Building a Foam BAE Hawk with CNC Router and Cutter

The BAE Hawk is a favourite, and my original was a Tony Nijhuis nitro-powered design. But like a silly sod, I sold it when I converted to electric-only models. I should have kept it and converted it.

BAE Hawk Tony Nijhuis Kit — BAE Hawk Nitro Powered

My 2nd BAE Hawk

I did make another using DevWing Foam and DevFus Foam on my CNC Foam cutter and this came out very well but due to some design issues, it didn’t fly. Here are the details of the build Getting Started with DevFus Foam 2 – Hot Wire CNC Foam Fuselage

My Latest BAE Hawk

I have decided to build a foam version of my first BAE Hawk using my recently upgraded CNC router and CNC foam cutter to cut the fuselage templates. To create the foam fuselage, I will make it in two foam halves and then round the square edges just like the balsa version. The T45 fuselage was made using DevFus Foam 2, which came out well, but I wanted to try something different and use my CNC Router to create the new fuselage.

Plan to DXF

The original kit I purchased came with a full-size plan. You can still get the plan from https://tonynijhuisdesigns.co.uk/Hawk-Pusher.htmI

I stuck the plan to a wall and then took a picture using my tripod and Nikon Z50 camera. I made sure the camera and plan were parallel to each other.

After processing with Affinity Photo to improve the contrast, I imported the images into DevFus Foam. I can then create the design and generate the g-code for the fuselage. The rudder and elevator will be made from 9mm Balsa

Creating the Fuselage

I will use a template for the inside cut and my foam cutter to cut the outer main body.

The 6mm MDF template will guide a router fitted with a straight-cutting bit that has a bearing. I tried this on some scrap foam, and it worked well. Unfortunately, my hand-held router failed due to some cheap Chinese router bits that vibrated so much that they burnt out. I got my money back, but I needed a new router.

I purchased a Trend T4 with a new bit, and this works well

Creating the Wings with DevWing Foam 2

The wings are made with my CNC Foam Cutter. The details are here if you would like to build your own.

DevWing Foam is my go-to software for creating wings and in my opinion, it’s the best and I’ve used it for all my projects. The pictures below show the design and simulation of cutting. I’m using the NACA2412 aerofoil for this wing.