Review of the Dynam Hawksy

Dynam Hawksky Review

The Dynam Hawsky is a modified copy of the mulitplex EasyStar (sometimes abbreviated Easy*). The advantages to how Dynam improved on the EasyStar is that they have full 4 channel control (Aileron, Elevator, Rudder and Throttle). They also put the motor into a plastic power pod and the ability to change out the motor or to upgrade it is improved over the Easystar. The Hawsky is a great first plane/beginner plane for the newbie RC airplane pilot. Many people have gone from simulator to Hawsky and have worked up to solo flight all by themselves. Others (like myself) purchased a Hawksky to train others or use as a camera platiform. I have also used the Hawksky to test Recievers for myself and others because the Hawksy can often withstand minor crashes with no damage or bigger crashes are often very repairable. My personal Hawsky has crashed more than a dozen times and I've only had to do epoxy and/or tape it back together. The plane comes Ready to fly with everything you need including battery, Rx/Tx and servos already installed.

Build:
The build is pretty straightforward. Only the fishing of the ESC wires from the motor to the ESC is slightly difficult. I opened up the rear vent hole to make it easier to fish the wires through and join the connectors before shoving back in the fuse. The wings press fit into the fuse. you will find that this will eventually work its way out so you should either use some velcro from the inside vertical edges or tape the wings to the fuse each flight. I used DUCK brand tape or Gorilla Tape strips to hold the wings to the fuse and I don't take the wings apart when I put it in the garage. After about flight 5, I broke the rear horn on the elevator then opted to replace the rear horns and wire clamps with some Dubro parts from the local hobby store. Many people mod the elevator to pull from the top instead of push from the bottom. This is a good first mod to do. I have yet to do that mod but think it's a good idea. Like any plane, battery position to allow a proper CG is important. Follow the CG in the instructions and you will be alright. I elected to NOT put on the large stickers that are placed into the curved part of the wing. Those can come undone in flight and cause drag and thus YAW in the plane. I also painted red on the wing tips and black "chipmonk" stripes on the bottom for visibility by students. One comment is on the Y splitter for the Ailerons, when you shove the wires into the fuse before putting the wing on, be careful not to break that Y splitter. The wires are soldered onto the splitter header so you can break those off if you shove too hard. A new Y splitter is another worthwhile upgrade for this plane. Make sure when you power up the transmitter, that you either plug in the airplane first (yes airplane battery first) or do it quickly after turning on the Tx. The TX binds to the RX on each power up so the two need to be turned on airplane first, then Tx. Also , make sure the RX antenna wire is away from other wires in the airplane. I like to push my antenna wires out of the fuse to stay clear of other wires that attenuate the signal.

Flying:
I have 25+ hours on the original electronics and finally in the summer of 2011 upgraded the motor and esc. I am still using the stock dynam servos with no problems to date. The plane needs full throttle to pull a loop with that pusher prop. Loops and rolls can be done but it's not it's primary use. The Hawsky flies like a trainer. When I'm not using the plane to Reciever test or train, I'm using it for relaxed flying down low 10' off the deck. Although I typically use a 2200mAh 3S pack, the included 1800mAh 3S pack is more than enough. I have flown 1/2 throttle 15-20 minute flights with the Hawksky before.

Durability:
The Hawksky is tough. I Belly land it and have cartwheeled it a number of times. Running some clear packing tape along the bottom of the wing will stiffen/strengthen it up tremendously. Make sure the surface is clean and the packing tape does not peal up on the leading edge or this can cause drag yawing the plane in flight. In my worse crash, the cockpit area buckled and split apart. I used epoxy and added some fiberglass rods from a broken kite to reinforce it along with some wraps of packing tape. Note that there is a glob of weight inside the fuse at the nose. That is needed for balance and if you remove it, you will need to rebalance the plane and put your battery more forward (or use a bigger battery). Nitroplanes carries spare parts for the Hawksky so if you crash and tear up a wing, you can get replacements.

Conslusion:
So if your a beginner looking for your first plane, or a seasoned veteran looking for an easy flying relaxing plane you can fly in a field, the Hawsky is a good choice. I can definitly say that if I won't want to be without a flying Hawksky.

RCGroup Support Thread
Another Hawksy thread