Safety
All model airplanes can provide a potential hazard for personal injury or damage to property if not
operated with care, and assembled and used in accordance with the instructions of the manufac-
turers of all the parts contained within it. It is your responsibility to operate and fly your Hawk in
accordance with all current laws & regulations governing model flying in the country of operation.
Before the first engine run, make sure that the motor, control surfaces, R/C gear and all servos with
their associated linkages are all attached securely. Double-check that heavy items, like batteries,
are attached very securely in the plane and cannot move at all.
Make absolutely sure that the Centre of Gravity is in the position shown at the end of this manual.
Carry out a proper range check with your R/C system, in both motor 'running' and motor 'off' states,
and ensure that the range achieved before fail-safe occurs is at least in accordance with the R/C
manufacturers minimum recommendations.
When starting and running the motor on the ground, make sure that the plane is firmly secured so
that it cannot move and ensure that all spectators are at least 15 metres behind or to the sides, or
far in front of the plane.
Adhesives
Gluing composite parts together does not require any special types of glue, but due to the high
flight speeds attainable with a jet model it is absolutely necessary to use high quality adhesives
and proper gluing techniques to ensure airframe integrity, and therefore increased safety.
For a strong glue joint it is equally important to use high-quality glue
and to prepare both parts to be joined properly. When joining any com-
bination of fibreglass and wood parts together you must lightly sand
both parts (to provide a mechanical 'key' for the glue)
and
clean off
the dust caused by sanding before joining them. You can use many
cleaning agents for this, however some of them may damage the 2-
pack polyurethane paint used to colour the parts in the mold. There-
lighter-fluid, such as 'Ronsonol'. This is what we use at the factory,
and it can also be used to wipe uncured glue off painted surfaces, with-
out damaging the paint.
When sanding the inside surface of the foam vacuum-sandwich parts (eg: wings, fins and sta-
bilisers) don’t sand right thru' the lightweight glasscloth on the inner surface, as this will reduce the
rigidity of the parts. Only a light sanding with 120 - 240 grit is necessary, followed by cleaning.
Be careful if using thin CA on foam sandwich components, as it can soak into the foam and ex-
pand as it cures and heats up - causing a blemish (bump) on the outer skin. The use of Activator
(‘Kicker’) increases the chance of this even more!
The fuselage is a fibreglass and epoxy moulding, without a foam sandwich, and we strongly sug-
gest that you sand the complete inside surface of it before starting any assembly - using 180 or
240 grit, or red Scotchbrite pad. This will also remove any loose glass strands that might otherwise
get into your hands! At Fox Composites we only use 1st quality slow (24hr) laminating epoxy
mixed with micro-balloons, ZAP 30 minute epoxy (mixed with micro-balloons) and Hysol 9462
thixotropic epoxy for assembly and important joints, and can highly recommend these types. Micro-
balloons are added to all epoxy mixtures to increase the gap-filling ability, without adding weight.
Fox Composites Co., Ltd.
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