I saw a lot of smiles at Midwest LSA Expo 2020. A common phrase was, “This is the biggest” — by which they meant only* — “airshow of the year. It’s even bigger than Oshkosh 2020.” As I’ve often repeated, Midwest has been social distancing since long before you heard of that phrase. I believe it to be a reasonably safe environment. However, a warning for those concerned about exposure: some hand shaking occurred (between consenting parties) and not everyone wore masks outside as they viewed the aircraft on display. I heard of two companies and one group specifically prevented from attending due to government mandates and other concerns at home. Similarly, my video-creating colleague, Videoman Dave, a Canadian national, was forbidden by U.S. border authorities from attending. His aviation business, which feeds his family, was judged non-essential. Longtime journalist Tim Kern — of 121five.com, an aviation news outlet — investigated why Rans Aircraft was unable to attend.
Midwest 2020 Open — What Caught My Eye on Day 1: Hawk Tundra from CGS
Hawk Family Expands
Unless you've been off-planet for the last few decades, you should know CGS Hawk. With more than 2,500 aircraft flying, this simple yet highly effective design ranks as one of aviation's true success stories. The initials CGS date back into the 1970s when Chuck Slusarczyk — later, the designer of Hawk and its several variations — manufactured hang gliders under the business name, Chuck's Glider Supplies, later shortened to CGS.Hawk Tundra
The nearly completed aircraft we saw at Midwest 2020 was an eye-catcher indeed. What distinguished it for me was the landing gear ending in 27-inch tundra tires. This lifts Hawk up to a "big boy" level for its new owner, who also wanted the 80-horsepower Rotax 912 that so many love as a nearly "bullet proof" engine. He is also getting a Dynon avionics panel centered around their top-of-the-line SkyView HDX.Technical Specifications for Hawk Arrow II:
- Empty Weight — 550 pounds
- Gross Weight — 1,100 pounds
- Wing Span — 31 feet 6 inches
- Wing Area — 147 square feet
- Engine Size — 65-80 horsepower
- Rate of Climb — 600-1200 feet per minute
- Cruise Speed — 55-80 mph / 48-70 knots
- Stall Speed — 35-40 mph / 30-35 knots
- Never-Exceed Speed — 110 mph / 96 knots
- Assembly Time for First time Builder — about 300 hrs
* Those with good memories may recall that several years ago, back in February 2020, the Copperstate/Buckeye Fly-in and Air Fair happened, but that was before Covid slammed into everyone's lives so most can be forgiven for forgetting that we did have another airshow in 2020 …but it was the year's only other one of any size.