Greg Covey

E-flite’s [link=http://www.horizonhobby.com/Products/Default.aspx?ProdID=EFL8025]BAe Hawk 15 DF ARF[/link] is a sport scale version of the trainer and light combat aircraft for use by the British Royal Air Force. This R/C model is constructed of fiberglass and balsa, the fuselage is beautifully prefinished with scale details. The British Aerospace (BAe) Hawk boasts the rare and very visible Central Flying School airshow trim scheme from 1987 in red, white and blue.

This exciting R/C model was designed around E-flite’s [link=http://www.horizonhobby.com/Products/Default.aspx?ProdID=EFLDF15]Delta V 15[/link] (69mm) fan unit and matched [link=http://www.horizonhobby.com/Products/Default.aspx?ProdID=EFLM3015DF]BL 15 DF[/link] brushless motor. Pilots can use a 3-cell LiPo battery pack or utilize a 4-cell LiPo battery pack for increased vertical performance. The built-in fan mounts make installing the fan easy—just drop in the fan unit and tighten four screws. The removable front hatch also allows easy access to the radio equipment and battery. The entire trim scheme is pre-painted, pre-trimmed, the wings are covered in UltraCote and all the decals have already been applied. Created for the advanced sport scale pilot, the BAe Hawk 15 DF ARF easily lives up to its reputation of being a stable flying jet.

Key Features:[ul][*] Molded fiberglass fuselage and built-up balsa wing construction[*] Pre-finished scale trim scheme of Central Flying School RAF BAe Hawk[*] Designed to fit the E-flite® Delta-V 15 EDF unit and BL15 DF Brushless Motor[*] Built-in fan mounts[*] Pre-assembled quick access cockpit hatch[*] Removable landing gear[*] Concealed elevator linkages[*] Optional pilot figures sold separately
[/ul]Specifications:[ul][*] Wingspan:33.3 in (845mm)[*] Overall Length:35.4 in (900mm)[*] Wing Area:206 sq in (13.2 sq dm)[*] Flying Weight:43–46 oz (1219–1304 g)[*] Motor Size:15 DF brushless motor[*] Radio:4+ channels[*] Servos:Sub Micro (3 required, 4 with nose gear steering)[*] Speed Control :60-amp brushless[*] Recommended Battery:3S 11.1V 3000-3300mAh Li-Po[*] Landing Gear:Optional use, included
[/ul]

Greg Covey

There are very few parts in the Hawk box so it looks to be a quick build. All the parts were sealed in plastic and well protected for shipment. The 36-page manual is loaded with clear photos and instructions to help insure a successful build.

What impressed me the most here was the quality of the fiberglass fuselage and sheeted wing covering. It was flawless! The detailing on this EDF model is fantastic!

Greg Covey

A closer look at the fuselage reveals an easily removed hatch for access to all radio equipment and battery. A side access hatch allows easy removal of motor and fan unit. The pre-painted vertical fin gives added details in appearance without using decals.

The BAe Hawk’s high-quality fiberglass fuselage provides strength and durability while the painted finish resists dents and dings. Note the "cheater" holes on the fuselage bottom to allow more air into the ducted fan for increased thrust on take-offs. This allows the Hawk to retain a very scale look!

Greg Covey

The recommended components for the EDF power system are as follows. I will also be testing the BAe Hawk with a 4s LiPo pack.
[ul][*] E-flite [link=http://www.horizonhobby.com/Products/Default.aspx?ProdID=EFLDF15]Delta-V 15[/link] 69mm EDF[*] E-flite [link=http://www.horizonhobby.com/Products/Default.aspx?ProdID=EFLM3015DF]BL 15[/link] Ducted Fan Motor[*] E-flite [link=http://www.horizonhobby.com/Products/Default.aspx?ProdID=EFLA1060]60-amp Pro[/link] Brushless ESC[*] E-flite [link=http://www.horizonhobby.com/Products/Default.aspx?ProdID=EFLB32003S]3200mAh 3s 11.1V 20C[/link] Lipo Pack
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The assembly starts by attaching the center body fairing to the motor and then the motor to the DF unit. Note the longer length of the BL 15 ducted fan motor wires to make the installation easier. The center body fairing helps reduce drag.

The factory-balanced 5-blade rotor is installed after first pressing the collet adapter onto the motor shaft. It is then secured in place by the aluminum spinner. I used an L-wrench (or hex wrench) to help tighten it properly.

The overall design of this 70mm EDF unit is the best I have seen to date. The longer motor wires, balanced rotor, pre-soldered motor connectors, and center body fairing are all excellent design details by E-flite.

gr8taz nitro

My Feedback: (7)

Hi Greg,
I have this plane and your right it's one of the best looking arf's I've put together but a word of caution to everyone, the blades on the fan are a little on the brittle side so exercise some caution when you tighten the collet. If you aren't careful as you crank down on the collet you can break blades off the fan. That being said this is one of the smoooothest sounding edf's I've ever used! It flew fine on the 3s pack but it really comes to life on a good 4s pack.

Greg Covey

Thanks for the tip! I had read about the blades being a bit brittle and that a new version was being released. I'm not sure what version I had but I did not encounter any problems.

After the EDF unit has been assembled, a hole is cut in the thrust tube to allow the motor wires and center body fairing to exit.

Greg Covey

I ran into my first issue when installing the EDF unit into the fuselage. I could not get the DF unit to properly align in the pre-mounted fan intake. It appeared that my bottom plywood runner was pre-glued in the wrong spot. Since the plywood runner was securely glued in place, my fix here was to place the top mounting flange on the opposite side. It was then held in place with a screw, washers, nut, and some Loctite.

The important part of this assembly is to be sure that the DF unit sits flush into the pre-mounted fan intake.

Oberfeldwebel

Greg, do you know what size the bullet connectors are on the E-Flite BL 15 DF motor? My ESC did not come with any connectors and I will need to pick some up. Thanks..never mind I found it on eflite.com sorry

Greg Covey

The aileron servos installed in the wing halves without issue. The S-75 servos are held in place by a well-designed mount and the pre-run string provided for easy routing of the servo control cable. The control rods, horns, and keepers were all supplied. A plastic cover is then trimmed to size and secured with the supplied tape. The top side of the wing does not show any holes from the control horn.

Greg Covey

The E-flite BAe Hawk's wing design was impressive and showed their dedication to quality. The seams between the wing halves and the fuselage were perfect!

The wing halves are reinforced by two carbon tubes. You simply sand the paint off the wing area on the fuselage and brush everything with 20-minute epoxy before pressing it in place.

gr8taz nitro

My Feedback: (7)

Looks like assembly is moving right along. It's one of the easier planes I've put together. It's looking pretty good!

I know they don't call for it, but I also scuffed up the rods and applied epoxy to the rods as I slid the wings on also. They did a very good job of setting up all the sufaces being flush on the fuse.

Greg Covey

The BAe Hawk comes with a plywood jig that is first CA'ed together and then used to hold the stabilizer halves at the proper anhedral angle when gluing them together with 5-minute epoxy. The stabilizer assembly is then properly positioned in place, measured, and marked. The top and bottom side covering is removed where it resides inside the fuselage. The stabilizer is then CA'ed in place from the tail opening.

Greg Covey

The elevator installation starts with gluing the pre-bent control wires into the elevator halves using 5-minute epoxy. The two elevator halves are then CA'ed to the stabilizer via pre-cut hinge material pieces.

The elevator control and linkage is designed to provide a clean look on the outside of the Hawk. The control horns and keepers installed with minimal effort.

Greg Covey

The landing gear installed easily but I noticed some minor issues. The kit came with 2mm x 8mm machine screws for the wheel collars instead of shorter Allen head screws so they stick out a bit. The flat spots on the gear metal rods where all facing downward so I just went with it. Typically, I install my wheel collars with the screw facing aft to minimize any grass snagging and provide a cleaner look from the front view.

These minor issues can be easily fixed, if desired, by obtaining some 2mm x 4mm set screws and using a Dremel tool to create a new flat spot.

Greg Covey

The elevator and steering servos were installed at the same time using the same technique with pushrod connectors. The two smaller elevator half control rods are controlled by a single servo as is the larger steering control rod. The manual provides exact details for which servo arm and hole to use.

Pit-Viper 1

My Feedback: (12)

So what do you think the speeds are on this jet? I will hopefully be getting one soon on a trade. Already built just need a battery and receiver. Also what are some of the characteristics compared to warbirds, etc. I consider myself an intermediate to expert pilot, just wondering what to expect. I do have a EDF F/18 tiger coming to get practiced on.


Thanks Shane

Greg Covey

Hi Shane,

I'm sure that this Hawk will break 100mph on a 4-cell pack. I will see if we can fit our GPS device inside when we test fly it. I expect the Hawk to fly fine but stay tuned for my post on reflexed ailerons. I am using a separate channel for each aileron servo so I can switch in and out a 2mm reflex using the flap switch when landing.

Good luck!

Greg Covey

The E-flite 60-amp Pro Brushless ESC and Spektrum AR6200 receivers were installed per the manual without issue. Note that all the loose wires are wrapped to keep them from flapping in the air flow. It is important to secure the wires in a way that still allows the ESC and receivers to be removed from the hook-n-loop material, if needed.

Not shown in the photos are the motor/ESC wires that I secured to the carbon tubes inside the fuselage.

Pit-Viper 1

My Feedback: (12)

Thank you, will stay posted.

Shane

Pit-Viper 1

My Feedback: (12)

Got another question for you Greg, do you think it would be possible to install retracts on this model. Just curious if the wing design would allow it, will probably leave as is but the thought of having that gear tucked up is a tempting idea. Also if I opt to remove the gear and hand launch, would there need to be any reinforcing to the bottom of the fuse or wings. Particularly around the small air intake holes on the bottom.

Shane

Greg Covey

Shane,

You might be able to add a nose gear retract but I wouldn't mess with the wings without adding some reinforcements. The bottom of the fuselage between the cheater holes can be reinforced with flat carbon fiber rods. However, I caution you that hand-launching this model may prove to be difficult due to the wing loading.

My plan is to maiden the Hawk off pavement on August 1st at an event in Hamburg, NY, just South of Buffalo. Once the plane has some flights on it for my review, I'll try it off grass.

Greg Covey

On a model this nice, adding pilots should be an option that you don't leave out. Fortunately, Horizon offers their ParkZone [link=http://www.horizonhobby.com/Products/Default.aspx?ProdID=PKZ4414]T-28 Pilot[/link] that can be cut down to fit inside the Hawk canopy. The canopy is held in place using supplied eye ring screws, a rubber band, and a hook made from cut-off control rod.

I added some black sticky-back covering to block the holes in the canopy bottom. My BAe Hawk is starting to look almost complete!

Pit-Viper 1

My Feedback: (12)

Ok, I was wondering about hand launching due to that. Yours is looking great, hope my trade goes through as I am really looking forward to getting started on this project. If not I already have it in my checkout ready to go. Thanks Greg

Shane

Greg Covey

The thrust tube is installed through the tail opening and then taped in place along the DF and at the tail. I also added some Zap-A-Dap-A-Goo II (or plumbers Goop) to the area around the center body fairing to keep the air from escaping around the cutout.

Once the thrust tube is installed, the rear hatch is taped in place on all four sides.

Greg Covey

The 3-cell E-flite 3200mAh pack and 4-cell ThunderPower Pro Power 30C 3300mAh pack are shown in their positions to obtain the balance recommended in the manual. For less than a 3oz weight penalty, and some additional cost, you can more than double your power by using a 4-cell pack. This upgrade should really make the BAe Hawk perform well.

Since the E-flite 60-amp Pro Brushless ESC has a fail-safe switch design, I find it easiest on these smaller models to simply cut off the switch and get it out of the way. I cut one wire slightly shorter and then cover the ends with a small piece of shrink tubing.

I measured the power level of each pack as follows. The E-flite 60-amp Pro Brushless ESC can handle 75-amps peak so it will still be within specs on your high-speed passes at full throttle.[ul][*] 3-cell pack, 360 watts, 36 amps[*] 4-cell pack, 900 watts, 64 amps[/ul]