Aircraft Factfile and Recognition Guide -
British Aerospace Hawk
Background
In 1964 the Royal Air Force specified a
requirement (Air Staff Target (AST) 362) for a new fast jet trainer to replace
the Folland Gnat. The SEPECAT Jaguar was originally intended for this role, but
it was soon realized that it would be too complex an aircraft for fast jet
training and only a small number of two-seat versions were purchased.
Accordingly, in 1968, Hawker Siddeley Aviation (HSA) began studies for a simpler
aircraft, initially as special project (SP) 117. This project was funded by the
company as a private venture, in anticipation of possible RAF interest. The
design was conceived of as having tandem seating and a combat capability in
addition to training, as it was felt the latter would improve export sales
potential. Through 1969 the project was first renamed P.1182, then HS.1182. By
the end of the year HSA had submitted a proposal to the Ministry of Defence
based on the design concept, and in early 1970 the RAF issued Air Staff Target
(AST) 397 which formalized the requirement for new trainers of this type. The
RAF selected the HS.1182 for their requirement on 1 October 1971 and the
principal contract, for 175 aircraft, was signed in March 1972.
Renamed "Hawk" following an employee naming competition (the name "Tercel", a
male hawk, was the actual winning name, but the RAF preferred the more common
and simpler name), the aircraft first flew on 21 August 1974. In 1977 Hawker
Siddeley merged with other British aircraft companies to form the nationalized
British Aerospace (BAe), which subsequently became BAE Systems upon merger with
Marconi Electronic Systems in 1999.
The Hawk is a tandem two-seat aircraft and has a low-mounted cantilever
monoplane wing and is powered by a non-augmented turbofan engine. The
low-positioned one-piece wing was designed to allow a wide landing gear track
and to enable easier maintenance access. The wing is fitted with wide-span,
double-slotted, trailing-edge flaps for low-speed performance. Integral to the
wing is 836 liter (184 imp gal) fuel tank and room for the retractable main
landing gear legs. Designed to take a +8/-4 g load, the original requirement was
for two stores hardpoints but it was designed to fit four hardpoints by Hawker
Siddeley.
The fuselage design was led by the need to get a height differential between the
two tandem cockpits, this enabled increased visibility for the instructor in the
rear seat. Each cockpit is fitted with a Martin-Baker Mk 10B zero-zero rocket
assisted ejection seat. The centre fuselage has an 823 liter (181 Imp Gal)
flexible fuel tank. The two-shaft turbofan Rolls-Royce Turbomeca Adour engine is
fitted in the rear-fuselage with inlets on each side above the forward wing
roots. A ram air turbine is fitted just in front of the single fin as well as a
gas turbine auxiliary power unit above the engine. The forward retracting nose
landing gear leg is fitted in the nose.
The Hawk was designed to be maneuverable and can reach Mach 0.88 in level
flight, and Mach 1.15 in a dive, thus allowing trainees to experience transonic
flight before advancing to a supersonic trainer.[3] Its airframe is very durable
and strong, stressed for +9 g, but the normal service limit in RAF service is
+7.5/-4 g.
The Hawk is designed to carry a centerline gun pod (normally a 30mm ADEN cannon)
and two under-wing pylons. Most Hawks use the two hardpoints but the aircraft is
designed to carry four. The RAF has used the under-wing pylons to carry
Sidewinder air-to-air missiles.
Variants
The Hawk T1 (Trainer Mark 1) was the original version of the Hawk used by the RAF, deliveries commencing in November 1976.
The Hawk T1A is a modified Hawk T1, which was intended to replace the Hawker Hunter in the RAF's Tactical Weapons Units. A total of 89 aircraft were converted to carry two underwing AIM-9L Sidewinder air-to-air missiles and a centreline gun pod. During the 1980s, the RAF began using TWU Hawks in the Mixed Fighter Force (MFF) concept; the intention was to attach three of four Hawks to a Phantom or Tornado interceptor, which would guide them using its powerful radar onto enemy targets.
The Hawk 50 was the original export trainer version, and offered a limited attack capability. Finland, Indonesia and Kenya ordered 89 of this variant.
The Hawk 100 is a two-seat advanced weapons trainer with additional avionics, including forward looking infrared (optional, fitted to Malaysian aircraft), a redesigned wing and HOTAS.
The Royal Australian Air Force ordered 33 Hawk 127 Lead-in Fighters (LIFs) in June 1997, 12 of which were produced in the UK and 21 in Australia. This variant is also powered by the Adour 871. The Hawk 127 is operated by the RAAF's No. 76 Squadron and No. 79 Squadron which are based at RAAF Base Williamstown and RAAF Base Pearce respectively.
The Hawk 128 is the new Advanced Jet Trainer (AJT) for the RAF and Royal Navy. The Mk. 128 includes modern LCD displays instead of conventional instrumentation, and allows preparation for flying modern fighter aircraft, particularly the all "glass" Typhoon. It uses the Rolls-Royce Adour 951 engine. The UK Ministry of Defence awarded a Design and Development Contract to BAE Systems on 22 Dec 2004, building on the design of the Australian Mk. 127 and the South African Mk. 120s. A £450 million contract was signed in October 2006 for the production of 28 Hawk 128s. The MoD had originally announced its intention to order 20 aircraft with options for 24 more. The aircraft's maiden flight occurred on 27 July 2005 from BAE Systems' Warton Aerodrome and lasted for 1 hour 18 minutes.
The Hawk 129 is a variant for the Royal Bahraini Air Force. Six aircraft were ordered in 2002 for delivery in 2006.
The Hawk Mk. 132 is the latest export variant of the Hawk and was previously known as the Mk. 115Y. The Mk. 132 formally entered service with the Indian Air Force (IAF) on 23 February 2008 after one of the most protracted procurement processes in India's history, with two decades having elapsed between the initial interest and the contract signing on 26 March 2004. The IAF was to receive 24 aircraft directly from BAE Systems, with deliveries beginning in November 2007, and the remaining 42 to be assembled by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited between 2008 and 2011. BAE Systems has delivered the 24th and final UK built Indian Hawk in November 2009. HAL handed over the first locally-built Hawk 132 to the IAF on 14 August 2008. These aircraft will be powered by Rolls Royce Mk 871 turbo fan engine.
The Hawk 200 is a single seat, lightweight multirole combat
fighter with emphasis on air defense, air superiority, anti-shipping,
air-denial, long-range interdiction, short-range close air support and ground
attack. The aircraft is fitted with the AN/APG-66H, an advanced version of the
F-16A APG-66 radar with multimode systems. The aircraft is able to be equipped
with the AIM-9 Sidewinder and AGM-65 Maverick. The Malaysian aircraft has the
most extensive modification to the aircraft with illumination "slime" lights,
wingtip AAMs and inflight refuelling. Its aircraft have been involved in major
long-range deployments to areas such as Sabah and the Spratly Islands.
Indonesia, Malaysia and Oman have ordered 62 aircraft. Brunei have been
interested in acquiring this model (and the Hawk 100), but any prospective order
has been continually delayed since the mid 1980s.
The T-45 Goshawk is a fully carrier-capable aircraft developed from the Hawk 60 for the United States Navy for use in aircraft carrier training.
Specifications - BAE Hawk 128
Crew: 2: student, instructor
Length: 12.43 m (40 ft 9 in)
Wingspan: 9.94 m (32 ft 7 in)
Height: 3.98 m (13 ft 1 in)
Empty weight: 4,480 kg (9,880 lb)
Useful load: 3,000 kg (6,600 lb)
Max takeoff weight: 9,100 kg (20,000 lb)
Powerplant: 1× Rolls-Royce Adour Mk. 951 turbofan with FADEC, 29 kN
(6,500 lbf) 29 kN
Maximum speed: .84 Mach (1,028 km/h, 638 mph) at altitude
Range: 2,520 km (1,360 NM, 1,565 mi)
Service ceiling: 13,565 m (44,500 ft)
Armament
Note: all armament is optional.
1× 30 mm ADEN cannon, in centreline
pod
Up to 6,800 lb (3,085 kg) of weapons
on five hardpoints, including:
4× AIM-9 Sidewinder or ASRAAM on wing
pylons and wingtip rails
1,500 lb (680 kg), limited to one
centreline and two wing pylons (Hawk T1)
Sources:
Wikipedia BAE Hawk
© 2010 Steven Holzinger