The CGS Hawk is a family of high wing,

strut A strut is a structural component commonly found in engineering, aeronautics, architecture and anatomy. Struts generally work by resisting longitudinal compression, but they may also serve in tension. Human anatomy Part of the functionality o ...

-braced,

pusher configuration In an aircraft with a pusher configuration (as opposed to a tractor configuration), the propeller(s) are mounted behind their respective engine(s). Since a pusher propeller is mounted behind the engine, the drive shaft is in compression in nor ...

, single and two-seats-in-tandem

ultralight aircraft Ultralight aviation (called microlight aviation in some countries) is the flying of lightweight, 1- or 2-seat fixed-wing aircraft. Some countries differentiate between weight-shift control and conventional three-axis control aircraft with ailer ...

, designed by Chuck Slusarczyk and manufactured by CGS Aviation.Purdy, Don: ''AeroCrafter – Homebuilt Aircraft Sourcebook'', page 132-133. BAI Communications. Downey, Julia: ''2008 Kit Aircraft Directory'', Kitplanes, Volume 24, Number 12, December 2007, page 45-46. Primedia Publications. ISSN 0891-1851Kitplanes Staff: ''1999 Kit Aircraft Directory'', Kitplanes, Volume 15, Number 12, December 1998, page 42-43. Primedia Publications. IPM 0462012Cliche, Andre: ''Ultralight Aircraft Shopper's Guide'' 8th Edition, page B-28 & B-82 Cybair Limited Publishing, 2001. Vandermeullen, Richard: ''2011 Kit Aircraft Buyer's Guide'', Kitplanes, Volume 28, Number 12, December 2011, page 45. Belvoir Publications. ISSN 0891-1851Bayerl, Robby; Martin Berkemeier; et al: ''World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2011–12'', page 34. WDLA UK, Lancaster UK, 2011. ISSN 1368-485X

Development

Designer Chuck Slusarczyk established himself as a

hang glider Hang gliding is an air sport or recreational activity in which a pilot flies a light, non-motorised foot-launched heavier-than-air aircraft called a hang glider. Most modern hang gliders are made of an aluminium alloy or composite frame covered ...

designer in the early 1970s, including producing engine power units for hang gliders. In October 1979, his company, Chuck's Glider Supplies was renamed CGS Aviation. In 1980 Slusarczyk surveyed pilots at

Sun 'n Fun Sun ’n Fun Aerospace Expo (officially styled SUN 'n FUN) is a nonprofit organization in Lakeland, Florida dedicated to the promotion of aviation education. It is best known for the annual week-long fly-in and airshow at Lakeland Linder Intern ...

and

AirVenture EAA AirVenture Oshkosh (formerly the EAA Annual Convention and Fly-In), or just Oshkosh, is an annual air show and gathering of aviation enthusiasts held each summer at Wittman Regional Airport and adjacent Pioneer Airport in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, ...

to find out what they wanted in a new ultralight aircraft design. The survey revealed pilots were looking for: *an enclosed cockpit with removable doors *three axis controls * flaps and not

flaperons A flaperon (a portmanteau of flap and aileron) on an aircraft's wing is a type of control surface that combines the functions of both flaps and ailerons. Some smaller kitplanes have flaperons for reasons of simplicity of manufacture, while ...

s in place of cable-bracing *the choice of

tricycle gear Tricycle gear is a type of aircraft undercarriage, or ''landing gear'', arranged in a tricycle fashion. The tricycle arrangement has a single nose wheel in the front, and two or more main wheels slightly aft of the center of gravity. Tricycle g ...

, with a steerable nose wheel or

conventional landing gear Conventional landing gear, or tailwheel-type landing gear, is an aircraft undercarriage consisting of two main wheels forward of the center of gravity and a small wheel or skid to support the tail.Crane, Dale: ''Dictionary of Aeronautical Term ...

, with a steerable tail wheel *

When the resulting Hawk first flew in January 1982 it was the first ultralight aircraft with an enclosed cockpit and to use strut bracing. The aircraft was intended to meet the requirements of the US FAR 103 ''Ultralight Vehicles'' category, including that category's maximum empty weight. The Hawk wing is strut-braced, constructed from

aluminum Aluminium (aluminum in American and Canadian English) is a chemical element with the symbol Al and atomic number 13. Aluminium has a density lower than those of other common metals, at approximately one third that of steel. It has ...

tubing and covered with either pre-sewn

Dacron Polyethylene terephthalate (or poly(ethylene terephthalate), PET, PETE, or the obsolete PETP or PET-P), is the most common thermoplastic polymer resin of the polyester family and is used in fibres for clothing, containers for liquids and foods ...

envelopes or doped

aircraft fabric Aircraft fabric covering is a term used for both the material used and the process of covering aircraft open structures. It is also used for reinforcing closed plywood structures. The de Havilland Mosquito is an example of this technique, as are ...

. The flat-bottomed wing also features flaps. The fuselage is of similar construction and uses a curved boom tube for its main structural member. The curved tube allows the tail to be located higher, out of the wing's downwash, especially when the flaps are extended. Landing gear for all models is optionally tricycle or conventional."Flight Review: CGS Hawk Arrow,"
December 2010, ''Kitplanes,'' retrieved September 23, 2022 The Hawks are available as aircraft kits, quick-build kits, or completed aircraft.

Operational history

The Hawk was first introduced to the public at Sun N Fun in March 1982 in

Lakeland, Florida Lakeland is the most populous city in Polk County, Florida, part of the Tampa Bay Area, located along Interstate 4 east of Tampa. According to the 2020 U.S. Census Bureau release, the city had a population of 112,641. Lakeland is a principal c ...

. The prototype won ''Best New Design for 1982''. At the EAA Convention held in

Oshkosh, Wisconsin Oshkosh is a city in Winnebago County, Wisconsin, of which it is the county seat. The city had a population of 66,816 in 2020, making it the ninth-largest city in Wisconsin. It is also adjacent to the Town of Oshkosh. History Oshkosh was ...

that same year the Hawk was named ''Outstanding New Design'' and also ''Reserve Grand Champion''. At Oshkosh 1983, the Hawk won the ''Dupont Kevlar Air Recreational Vehicle Design Competition'' against more than 126 other designs.

Variants

Single seaters

;Hawk Classic :Single seat, original design, introduced in 1982 and still in production. 990 flying in 2011. Standard empty weight with a gross weight.. Engines available include the

two-stroke A two-stroke (or two-stroke cycle) engine is a type of internal combustion engine that completes a Thermodynamic power cycle, power cycle with two strokes (up and down movements) of the piston during one power cycle, this power cycle being comple ...

Rotax 447 The Rotax 447 is a , inline 2-cylinder, two-stroke aircraft engine, built by BRP-Rotax GmbH & Co. KG of Austria for use in ultralight aircraft.Raisner, William: ''LEAF catlog'', pages 6-105. Leading Edge Airfoils, 1995. Design and development ...

Rotax 503 The Rotax 503 is a , inline 2-cylinder, two-stroke aircraft engine, built by BRP-Rotax GmbH & Co. KG of Austria for use in ultralight aircraft.Raisner, William: ''LEAF catlog'', pages 6-105. Leading Edge Airfoils, 1995. As of 2011 the Ro ...

Rotax 582 The Rotax 582 is a two-stroke, two-cylinder, rotary intake valve, oil-in-fuel or oil injection pump, liquid-cooled, gear reduction-drive aircraft engine manufactured by BRP-Rotax GmbH & Co. KG. It is for use in non-certified aircraft operating ...

Hirth 2702 The Hirth 2702 and 2703 are a family of in-line twin cylinder, two stroke, carburetted aircraft engines designed for use on ultralight aircraft and especially two seat ultralight trainers, single seat gyrocopters, and small homebuilts. It i ...

Hirth 3202 The Hirth 3202 and 3203 are a family of in-line twin cylinder, two stroke, carburetted aircraft engines, with optional fuel injection, designed for use on ultralight aircraft, especially two seat ultralight trainers, gyrocopters and small ...

Hirth 3203 The Hirth 3202 and 3203 are a family of in-line twin cylinder, two stroke, carburetted aircraft engines, with optional fuel injection, designed for use on ultralight aircraft, especially two seat ultralight trainers, gyrocopters and small ...

and the

four-stroke A four-stroke (also four-cycle) engine is an internal combustion (IC) engine in which the piston completes four separate strokes while turning the crankshaft. A stroke refers to the full travel of the piston along the cylinder, in either directio ...

HKS 700E The HKS 700E is a twin-cylinder, horizontally opposed, four stroke, carburetted aircraft engine, designed for use on ultralight aircraft, powered parachutes and ultralight trikes. The engine is manufactured by HKS, a Japanese company noted for ...

. ;Hawk Arrow :Single seat, with a less sloped windshield, longer nose, larger tail surfaces, flatter floor and reinforced tail boom. 135 flying in 2011. Standard empty weight with a gross weight. Engines available include the

and the

. ;Hawk Plus :Single seat, based on the Arrow two-seater, with only the front seat fitted, intended as a freight carrier. 65 flying in 2011. Standard empty weight with an gross weight. Engines available include the

and the

. ;Hawk Sport :Single seat, developed to compete in the 1999 European

World Air Games The FAI World Air Games (WAG) is an international air sports event organized by Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (World Air Sports Federation - FAI), inspired by the Olympic Games. Competitions #Aerobatics #Aeromodeling # Air racing #Bal ...

. Eight were flying by 2011. It has competition features, including streamlined struts and landing gear legs, no

jury struts In aeronautics, bracing comprises additional structural members which stiffen the functional airframe to give it rigidity and strength under load. Bracing may be applied both internally and externally, and may take the form of strut, which act in ...

, a semi-symmetrical airfoil and extra headroom. Standard empty weight with a gross weight. Engines available include the

or the

. ;Hawk Ultra :Single seat, based on the Classic. The Classic weighed under when introduced, but became heavier as amenities were added and thus no longer qualified for ''FAR 103''. The Ultra model is a lightened version to comply with the ''FAR 103'' rules. Eight flying in 2011. Standard empty weight with a gross weight. Engines available include the

or the

Kawasaki 440 The Kawasaki 440, also called the T/A 440, is a Japanese twin-cylinder, in-line, two-stroke engine that was designed for snowmobiles and produced by Kawasaki Heavy Industries until the early 1980s.Cliche, Andre: ''Ultralight Aircraft Shopper's G ...

. ;AG-Hawk :No longer in production. 30 reported flying in 1998. Single seat, based on the Arrow and equipped as an

agricultural aircraft An agricultural aircraft is an aircraft that has been built or converted for agricultural use – usually aerial application of pesticides (crop dusting) or fertilizer (aerial topdressing); in these roles they are referred to as "crop duster ...

for spraying. Standard empty weight with an gross weight. Specified engine was the

Two seaters

;Hawk Classic II :Introduced in 1985 and no longer in production. 290 reported flying in 1998. Two seats in tandem, based on the Classic. Standard empty weight with an gross weight. Engines available included the

Hirth 2703 The Hirth 2702 and 2703 are a family of in-line twin cylinder, two stroke, carburetted aircraft engines designed for use on ultralight aircraft and especially two seat ultralight trainers, single seat gyrocopters, and small homebuilts. It ...

and the

Hirth 2706 The Hirth 2704 and 2706 are a family of in-line twin cylinder, two stroke, carburetted aircraft engines, with optional fuel injection, designed for use on ultralight aircraft and especially two seat ultralight trainers, single seat gyrocopt ...

. ;Hawk Arrow II :Two seats in tandem, with the rear seat raised for visibility. Based on the Classic, but with a less sloped windshield, longer nose, larger tail surfaces, flatter floor and reinforced tail boom. Available as a fully assembled US

Special Light Sport Aircraft A light-sport aircraft (LSA), or light sport aircraft, is a fairly new category of small, lightweight aircraft that are simple to fly. LSAs tend to be heavier and more sophisticated than ultralight (aka "microlight") aircraft, but LSA restrictio ...

. It incorporates the semi-symmetrical airfoil and streamlined extruded aluminum wing struts from the Hawk Sport. 186 flying in 2011. Standard empty weight with a gross weight. Engines available include the

Hirth F30 The Hirth F-30 is a horizontally opposed four-cylinder, two-stroke, carburetted aircraft engine, with optional fuel injection, designed for use on ultralight aircraft and homebuilts. It is manufactured by Hirth of Germany.Cliche, Andre: ''Ul ...

Hirth 3701 The Hirth 3701 is an in-line three-cylinder, two-stroke, carburetted aircraft engine, with optional fuel injection, designed for use on ultralight aircraft and small homebuilts. It is manufactured by Hirth of Germany. Development The 3701 ...

and the

.Tacke, Willi; Marino Boric; et al: ''World Directory of Light Aviation 2015–16'', page 38. Flying Pages Europe SARL, 2015.

Specifications (Classic)

References

External links

* {{CGS Aviation CGS Aviation aircraft 1980s United States ultralight aircraft Light-sport aircraft Single-engined pusher aircraft

Development

Operational history

Variants

Single seaters

Two seaters

Specifications (Classic)

See also

References

External links