Hi all, well it's 2008 a new year, a full flying season ahead and yes I am still behind with the Hawk build. So what have I done over the last few weeks? I have to confess, not much, work at the minute is non stop, however you will to glad to hear that a little progress has been made.
The two fuel tanks that came with the kit are made of fiberglass and joined at the centre. On close inspection the tanks look fine however to insure of a leak free system, the tanks must be pressure tested by using a small air punp to build up the pressure in the tanks, and then placing both tanks in a bowl of water to see if there are any bubbles. This test should be done with all tanks used in a turbine powered model, a leaking tank could be dangerous, thankfully no problems with my hawk fuel tanks.
The other job carried out on the Hawk, was to install the steering system for the nose wheel. I used a JR 591 servo and a closed loop system, so that when the wheel retracks, the wires will fold up into the wheel bay neat and tidy. A trick which I got from a friend, is to place a small tie cable between the wires, therefore as the nose wheel comes up and down, the wires can't get twisted around the nose leg. ( see photo)
Well thats about it for now, except I flew the little F15 last week along with the F16. Both flew very well, not as fast as I expected, the f15 was a little under powered, however very stable and fun to fly, happy landings.
