Our two glass Hawk RTF's were shipped from England on a Thursday and arrived in our grubby hands in the USA mid-day the following Monday, boxed beautifully and in excellent shape...The SD100 servos in these are larger than the BB101's in our carbon jobs, so the AR 410 receivers have been de-pinned and servo lines soldered directly to the board...That big goofy capacitor was taken off the receiver board and epoxied behind the servos, under the wing area, with a couple of lines running to it...The receiver board fits nicely on top of the front servos with the battery in front of that, in the nose, and the balance is spot on!!...Waiting for better weather here to have a fling!!...Thanks again Neil
Usual excellent service from Hyperflight.
Great little kit and really enjoyable to put together.
Used some cheap 3g servos that I had lying around and a 150 mah nimh pack.
I treated the bare tail surfaces with a couple of coats of Sand n Seal, packing tape on the wings, and covered the pod with some black oratrim which sticks OK to the pink foam.
Test glides in the garden look promising, just need lockdown to finish to give it a proper test!
The build quality of the model was great. Unfortunately, when my Hawk arrived the package had been smashed and the fuselage was broken and the wing was dented by the same event. I was able to repair the fuse and Neil offered to give me a partial refund. His customer service and support after shipment was great despite the challenging situation.
When local sources for Blue Bird servos dried up, I turned to Hyperflight. As per usual, they responded quickly and efficiently. Even after shipping, their price is competitive. Note: people purchasing from Hyperflight need to realize that shipping worldwide is slow these days, no fault of Hyperflight.
This was a short notice Xmas present to myself, and honestly wasn't expecting it in time for the holidays.
But it arrived in short order, well packed and with all the bits included, bar the x08's and receiver, I was assembling over the hols.
Needless to say the quality of the model is outstanding, nice details and though a tad fiddly to assemble a lovely, lovely model. Vladimir's models are nearly always exceptional and a real treat to study, nearly like a piece of art or an instrument.
RTF weight is 271grams, or 9.9 oz, which I'm very happy with considering she's powered with a 2s 550mA.
Great model and as always, first class service from Neil.
Ordered two carbon Hawk RTF ships....Got here to the USA in under a week and boxed nice...no damage...Came with the HyperFlight 150mah NiMH battery which fit nicely in the nose...We (My girlfriend and I) are using Spektrum AR410 antenna-less receivers with the covers off, which fit nicely behind the servos and halfway under the leading edge of the wing...balanced nicely at 55mm from leading edge without any additional weight...These things are perfect for the small parks and schoolyards we have around here and they thermal very well, especially the low level heat coming off the grass!!...I ordered two more RTF ships, glass ones this time, to fly the beach and small slopes and cliffs along the shoreline, as well as our local RC field where there isn't any grass, so as not to scratch or ding up the beautiful carbon jobs, which are "Grass only" flyers!!....These things are a blast, we are having too much fun!!!....Thanks Neil
I’ve been flying RC for over 30 years. I got back into DLG flying 5 years ago and I’ve owned a flown a lot of the top models( BAMF / NXT/ CX-5/ Falcon. I tend to keep my models for about two years and I fly a lot- weather permitting. I decided to give an NRJ a try as Neil / hyperflight had a new shipment arriving around Christmas.
I ordered a standard layup NRJ in bright red- it arrived amazingly fast in three days from the UK to Pennsylvania via fed ex. I built it over two days and was out flying the second day ! The build was easy and went together fast- the servo arrangement and linkages are a bit confined ... but it wasn’t too bad to complete. I used all of the included hardware and everything was perfect.
I set the CG at 65 mm and took it out for a maiden flight.....on the third throw on a cold overcast day I managed to hook some light lift and rode it up to 120 meters I decided to come back after a 7 minute flight!
I flew it again today in calm overcast conditions and had at least 3 or 4 flights over 5 -6 minutes in the span of 40 minutes on a cloudy overcast day.
I am really impressed with the performance and launch height- the design is very efficient and I felt very comfortable with it from the first flight- ( I tend to fly a bit faster than most and live faster sportier ships) I liked this one from the first flights and I imagine it will only get better with more flying time and tuning.
Thanks for the excellent design team OA and the excellent service Neil and Hyperflight!
Jack G.
Just snapped up to more Hawk RTF's...This time they are glass....These are for flying the beach and slopes, and our local RC field, where there isn't any turf...sort of a "beater" Hawk!!...Our carbon Hawks are for the village green only...Having too much fun with these!!!
Items needed after a bad crash. very pleased with the quality of the replacement parts, carefully packaged and promptly sent. Good value too considering the overall cost of the complete model.
Still learning how to fit even micro r/c gear into the nosecone (Emax ES9251-2 servos, FS2A Rx and 300mah 1S lipo), without it being a real squeeze and damaging the nose cone at it's edges. (This is how I fractured the first carbon boom while trying to push the nose cone on!)
Thanks for great service Neil.
update. well it's built 189 grammes with 350mah 2 s lipo and no lead. i have not motorised yet but have flown it 13 days out of the last 15 on the local vilage sports pitches (it handles wind quite well). i just stuck the sevros in laid flat on servo tape. i did change the rudder / elevator to spring / put cord as i found the snakes would not run smoothly. (stretchy outers). pulled the cord through the servo horn and tacked in place with meduim cyno. Please, please, prity please can we have the electric version as well? the 1200mm wingspan is perfect to walk with at full arm stretch. i am easily launching this to 80 to 100 feet but have yet to find a thermal so a motor will extend flights over 35 to 60 seconds..
Bought two Hawk SC RTF's in green on black, one for me and one for the girlfriend, beautiful ships!!!...Got her plane trimmed out and she's flying it well...On my 2nd gentle hand launch to check the glide, it flew into a bump at about 2 feet altitude, I spun it around and up it went!!...Very happy with this purchase!!....I just ordered another SC for a friend....he'll get a kick out of it!!!....Thanks Hyperflight!!
Fast delivery by hyperflight with fair shipping costs. The Hawk is a nice little plane with a very good quality. A building manual would be nice for DLG beginners. But there is no problem because it is less work to do and all the other informations are available at the internet like this tutorial: https://youtu.be/NvHncTRI_8I
I use 4 KST X06 servos at 2S240mAh Lipo which are perfect at elevator and rudder but not so good at Aileron because of bad gear backlash. Receiver is a Frsky GR-X6.
My throwing heights are about 35m without any wind which is more than enough to find some updraft. The Hawk shows every movement of air but it follows the stick input perfectly.
I have never purchased a carbon item before so I can't compare to others, but it is exactly what I expected and wanted for my weird DIY project so I am pleased. Well packaged and arrived on time. I was also impressed by the polite and personal-feeling email requesting this review.
Nice little battery. Bought a couple for a RES glider and also for my scratch built DLGs.
I email Niel as I was a bit confused about how best to charge them. He answered promptly and walked me through it. I can understand why people seem to love Hyperflight so much.
Phenomenal quality kit, well designed, well packaged, and shipped unbelievably quickly. Can't wait to start the build, which most likely will be electric powered. Thank you Neil for your outstanding service, and providing the opportunity to purchase such quality items. RTC
Received this small very well packet parcel from Hyperflight, first class kit first class service.
This kit has all balsa lazer cut precise pieces with very little or no sanding to fit.
Still to finish the kit as work tends to get in the way.
Would i buy from Hyperflight again YES
Hyperflight Thank you
the model arrived very well packaged and only 2 days from the notifcation of posting, so brilliant service as normal.
i have only looked at the model so far and the quality looks magnificent. i should point out the wing is asimetricly split for right handed DLG. i will be a while putting this together as i am going to motorise as well.
Just finished putting this together & agree that the quality of the Elf is outstanding. Neil at Hyperflight helpfully advised on my shopping list so I could get it done without having to go shopping again & delivery was next day in a really sturdy box with wing bags included! I would say test fit the wing early on, I had to carve out a lip of carbon/adhesive from one hole to get it seating correctly which is trickier to judge with all the electrics installed. I've used a Frsky G-rx6 receiver which sits tight to the rear of the fuselage putting a bit of stress on the antennas so I detached and re-installed them rotated outwards by about 30 degrees. All set up and ready to go when the next calm, dry day happens (which may be a while now given it's a week until Xmas!) This is my third plane from Hyperflight and as ever, it's a quality kit supplied with quality gear combined with amazing customer service.
The Sapphire (aka Q12) is a light F5J that can be made even lighter. The tail group would benefit from the use of a spring-pull system, i.e., torsion springs and string. This modification is relatively easy to do if you have some experience building DLG's. The overall benefit is reduced tail weight and a cleaner appearance. There are no unsightly exposed pushrods nor cables.
The conversion require reducing the height of the pylon that supports the horizontal stabilizer. I removed about 6-7mm. The shortened pylon placed the stabilizer nearer the boom, allowing the tip of the elevator control to fit inside the boom. A slot was cut into the boom for the control horn. With the tip of the elevator control horn now inside the boom, it is a simple matter to run string from the control horn, down inside the boom, and to the elevator servo in the pod.
For the rudder, another slot needs to be cut into the boom just below the horizontal stabilizer pylon mount.
The link below has some photos.
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1GmU8_4upyyB-bHz2ix1Y0gB3JP37dB1I?usp=sharing
I would recommend the Big Vick as THE beginner DLG or better, THE beginner plane in general.
Here’s why:
You don’t have to worry about charged batteries or broken rubber, don’t need a winch, just throw and fly. So you can spend a lot of time outside and practice. So did I during the Covid summer. In two weeks, I gathered around 2500 take-offs and landings. Do that with any other plane…
The parts are very well thought out and manufactured. The plane is easy to assemble, even for a beginner. Just take your time and read the manual carefully, or look it up on Youtube.
Flying is awesome. I came from a WhipIt and noticed, in comparison, that you really have to fly the Vick with both rudders. I quickly progressed from nose first “precision” landings to coming in smooth, using the ground effect. The Vick is a rather sturdy model. I even managed to land with a broken boom. Fixes can be made quickly.
If your primary goal is thermaling, build it as light as you can. Mine came out at 165g (I messed up the wing and had to put 10g in the nose), that is a bit too heavy to go up in weak thermals, but it’s convenient with a little wind and on the slope. Pay extra attention to the wing covering, especially at the wing tips. Poor covering and crumpled edges cost a lot of performance!
You should consider to tape some 0,5mm steel wire to the leading edge (under the covering), to protect it from damage. The nose can be made out of solid balsa, armored with CA.
All in all a great plane!
Great kit went together very well, using a AXI 2217/16 motor running a 11 x 6 folding prop, flys great still getting it right. First flight used a 2S 1300 battery but not enough power so now using a 3S 1300 - too much power. Can't believe how fast it got to Australia, what a good firm to get the kit from.
Unbelievably rapid delivery. Kit box was received suspended within a robust outer box - very safe. All components complete. Quality of materials and cutting appear excellent. Really looking forward to building this one. Birthday present to myself so can't start until the day comes around!
This is my first F5J model.
Delivery to Melbourne, Australia was fantastic and very well packaged.
Arrived in only 6 days. Excellent service. Thankyou Hyperflight.
I took my time with this build as we were in Covid lock-down here in Melbourne.
This was the first time I've ever built a model from kit form.
Went together very well and the English instructions were spot-on.
I made a larger (longer) battery hatch than what was supplied and I've found this extra access to the fuse to be very handy. Would highly recommend doing the same if you're considering this plane.
The construction was excellent. All parts fitted together perfectly.
I used PVA glue on most balsa to balsa or ply joins as I feel as though the bond is better. Otherwise CA everywhere else worked well.
Covering the model went well, despite this being my first ever attempt at building a model. I opted to hinge the wing control surfaces with traditional pinned hinges. This didn't work so well for me and I wish I had followed the instructions and used the covering film as the hinge. Would have made final set-up of the wing much easier.
I used the recommended Hacker motor, ESC and prop.
Works very well. Also used Hitec servo's throughout.
I'm using an FRSky Taranis X9D+ SE 2019 transmitter as my Futaba T10J TX just couldn't cope with the programming & channels.
Learning the Taranis X9D+ has been a challenge, but got it all working in the end.
If I had extra $ then I would prefer either a Futaba or Jeti alternative.
First flight went okay, but some adjustments were required to the wing control surfaces. Again, the result may have been better if I had followed the instructions and used the covering film as the hinges rather than opting for pinned hinges.
After adjustments were made, the plane has flown perfectly.
I have really enjoyed flying this model. I'm still getting used to the amount of rudder input required, but that's the nature of these larger F5J models (I have flown mostly F3A pattern in the past, so this is totally different).
This plane was a pleasure to build and it's a pleasure to fly.
I plan on entering into F5J competitions at my local club and this plane looks to be quite capable.
Overall I can recommend this plane to anyone looking for a good F5J model. If this is your first F5J model then I would suggest looking more closely at the "Introduction F5J" as the lesser amount of wing control surfaces will make final set-up much less complicated.
I'm getting used to squeezing radio in modern fuselages now having set up a few recently. This is not to bad but thought is needed to get to the ballast tube in the fuz. It all worked out well and i have flown it twice at whitesheets in a good SW. Easy to fly and the recommended set up was all good. KTS servos on the ailerons and elevator. king max on the flaps, all wing servos in cages with bearings. Tail servo was fiddly but doable. mine was the std lay up and is incredibly rigid, i cant imagine what the extra carbon one is like.
All in all very nice model great finish, and fly's very nicely.
Great Service as always from Hyperflight. These servos certainly compliment the rest of the KST range with a look of quality and very quiet operation, they have been installed using the plastic frames which are available from Hyperflight, make sure you keep the four very small screws supplied with the servo as you need two to hold the servo in the frame(there are no screws supplied with the frame), Not flight tested yet but will work hard being installed in a D40 so time will tell.
Thank You
Once I sorted out the right cells/battery and prop the motor is doing a great job. At present powering an Andreas 650gram ALES model with a GNB 2s 550mah drawing 24 amps with a 13x8 aeronaut folder.
The motor cuts at 200 meters before the 30 seconds is up taking the battery down to
60% capacity.
Unbeknown to me my wife she needed a Christmas present so ordered one of these lovely craft. It arrived the very next day (thanks Neil) and now I have to wait four weeks before I can open it (if only Hyperflights delivery was poor I wouldn't have to wait knowing it's in the house somewhere). But seriously I love my DLG Fireworks FW5 supplied by HF some years ago and have never had such fun, but age has hit me and I can't do a decent launch so have bought the E-Snipe. When built I will tell you how things went. Happy Christmas all :)
This is excellent product with excellent documentation the flight manager software is nice. I am not using for competition but for fun, its introduced a great dimension to be able to say today ill start at 70m and practice or tomorrow ill do 8 second motor runs. The ability to have emergency restart for me was a requirement and i love the competition restart so don't have to land to reset. Delivery of course was next day well packaged etc , but you know that from hyperflight already .
At first I thought this a little expensive for a foamy but I now think it is a wonderful model. It is so well designed and perfected. Easy to finish and put in the air. Flying is absolutely amazing. With throws set to minimum it is gentle and agile in the air. Put the throw to recommendation maximum and Vooo!!! It will put you on your toes and will perform almost all imaginable aerobatic manoeuvers in spectacular, reliable and smooth manner. A marvellous little model, a bundle of fun! Highly recommended.
These are really super servos perfect for high end glider flaps. The only down side is the cost so I have taken one star off for that. I’d still recommend them though.
A great quality kit, beautiful wood and really accurate cutting. Assembly requires care as some of the parts are delicate until firmly glued. I'm currently halfway through building so I cannot comment on flying, but from experience I have no fears in that area. All in all, well produced, well presented and a pleasure to put together.
I love these control rods when installing flap and aileron servos. With both ends threaded and the high quality steel used it is easy to attain a slop free fit out. Whether used on a DS, large scale or sport aerobatic model these will stand the test of time. High quality product well recommended
I have previously fitted KST X08 plus servos to 2 models and was keen to try the new HS08 with its enclosed motor which has a larger diameter than that of the X08 but is 3mm shorter in overall height. I like the idea of a full enclosure unlike the xo8 with its exposed motor leads. The performance of the servos is excellent with good centering and resolution but like all the 08 series it is not very quiet but by now I am now used to the buzz from digital servos. All my KST servos have been used to power ailerons through a servorahmen IDS frame. I was concerned that the new HS08 would need a different IDS frame but mounting dimensions are all the same and the IDS frame can be used with the vertical or horizontal mounts.
The KST HS08 with its 8mm width is ideal for the latest F5J models many of which are using slim low profile aerofoils. As the servo delivers 5Kg+ torque it could also be used for flaps as well as ailerons.