacation & my Hawk was just sitting there waiting for me.:D I took a quick look at the kit last night & I have to say I'm very impressed. It's like a step up from GWS in quality for sure. The foam is better quality & the moulding is much nicer. This is not meant as a bag on GWS but as praise for how nice this kit is put together. I can't wait to get started on the build. I need to buy the Mega first though.

Charlie,

Nice job.:) I can't wait for the SU-27.

Ed,

I was thinking about the fan also. I'll have to get a better look at the fus tonight. It looked a little tight for anthing more than a MicroFan. But, I didn't spend much time last night so I can get a better idea tonight. However, a MicroFan with a Razor 2500 on 5s lipos could work nicely if the weight was kept under 15-16oz.

-Mark

[flanker]

Any other mods? FG etc? what is AUW?

[Ralph A. D'Amelio]

Eric, if you mean on the Hawk its pretty small have to measure tonite, but my gues about 2-2.5" dia.

Flanker fg/wbpu the nose section and cf rods(.080) along fuse sides....its takes a beating....I show you tonite if you come to the field. AUW with tp2100 about 17.3oz

[Sparhawk]

Rear fuse exhaust area is 2" (50 mm).

Ralph, I just did some weight comparisons, and if I ditch my 9 cell KAN pack and use a 3s TP2100, my AUW will be 16.75 oz!! That's almost a savings of 3oz. I also have a HiMaxx 2815 - 3000 that I am trialing in a Nigel Hawe's Hawk, and it might find a new home in this if it works out ok.... either that or buy a new one for the UF Hawk! :D Nice panel lines on your ship too. I think I might have to add them to mine after seeing that.

Spar

[AirX]

Hi Guys,

The 50mm-64mm exit is good for anything from sounds like the microfan tothe Vasa 55 would be enough for it.

Cheers,

Eric B.

[DiabloKid]

this plane is now on my WishList :)

[Racebelly]

Eric,

The MicroFan would fit fine. But, the VASA 55 would need the lip removed to fit the fus width. I checked it witha VASA 55 I had lying around. Even with the MF you would need some serious ducting mods & sanding inside. Or, probably a better idea would be to mount the fan far in the back & cut a cheater in the bottom.

Looking at the wing & fus I'm thinking some GWS or Wattage retracts might fit nicely.:)

This is a really nice kit. The foam moulds are top notch and it comes with everything you need, even the magnets to hold the canopy down.

-Mark

[Ralph A. D'Amelio]

Flew again last nite but with my son John as the pilot who is an exceptional pilot amd likes to fly quite fast. Like they say across the pond it goes like stink :D (I assume that means fast)

Looks relly fantastic on a highspeed fly bys. Flew about 15 minutes on tp2100 ; 5 minutes and then a cool off break. On the last flyby at 20' off the deck John was rolling the sucker like crazy. Canopy pops off and throw the bat out :eek: It came to a dead stop in mid air and just flutter down. Broke the motor mount only. :) Everything else ok , had a spare mount and its ready to go again :D

You going to love this plane.

Ralph

[AirX]

Hi Racebelly,

Thanks for the information on the fuselage, one thing that might do away with a cheater is to wipe the fake intakes off the sides an dreplace with a more proper intake structure that is made from FFF or Depron and sanded to shape. Just a thought, I am too involved in several other projects to work in that direction but the idea of getting such a high quality molded fuselage of the Hawk is tempting.

Eric B.

Eric,

The MicroFan would fit fine. But, the VASA 55 would need the lip removed to fit the fus width. I checked it witha VASA 55 I had lying around. Even with the MF you would need some serious ducting mods & sanding inside. Or, probably a better idea would be to mount the fan far in the back & cut a cheater in the bottom.

Looking at the wing & fus I'm thinking some GWS or Wattage retracts might fit nicely.:)

This is a really nice kit. The foam moulds are top notch and it comes with everything you need, even the magnets to hold the canopy down.

-Mark

[Ed Waldrep]

Yeah Eric, that's what I was thinking with the intakes, cut them off and build up some. For ducting you could use cardstock or poster board, and for access a hatch in the bottom behind the wing trailing edge.

Would someone please post some internal fuselage pics?! I'm gonna have to buy one myself just to see how it could be done!

[Racebelly]

Eric,

Yes, depron or FF inlets would work nicely. Still, it would take some work & sanding. I think this one I'm going to stick with the pusher & then later buy a second for a possible EDF conversion.

Ed,

If someone else dosen't beat me to it I'll take some pics tonight & post them for you.

-Mark

[Racebelly]

Ed,

Here are 3 interior shots. They're not the best but hopefully they will do...

[AirX]

Might be easier to splash a glass copy of the exterior for a one off than to fight the foam o this one. Ed might have some ideas on how to do it though he did a pretty good microfan conversion of the Wattage F-22 sometime back.

Eric B.

[Ed Waldrep]

Thanks for the pics Mark. It looks doable but would require some foam removal but it looks doable. Too many projects going for me but who knows.

The F-22 used an old Electric Jet Factory EDF 400 /Hiline Red Flame Blaster with a cut down Kyosho rotor. There wasn't much room, maybe 1/8 inch on top and bottom. It didn't get much attention, maybe because the Wattage F-22 is an ugly sport scale rendition of the F-22. The scale mistakes in the nose and canopy really detract from the looks. The conversion did teach me some things though, and sort of served as the inspiration for a midi sized F-22 that's still under development.

[JPHen]

Heck, Tower has replacement fuses for the Hawk on their website for $19. Maybe I'll buy the fuse and use a light bulb to melt the foam enough to fit a fan....

Joe

[Racebelly]

How did everyone connect the elevator pushrods into the Y-connector setup? I've tried solder & brazing to no avail. The brazing melted the brass fitting & bent the long rod as it got red hot. This is the only really annoying thing about this kit. They should have provided a y-connector pushrod setup. I've seen one but I can't remember who makes it.

Thanks,

-Mark

[charlie2020]

You can also apply a little Epoxy in the brass tube/ring before you press them together! In that way you don't have to soldering them! But make sure there isn't any oil on the wire! Apply some oil remover liquid before using the Epoxy is better!

Sincerely,

[Racebelly]

Charlie,

Thanks for the reply. I didn't want to use Epoxy as it doesn't tend to stick to hard metal too well. I'm guessing yours is pretty strong. I tend to go a little overboard when it comes to strengthening sometimes.

I was thinking of maybe just some JB Weld. I need new pushrods and a brass fitting now though. I guess it's back to the LHS. :rolleyes:

-Mark

[Tram]

You guys still enjoying this thing? :D

[JPHen]

Absolutely. Bought a second fuse from Tower to tinker with.... I actually found it to be a little nose heavy (even with Lipos) with my little axi... Very fun plane. I'm looking forward to their SU-27.

Joe

[Keith Buckner]

Thanx for all the info posted here, guys!

I just ordered all the airframe replacement parts to build on. In fact it's, apparently, ON the Fedex truck, out for delivery, right now.

I'll probably use dubro connectors and hardware that I already have in house, here, as well as a Brushless Mega or Multiplex. I'll skin it with Econocote or
Ultracote.

Total delivered price was only about $45.00.

[Ed Waldrep]

The problem I found with my Kyosho T-33 was when experimenting with film covering, the heat required to activate the adhesive on chrome ultracoat (and ultracoat is a lower heat covering than monokote) made the foam beads more apparent under the covering....it looked like a chrome coffee cup, really ugly. Maybe the foam on these Ultrafly models is different/denser.

There are other covering methods that don't require heat, like white tissue and water thinned white glue, or instead of tissue you use white computer paper. The brown craft paper will work but it's heavy and sorta overkill. There's glass and epoxy as well but it's tough to get a light finish. There's glass and WBPU but I've tried that and just wasn't satisfied with the surface hardness compared the weight....I think epoxy is better. Finding a lightweight primer is the key I think, Stits makes a product that I believe is non catalyzed and is very light when you pick up the can, don't recall the name but I've wanted to try it for a long time. I crashed my Wattage Mig 15 and had put on some glass with wbpu and after a week it wasn't much stronger/resistant to bending than a piece of paper when compared to the glass and cloth on another part.

[Keith Buckner]

Yeah... I hear that a lot. I've found EPS (styrofoam) covers great with Econocote. In my experience, EPP requires the use of a little 3M77, but have pretty much had no problems. I've been able to get a slick, smooth finish in all my attempts.

Some foam requires little pinholes to be run into the foam (there is a tool available for this) to do away with air pockets. You can also pinhole the covering material to help with this.

At 30 feet and 70+ MPH, I can't really tell the difference either way. :)

[Racebelly]

I was wokring on mine this afternoon a little. I'm using slikspan applied with Minwax polycrylic on the bottom of the fusalage and wing. The rest of the surfaces will be covered with a few coats of just the polycrylic. The silkspan works really nice with about 3 coats of the polycrylic. Plus just the Minwax fills in the small imperfections in the foam as well as creating a nice smooth waterproof surface.

I'll take some pics tonight & post them. Still not sure if I should just paint it white with the orange trim & use the T-45 setup. Or, if I should take the time to go with either the Red Arrows scheme or the early 80's BAe Hawk camo. Hmmm...

-Mark

[Racebelly]

Here are a few shots. It's a bit hard to see the shiney finish on the fusalage and the wing I only applied the middle Minwax. I used balsa filler & lightweight spackle to fill the inperfections in the wing. I also sanded off the fuzzies on the bottom of the wing.

-Mark

[Sparhawk]

With the sharp APC props, there were too many finger hits and I decided it was time to start using a safer method of launching. I built the PVC launcher found here on the 'Zone, and it works great! Now I can launch all of my pushers without risk of the need for bandages :) . My Nigel Hawe's hawk is brushless powered now and is a lot safer launching this way.

A pic of me a second after I hit the launch button :D !

Spar

[Tram]

Looks great! :)

[GAANDAHL]

Nice shot! The plane looks good.
George

[charlie2020]

Guy,

If you did not see it fly before, check it out at the bellow film
http://www.rcgroups.com/articles/ezonemag/2004/apr/charlie/hawk.wmv
Another Ezone report about our models. There is a lot pictures and film here:
http://www.rcgroups.com/links/index.php?id=4426

Charlie

[DiabloKid]

gosh darnit! Now I have to have the PC-9, Hawk and the SU-27 when they arrive!!

matt

[AMTJIM]

Sparhawk, great "flying field" pic! You got 2 of the classics in that shot...very rare to have yellow shirt and sandal guy and jumpsuit guy in one pic!!!

[Sparhawk]

hahahaha - you bet! Getting a pic like that is a rare find indeed. Ray, the coverall guy, was real curious as to how this was going to work. After 4 uneventful launches, I think I converted some doubters as to the effectiveness of the bungie. I just opened up a whole new set of doors for our club and the models they can fly.

Spar

(looking forward to the release of the F-16 and Su-27)

Another shot just before the catapult :D

[edge540t]

Thought I would chime in here, maidened mine today, Himax 2815-2000,3S 2000 mah Lipo, Direct Drive with the stock APC, 2 HS-55s mounted in the back for the elevators, CF Tube in the wing, CF Rod in the fuse, CF .25 X 3.00 X .005 to stiffen the stabs, Airbrushed the Red and Black areas then a thin coat of Mimwax Poly on the airframe to keep it clean. All up came to 19oz. Man, is this thing FAST, so fast that the camera guy couldn't even find it to keep up with it on the first flight and he's good, great flyer, don't pull to much in a tight turn, it will snap out, very little deflection needed on elevators, use your expo. Thanks...Don

[Racebelly]

Started painting mine today. Got all the silkspan & polycrylic done. Once it's painted it's pretty much ready to go except for the motor. I want to run a Mega 5T direct drive on 3s 2200's.

How did other mount a direct drive setup? Just curious if there is a special stick mount for direct drive setups. Or, if I need to run two sticks & a clamshell to get it done.

Thanks,

Mark

[charlie2020]

Hi,

Regarding direct drive mount. Ultrafly has a special 480/brushless motor mount which is exactly the same look as the 400 mount in the airplane package. However, we enlarged the diameter which just fit for the 400 size brushless motors Such as Mega 16/xx/xx series & Hacker B40, AXI 22/xx/xx,.. etc. The Ultrafly part No. is:
UF-PSBOX02 Brusheless/480 Plastic Gearbox Mount

You can use it to mount the motor just for direct drive!

Ask your dealer/distributors if this is in stock.

Charlie

[Racebelly]

Charlie,

Thanks for the reply.:)

-Mark

[Dennis L. Payne]

Hi Charlie, my Bae Hawk arrived from Tower Hobbies last week can you advise which of the brushless motors and ESC's should be used..? There is listed under UltraFly the A/30/24 turn or 29 turn and a choice of 15A or 25A Typhoon ESC's I like to order a large number items from Tower so I shall order a PC-9 as well so the motor / ESC selection for this would be of help. I have to say I very impressed with the quality of Bae Hawk.