Firehawk (oz10217)

About this Plan

Firehawk. Radio control sailplane. Wingspan 125.5 in. Wing area 1192 sq in.

Quote: "THERE has never been an airplane better named than the Firehawk. It possesses the attributes of the proverbial hawk! It's agile, able to work very light lift, and, best of all, it has an excellent lift drag ratio. What a dynamite sailplane for thermal duration contests! Not only will the Firehawk go head-to-head with the best of the super ships, but its dynamic range is broader.

This plane is pure fun to fly. Launches are steep, arrow-straight, and high. In fact, launch height will be consistently higher than most sailplanes on the field. The Firehawk is a stable airplane and not very difficult to fly. Response to control inputs is positive and quick. It tracks in turns as if on rails, with no tendency for the nose to fall through into the center of the turn. If you do manage to stall, recovery is immediate and gentle. As a matter of fact, once the plane is settled down after towhook release, only minor corrections are needed every now and then to maintain straight-and-level flight.

So far I've found no nasty habits. The plane will indicate lift just ahead of the confirming tone from the sniffler. I've been able to work turbulent, small-diameter lift about 50 to 60 feet from the ground back up to launch altitude. The thermal sniffler helps in centering the core and controlling pitch attitude while working lift. Flaps/ spoilers are required to slow it down for the landing, and once you get used to these landings, you won't want to land any other way. With practice, the plane's forward movement can be brought to a dead halt right over the spot at touchdown.

Construction of the Firehawk is rather straightforward and conventional. If you've built any of the more popular kits now available, the Firehawk shouldn't pose any difficulty. Try to save weight wherever possible, from the choice of wood to the application of glues..."

Firehawk, MAN, April 1986.

Direct submission to Outerzone.

Update 05/07/2018: Added the missing 3rd sheet now.

Supplementary file notes

Article pages, thanks to RFJ.

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