Fun Hawk (oz9777)

About this Plan

Fun Hawk. BAe Hawk. Radio control sport model for electric ducted fan.

Quote: "Hi Mary and Steve, I couldn't find this model on Outerzone so I've attached a copy of a plan and article in the hope that it's of interest to Outerzone watchers. Published in Radio Control Scale Aircraft (Volume 13 Issue 4 - I've no idea how to work out the date from that) the plan was originally published in RCME June 1996. It's an EDF profile model designed by Dave Chinery: the 'Fun Hawk', a model version of the BAe Hawk. I think it has some novel features including the aileron servo operation and tailplane construction.

Published in the R/C Scale Aircraft magazine as a 50% 'condensed version' of the RCME plan, the version attached is now scaled full-size for thirty five and a half inches wing span. The condition of the plan meant some work on the copy was required. The print quality if the original article was bad, and the attached version is the best that I could achieve from it.

Keep up the good work on your outstanding site! Best wishes, Paul."

Direct submission to Outerzone.

Update 16/1/2024: Added original article from June 1996 RCM&E, thanks to RFJ.

Quote: "Fun-Jet Hawk. Dave Chinery has Top-Gun fun with electric fans. Build this fabulous model form our Free Pro-plan.

Just when I thought it was safe to complete my working life building and flying and selling models and assorted bits, along came a nine to five job offer I couldn't refuse! The result is a severe limitation on the production of goodies from Flying Sparks, my little business.

One of the first things to go is the Fun-Jets, which regular readers will know are small semi-scale profile models far the Morley Jet-Elec ducted fan unit. Thanks to electric power, these are 'jets' you can fly in many local parks, rather than having to lease the nearest RAF station for the day!

Since I still receive quite a few enquiries for the Fun-Jets, it seemed a shame for them to just stop, so I will be offering plans for them from time to time to RCM&E readers. As you will see, construction is very simple, based on the use of blue Styrofoam wing panels. The remaining materials are conventional model shop items, and (with one exception) glassfibre techniques are not required, even to join the wings!

The profile fuselage construction does away with all the losses and complication of making ducts, etc, and the total cost of each airframe should be less than £25. Although undue weight should be avoided where possible, all the models will take standard size radio, and use of at least one standard size (Futaba 147 or equivalent) servo is a positive advantage for the aileron models. Full-sized (sub-C) six or seven cell 'long' nicad packs are used with buggy motors between 15 and 20 turns.

Many people bought the Morley Jet-Elec fan units to 'have a play with sometime', and have one kicking about on a shelf somewhere. If you are one of these, now's your chance to Jet Electric with an attractive proven design! Alternatively, the fan units are widely available from the model trade.

The Hawk Fun-Jet offers a lot of scope for different versions and colour schemes. Apart from the deserved popularity of the BAe Hawk as the mount of the famed Red Arrows, the variety of other versions includes the US Navy's new T45 Goshawk and the more warlike single seat Hawk 100 and 200. You can even fit underwing stores, although they will have to be very light and knock-offable for landing. Velcro patches are very useful for this. If you aspire to flying like the Red Arrows or the US Navy Tailhook Club, have a go! it won't need much investment in time or materials.

Talking of materials, these are all available from decent model shops. Apart from the blue-foam wing panels (cut yourself or contact one of the many foam wing suppliers), you need a 76mm wide sheet of 12.5mm (half-inch) balsa for the fuselage spine, a 76mm wide sheet of 3mm balsa for the tail surfaces and a 30cm by 60cm piece of 0.8mm ply for the fuselage skins and wing joining. Long thin balsa bits include a length of 18mm by 4mm trailing edge triangular moulding for the ailerons, some 6.5mm (1/4") triangle or square balsa for the wing LEs and a couple of strips of 1.5mm by 5mm (3/16") hard balsa for the TEs. Tougher stuff includes a length of 10mm by 12.5mm (3/8" x 1/2") "engine bearer" and a piece of 3mm hard balsa or light ply, 12.5mm wide and 300mm long. Toughest of all, you need about 50cm each of 16 SWG and 18 SWG piano wire. Sundry other minor bits and pieces are mentioned below or marked on the plan.

Wings: These go together very easily, starting with the LE which is made from a standard 85cm length of 6.5mm triangle section. Cut this at its midpoint into two identical 45cm long pieces, which are stuck by their widest side to the LE face of the foam blanks. The pieces are shorter than the foam and should be correctly fitted at the root end and left short at the tips. Make the top edge of the balsa almost flush with the top surface of the wing; the extra underneath is later sanded off and the whole thing rounded off to give a 'normal' LE section.

The TE strip is made from 1.5 x 5mm balsa strip stuck to the edge of the foam. You can't get two of these from a standard length strip, but the waste sections will be used in the next stage, the tips.

The tips of the wing panels are easy to make but hard to describe. Cut the foam to the curved tip shape in the plan view, initially leaving the edge vertical and full depth, continuing across the thickness of the LE at a shallow angle. Cut some 7mm wide strips of medium soft 3mm balsa long enough to stretch round the tips from LE to TE. If these are reluctant to adopt the curved shape, try rolling them from end to end with a piece of 30 to 60mm diameter tube, 'rolling pin' fashion, pressing down on a flat surface until they curl up. Using PVA or similar slow-setting glue, laminate two 3mm strips to each tip, following the bottom surface, finishing up on the outside with the 1.5 x 5mm strips left over from the TE. When set, sand the thickness of the wing down to the line of the wood at the tip and round off the laminations... "

Supplementary file notes

Article.
Article (RCSA).

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