The Hawk Arrow II is our two-seater offered in kit form, to be built as
an Amateur-Built Experimental aircraft in the U.S. The long
streamlined cockpit area has a flat floor, and a low sloping windshield
that gives unobstructed forward visibility. The large vertical tail
balances the long nose, which yields excellent yaw stability. The Arrow
II wing has a semi-symmetrical airfoil, and streamlined extruded
aluminum wing struts. All Hawks incorporate a curved front spar
carry-through, allowing for ample head room, even for taller pilots.
The rear seat is higher than the front seat, so the field of vision of
the passenger or instructor in the rear seat is less obstructed.
Flaps (not flaperons!) are standard equipment on all Hawks, and are
very effective in increasing climb rate and decreasing landing
distance. At the heart of the Hawk's unique design is its curved boom
tube. The curved boom allows the horizontal stabilizer to be placed
above the down-wash of the wing, especially when flaps are deployed.
Another benefit of the curve is short landing gear legs, which makes it
easier to get in and out of your plane. The curved boom is stronger in
torsion than a straight boom, and allows the airplane to rotate for
takeoffs and landings without banging the tail on the ground.
The Arrow II incorporates tandem seating rather than side by side. Advantages of tandem over side-by-side include:
- Shoulder room is ample, even for big folks.
- The front seat pilot sits in front of the wing, so there’s no wing blocking the view in turns.
- Turns to the left or right are equally comfortable because you don't have to look across a seat.
- The narrower fuselage allows better inflow to the pusher propeller, and much less drag.
- Since the rear-seat passenger sits on the center of
gravity, it makes little difference if you have a passenger or not -
the center of gravity changes very little.
- In a training situation, the student’s sight picture
doesn’t change when the instructor gets out. Everything looks and feels
the same as when the instructor was in the plane with him, except for
higher performance. This keeps stress levels down when he’s finally
flying solo.
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