Re-install the servos and linkages,
not forgetting to ‘Loctite’ one clevise
and add a locknut to the other end.
The servo hatches can be held
closed with small strips of clear tape.
Some small triangles of thin ply or fi-
breglass glued inside the corners of
the servo bays keep the hatches
flush with the wing skin.
Main Landing Gear
The Fox-Composites Hawk was de-
signed to use Spring-Air 300 or 700
series main retracts (89° or 90° re-
traction angle), or similar sized units.
The maximum internal depth avail-
able in the wing at the outer end of
the retract mounting plate is 35mm.
The retract units are bolted onto
milled 6mm composite plywood/fibre-
glass plates that you must glue onto the fibreglass
sleeves that are factory-installed in the wings. Ad-
just the milled slots in the plates to suit your chosen
retracts and secure them with small (M3 or equiva-
lent) bolts and T-nuts, as shown. The set-up here
shows straight wire-legs, but if you chose to fit trail-
ing-link main legs then you will need to adjust the
position of the slots (forward), so that the wheels are
in the same position.
Sand the back edge of the mounting plates a little if
necessary, so that you can
just
insert them into each
retract bay at an angle, and then straighten them to
fit onto the fibreglass flanges. Check that both re-
tracts are the same distance from the centreline and
the trailing edge of the wing, and adjust the ply
mounts if necessary.
Make sure that there is at least a 1mm gap between
the top of your retract units and the fibreglass sleeve
that is factory-bonded to the upper wing skin - so
that you won’t damage the wing surface in the case
of a ‘bouncy’ landing! Shown installed here are
Spring-Air 700’s (same as 300 series, but drilled for
3/8” oleos), which are 29mm high, and it is just pos-
sible to install these and still fit the (2mm thick)
moulded retract bay covers over the retracts, flush
with the wing skin, but you will need to use counter-
sunk bolts to secure the retracts.
Fox Composites Co., Ltd.
12
(above) Retract units secured to ply
mount with M3 bolts & T-nuts.
(below) Prepare ply plate & fibreglass
sleeve properly before gluing in place.
(above) Completed Spring-Air 700 se-
ries retract installation in the right wing.
