Hawker

Sea Hawk

 

The prototype P.1040 (VP401) was flown for the first time on 2^nd September 1947.

 

Although it was not considered a sufficient advance over the De Havilland Vampire and Gloster Meteor for it to be selected for RAF service, it was subsequently adapted for naval operations against specification N.7/46.

 

Two ‘navalised’ prototypes were built and flown (with folding wings and arrester hooks), these being firstly (VP413) first flown at Farnborough 3^rd September 1948 and followed by (VP422) which flew at again at Farnborough 17^th October 1949.

 

 

It operated as a single-seat fighter for Fleet protection and in its later variants (FB,3, FGA.4, FB.5 and FGA.6) it took on a ground-attack role, equipped with under-wing bombs and unguided rockets.

 

The first production Sea Hawk F1 (WF143) was flown on 14^th November 1951 albeit with with a 39 ft (12m) wingspan and a tailplane of increased area.

 

The type finally entered Royal Naval service in 1953 although it was progressively replaced by the Supermarine Scimitar and De Havilland Sea Vixen.  It was finally withdrawn from front-line service in 1960 although a number of aircraft remained in support roles with the Fleet Requirements Unit at Hurn until 1969.

 

The Sea Hawk was well-liked in naval service and was involved in intensive ground attack operations against Egyptian airfields during the Suez Crisis of October & November 1956.

 

It was exported to a number of nations, being operated by the navy's of the Netherlands, West Germany and India.

 

Production eventually comprised three prototypes and 520 production aircraft.

 

 

The last front line Squadron (No.806) was disbanded in December 1960 with just a few remaining in 'second line' service until the mid-1960's.

P.1040                               3 Built	Prototypes
Sea Hawk F.1 95 Built	Production fighters powered by a Rolls-Royce Nene Mk 101 engine - 35 by aircraft Hawker Aircraft at Kingston-upon-Thames with subsequent production by Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft at Baginton, Coventry)
Sea Hawk F.2 40 Built	Production fighter with powered ailerons, built by Armstrong Whitworth.
Sea Hawk FB.3 116 Built	Fighter-bomber variant with stronger wing for external stores
Sea Hawk FGA.4 97 Built	Fighter/Ground attack variant
Sea Hawk FB.5 50 Conversions	FB3 fitted with the Nene Mk 103
Sea Hawk FGA.6 86 Built / 15 Conversions	FGA4 with the Nene Mk 103
Sea Hawk Mk 50 22 Built	Export variant based on the FGA.6 for the Royal Netherland Navy
Sea Hawk Mk 100 32 Built	Export variant for the West German Navy, similar to FGA.6 but fitted with taller fin and rudder.
Sea Hawk Mk 101        32 Built	All-weather export variant for the West German Navy, as Mk 100 but fitted with a search radar in an underwing pod