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The SkyHawk is now successfully test flown and trimmed out. It is very easy to fly and has good soaring qualities. The first flight, in rather bad conditions with a heavy wind, was well over 10 minutes. I have also, on a later flight, "taken over" a soaring position after a bird (Marsh Harrier) and stayed there for about 14 minutes, riding a wave created by the nearby hills.
The power option (Permax 400 6V and 7 cells) may not give vertical performance, but it is enough to make a decent climb. Just make sure not to let the SkyHawk get away too far downwind. When the motor starts losing its power towards the end of the flight, you may not be able to get it to penetrate a strong wind!
This should be an excellent beginners model, to fly around on a calm summer afternoon, practising turns and fly-bys.
I like the different look of the model. It resembles some gliders from pre-WWII.
Building the SkyHawk is a pleasant job, made easy by the pre-shaped wing in foam and very good instructions and drawings. Since this is the cousin of the SkyBug, the building is generally the same. Have a look at my SkyBug test report to read more on this. The only difference is in the tail, wich is built-up on the SkyHawk. I think this looks nicer, and it is not difficult to do at all.
I used some hard (=heavy!) balsa strips for the tail and I had to put 30 grams of "lead" in the nose. This is however an easy task, since the nose is hollow and you can drop in some weight, and remove it later if necessary. Just like balancing the old time free-flight gliders!
I used SolarLight covering film, also for the trim finish on the foam wing. This low-heat film is easy to work with and sticks well. It is semi-transparent and the wood grain can be seen through it - very beautiful!
My SkyHawk
Tested and approved by Anders Eklund
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