SPECS  PLANE: BAE Hawk ARF MANUFACTURER: Ultrafly DISTRIBUTOR: Great Planes TYPE: Pusher Prop Foam Jet FOR: Experienced pilots WINGSPAN: 28.3 in. WING AREA: 152 sq. in. FLYING WEIGHT: 20.4 oz. WING LOADING: 19.3 oz./sq. ft. LENGTH: 28.7 in. RADIO: 4 channels required; flown with Futaba 9C transmitter, ElectriFly 4-channel receiver, and 2 Hobbico Command CS-5 servos POWER SYSTEM: Ultrafly’s A/30/29 brushless motor with supplied 1.93:1 gearbox, APC 6x5.5 E prop, Castle Creations Phoenix-25 ESC powered by a Thunder Power 3S 2100mAh Li-Poly pack FULL THROTTLE POWER: 15.3 amps, 163 watts; 8 W/oz., 127.8 W/lb. TOP RPM: 15,100 DURATION: 10 to 15-minute flights of fast jet action MINIMAL FLYING AREA: Little league ball field (minimum for first flight); size will be determined by your comfort level PRICE: $79.99 to $84.99 (at hobby shops) COMPONENTS NEEDED TO COMPLETE: Radio system, speed controller, battery; comes with Falcon 400 brushed motor but was reviewed with the optional Ultrafly A/30/29 brushless motor SUMMARY The Ultrafly BAE Hawk is a great flyer with plenty of zip. It looks very realistic when flying, and offers exciting jet model performance on a very affordable budget. What more could you want?

TIPS FOR SUCCESS

As with all kits, the best advice for success is to take your time and familiarize yourself with the construction sequence prior to the actual build. With that said, I had a minor ‘oops’ when building my Hawk. I did not check the orientation of the horizontal stab prior to beveling the edge of the
elevator. It was no big deal and the Hawk flew fine; I just
had the bevels on the top of the stab instead of underneath
it.

The optional Ultrafly A/30/24Kv and A/30/29Kv brushless motors are
supplied with a variety of pinion and spur gears to maximize
service flexibility.

The only departure I made from the documentation when building was not gluing the motor mount to the fuse. It was an extremely tight fit with no lateral movement and, since it was a pusher configuration, the motor couldn’t pull itself off. Now, if for some reason I have to get into the fuse from the rear, I can remove the motor/gearbox for easy access.

CONCLUSION

There is no doubt that the BAE Hawk is in my rotation of aircraft that will travel to the field with me often. It is a different look in foamies and it flies great. Its speed to size ratio is high, so I would not recommend the Hawk to a newbie. An experienced flier, however, can kick in the afterburner and shoot for the sound barrier.

Links

APC Propellers, distributed by Landing Products, www.apcprop.com, (530) 661-0399.

Castle Creations, www.castlecreations.com, (785) 883-4519.

Thunder Power Batteries, www.thunderpower-batteries.com, (702) 228-8883.

Ultrafly, distributed by Great Planes Model Manufacturing, www.greatplanes.com, www.ultraflymodel.com, (800) 682-8948.

For more information, please see the source guide in the magazine.

by David Baron

HAND LAUNCHING. Use care here, to keep your hand clear of the pusher prop as you toss the model. We always launch with power off, then add throttle once the model is in the air. We launched into a breeze and aimed for a brisk launch while trying not to gain altitude. The result was acceptable, with a foot or two loss of altitude while the model was accelerating. If it is a calm day when you make your test flight, you might want to wait for a breeze!

SPORT FLYING. The Hawk looks awesome as it grooves around the field. Its very realistic jet look and feel has you humming the “Top Gun” music as you roll in on your next target. Fast and low probably gets the most rise out of the spectators!

AEROBATICS. The model rolls really well, and loops are fair if you are carrying enough speed. Don’t get too daring if you are low and slow!

There is no rudder (it could possibly be engineered to include it), so knife-edge, tumbles and spins were not attempted.

LANDINGS. The Hawk displayed no bad habits when slowed down. I tried a few practice approaches without touching down to establish how much power would be necessary for a comfortable approach with the nose up in a scale-like configuration. This resulted in a 1/4 throttle approach and chopping the engine just a foot off the ground. There is an interesting phenomenon with pusher configurations: When they touch the ground, the motion usually rotates the prop into the horizontal position. I have rarely seen a prop broken on a pusher like this, unless the operator has left the motor “on.”

CONCLUSION. Have a blast! This little foamie is one heck of a great way to simulate jet performance on a budget. If you are nervous about hand launching a pusher, you can always configure a hook under the canopy and use a small bungee to launch this exciting model.