TOPIC: Red Arrows Hawk for TSP L-1

Though there is a 'Red Arrows Hawk' already in our 'Jetex Plans' archive (and very nice it is too) this for L-2 and quite a complex build for a profile (or, in this case, a 'hemi-demi-semi-profile model) and not altogether suitable for a beginer to rocketeering



If you fancy a go at this one, here's the link:

Jetex.org Hawk for L-2

Luke Goymour has designed a much simpler model that he says, 'can be built in three hours' (well, he confesses, actually 31/2 hours!) and is very simiar to the classic Jetex profile models that were featured regularly in the aeromodelling magazines of the 1950s, i.e., attractive to youngsters, easy quick to build and, crucially, unproblematical to trim and fly.







It is also a model that,as you can see, somewhat goes against the current accepted wisdom in having a very forward motor and (horror of horrors!) no trim tab. In defence of received wisdom about where a rocket motor should go in a model.
I should point out that the TSP L-1 doesn't loose that much weight as it burns and the Hawk's glide is nothing to write home about! Here is Luke's plan:



I can confirm that it fles very well indeed ('off the building board' was the accepted cliche for this unusual phenomenom) and Luke made many splendid flights at Old Warden, May 2022 (see the appropriate forum thread in 'Flying'). If you would like a copy of the plan with more pixels, just say.

Thanks Roger,

I was really rather pleased with this. It was a challenge to myself to design and build something in an evening that would fly on the new TSP L1s. My rationale behind the motor positioning was to use the weight of the motor to set the CG in order to keep the airframe as light as possible for maximum performance on a L1. I started the design and build at 8pm and had finished the airframe and colouring by 11pm (but it took another half an hour for me to find decals on the Internet and to add a protective coat of varnish - was in bed my midnight!).
The model needed to be completed by the time I left the house at 8am on the Sunday morning. I test glided it in the Church Garden whilst people were arriving for Mass (for those who don't know, I'm a priest) and that enabled me to get the CG sorted....then a few hours later its first powered flight took to the sky at Old Warden - I was pleasantly surprised. It looked great against the blue sky!

The plan, much like the model was drawn up in haste. Subsequently, the original drawing shows the motor as having some up-thrust - this is an error - mea culpa! The model actually had about a degree of down thrust!

Roger adds:
this makes sense and explains the model's stability throughout the power run. As to 'mea culpa' for your penance make another one using the jetex.org template and see if it fles as well as yours!

Thank you Father....

I shall do my penance..........

Eventually