Author Topic: Hawker's Sea Hawks  (Read 1322 times)

Pen-Pusher

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Hawker's Sea Hawks
« on: May 26, 2017, 09:24:17 AM »
The Hawker Sea Hawk (aka Armstrong Whitworth Seahawk) was a no-nonsense navy fighter aircraft designed in the latter years of World War 2 and saw inception into service in 1953. Another successful design attributed to Hawker’s aeronautical engineer Sidney Camm whose development of the Hurricane, Typhoon, Tempest and (later) the Hunter and Harrier, the Sea Hawk became a mainstay of the British Fleet Air Arm (FAA) for a few short years before being superseded by more capable types; but it did see combat in the Suez Crisis as well as both of the Indo-Pak wars. Produced in multiple variants, the Sea Hawk was well-respected by those who flew her and proved an early post-war export success. As a testament to her design, the Sea Hawk was not finally retired until 1983.

Sea Hawk origins place it back to the closing years of World War II where turbojet technology, while relatively infant was beginning to take hold with military applications. With the new technology came new materials making for more reliable and efficient turbojet designs. Hawker took to drafting various alternative forms of its single-seat Fury/Sea Fury airframe, attempting to tie this aircraft with the new Rolls-Royce Nene turbojet engine thinking that required large modifications to the basic Fury design. The cockpit was relocated well-forward in the fuselage while the fuselage itself was lengthened to accept the complicated jet system. The resulting development became the P.1035 and a potential customer was the Royal Air Force looking to populate its post-war inventories. However the RAF was already successfully fielding the de Havilland Vampire and Gloster Meteor in an operational manner by the time the Sea Hawk was proposed and this worked against the Hawker design from the outset.

On presentation to the British Air Ministry, several more changes were enacted to help improve the aircraft. The Fury's original rounded wings were removed and replaced with straightened, tapered, mid-mounted monoplane assemblies. Triangular air intakes were added into thickened wingroots. The jet would be exhausted through a pair of outtakes through an arrangement called "bifurcation" - literally meaning the "splitting of a main body into two parts". The revised design became model P.1040 and Hawker began construction of a prototype, VP401 as a private venture to help sell the idea to the RAF and Royal Navy.

VP401 flew on September 2nd, 1947 but exhibited in-flight issues, mainly vibrations throughout the entire airframe and extreme tail buffeting. To counter the airframe issue, the engine exhaust ducts were slightly revised. For the tail buffeting issue, a rounded, missile-type fairing was affixed ahead of the twin stabilizers on the vertical tail fin. The prototype VP401 would eventually be entered; and win the 1949 SBAC Challenge Cup before continuing as an experimental aircraft under the designation of P.1072 and being fitted with a rocket to become Britain's first rocket-powered aircraft.

Hawker offered their P.1040 design to the British Admiralty and tthe Royal Navy as a fleet support fighter for its carrier groups. The Admiralty returned with an official specification requirement and Hawker set to work on fulfilling the need, giving birth to the VP413 prototype that, in 1949 began its all-important carrier trials. After a successful completion of these and further development, the aircraft was officially adorned with the name of Seahawk. The Royal Navy quickly ordered the fighter in quantity as the Nene 101-powered Sea Hawk F.Mk 1 with production deliveries forming 806 Squadron at Brawdy in 1953.

The Sea Hawk was produced in some 542 examples before ending her tenure and became an export success of note, seeing active service beyond the British FAA, with Germany, India and the Netherlands. Sea Hawks were in frontline operational service with the FAA up until 1958 with the last British Sea Hawk retired in 1969 and replaced by the de Havilland Sea Vixen and Supermarine Scimitar. Interestingly, Hawker only produced some thirty production examples before moving responsibilty to Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft - a component of the Hawker Group as the parent group became involved in the production of the Hawker Hunter.

Utilizing a single Rolls-Royce Nene 103 series turbojet producing up to 5,200lbf of thrust gave the fighter a top speed of 600 miles per hour, a range of 480 miles and a service ceiling of 44,500 feet with a rate-of-climb equal to about 5,700 feet per minute. She maintained a maximum take-off weight of 16,150lbs but sat just 9,278lbs when empty.

The British learned quickly in World War II that the cannon was the more viable armament when compared to machine guns. As such, the Sea Hawk was fitted with primary armament consisting of 4 x 20mm Hispano Mk V cannons - a practice utilized heavily by the UK in other early jet fighter designs. Each gun was afforded approximately 200 rounds but an adept marksman could bring to bear all four cannon against a target with devastating results - be the target on land or in the air.
Optional armament included various air-to-service ordnance held externally. This could include up to 16 x 5" (127mm) unguided rockets, 20 x 60lb unguided rockets or up to 4 x 500lb conventional drop bombs across six under wing hard points. Two hard points were plumbed for the carrying of fuel drop tanks for increased range and loitering times. The Sea Hawk came too early in aviation history to carry missiles or the required radar.

The Sea Hawk was manufactured in nine major variants. Production fighters were denoted by the "F" marks - the F.Mk 1 and the F.Mk 2. The F.Mk 1 was the initial production model of which 95 were produced. These were fitted with the Rolls-Royce Nene Mk 101 series turbojet engine. The F.Mk 2 was produced by Armstrong Whitworth and featured power-boosted ailerons and a revised wing-box structure.

The revised fighter-bomber, FB.Mk 3 featured a reinforced wing to carry the requisite external ordnance and 116 examples of this were produced in all. The FGA.Mk 4 designated its ground-attack nature while retaining full fighter capabilities but also sported a broadened ground-attack role over that of the FB.Mk 3. The FGA.Mk 6 was the FGA.Mk 4 production model now fitted with the Nene Mk 103 turbojet while the FB.Mk 3 and FGA.Mk 4 were further conversions to a new engine
Sea Hawks were sold to foreign operators requiring a further designation system. The Sea Hawk Mk 50 was essentially the FGA.Mk 6 and 22 of these were delivered to the Royal Netherland Navy. Similarly the Sea Hawk Mk 100 were FGA.Mk 6 production models and 32 were delivered to the West German Navy. The German aircraft also featured a revised vertical tail fin. Sea Hawk Mk 101 signified an all-weather export form for the West German Navy were Sea Hawk Mk 100 export models (FGA.Mk 6) though with provision for an underwing pod housing a search radar.

The Sea Hawk was quickly put into action during the Suez Crisis. In 1956, Egyptian President Nasser nationalized the Suez Canal. Britain and France. Britain viewed the Suez region as a vitally important strategic and economic area to its interests in the Persian Gulf, Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and ultimately called upon a military response to settle the matter through a secret military pact with Israel and France. The British carriers HMS Albion, HMS Bulwark and the HMS Eagle all contributed Hawker Sea Hawks to the fight comprising of six squadrons. Targets included the neutralization of Egyptian airfields to help thwart an aerial response as well as attacking other major ground targets of tactical importance. The latter was accomplished through use of cannon and high-explosive, unguided, air-to-surface rockets.

Regardless of politics, the Sea Hawk was worked through her paces and proved a viable air mount for members of the Fleet Air Arm. She was an unspectacular aircraft but exhibited excellent qualities and proved yet another solid jet-powered design put forth by the British and Hawker Aircraft.

Since they were partitioned from the British Empire in 1947, India and Pakistan have fought two major wars against one another - the first in 1965 and the second in 1971. While Pakistan made use of mostly American made aircraft and weapons, India purchased Sea Hawk from both Germany and Britain in 1960 and utilized them to good effect in both wars. In the 1965 campaign, Sea Hawks were launched from land bases against Pakistani targets and in the 1971 tussle, the Indian Navy launched their Sea Hawks from the aircraft carrier INS Vikrant, attacking Pakistani ports and shipping actions in the process. No Indian Sea Hawks were lost in either conflict. The INS retired their mounts in 1983 after procurement of the British Aerospace Sea Harrier jump jet strike fighter.
How many 1/72 Sea Hawk kits have been produced? Well, not so many if you don’t include re-issues and a couple of vacform alternatives. Most recently the Special Hobby/MPM and Hobbyboss versions have appeared but those followed a 30 years time gap since Frog and Airfix. Both of these early kits are a bit basic. Frog never claimed to produce kits of the highest complexity and the Airfix version was from their 1960s run of kits when a vast majority of their catalogue was produced.
In terms of detail, the Airfix kit (Photo 1) is superior to the Frog/Novo (Photo 2) and other Eastern European versions. Airfix provides the builder with wheel wells, something that Frog lacked to the preference of their infamous ‘plug-in’ undercarriage. Same goes for a cockpit. Frog molded the pilot head and seat so that one would have something to see through the clear canopy along with engraved roundels in six positions and a pair of drop tanks for under the wings that are already mounted on the pylons. The intake area is too small, but there is lots of room to open them up with a bit of knife work. Exhausts are moulded solid but again, a bit of drilling will open them up and stick in some tubing. Main gear struts are molded as part of the very thick gear door assembly and the whole thing needs some weight to keep from tail sitting.

The 60’s Airfix kit is Airfix at its then best. Detailing is raised and delicate. The cockpit consists of a seat shape and pilot - a scratch builder's dream! There are no boxed in wheel wells. There are also no rivets, nor moveable control surfaces. There are built in weapons pylons on which to put drop tanks and bombs. The drop tanks are quite crude as are the bombs. The tail hook is on a rather large pivot so could be displayed in the lowered position.

The original issue included the option to make a British or German version with the taller tail. That part has disappeared from more recent re-issues? Those with a nice stash of decals could however still do a Dutch or Indian Navy version. The decals in the kit are for a British FGA.6 from 804 Sq on the Albion and a German Mk.100 from, I believe, MFG 1. The decals are sufficient for the two versions though slightly off register.

Not that long ago, MPM/Special Hobby did several boxings with their usual addition of photo etch and other bits. HobbyBoss (Photo 3) now seem to have this mould and their kits are molded on four grey and one clear sprue with a superlative level of detail in the engraved panel lines. Curiously (or deviously) whereas Special Hobby provided both tail fins in one kit, HobbyBoss provide two kits with only one version in each?

The forward fuselage pieces are split horizontally and include the full wings. The tail is vertically split and this allows for the later tall tail version with minimal changes in the rest of the sprues. The cockpit tub is nicely detailed with a respectable seat as well as raised detail on the side consoles and instrument panel. A decal is also provided. Nicely moulded intake and exhaust trunks are done with the little vanes for the intakes moulded in place. There is sufficient room in the nose for weight as this one will probably need it.
Wheel wells are fully boxed in and the correct shape. The arrestor hook looks as if it can be posed up or down and a very clear two piece canopy assembly is provided (protected from scratches with bubble foam). For things under wings there are two drop tanks and eight rocket rails. The rocket bodies are moulded onto the stubs with a separate tail fin piece. You need to open holes for these items to install them. As in other kits, HobbyBoss leaves opening these holes to us giving the option to build a clean aircraft.

Markings are provided for three planes. One is the box art aircraft in extra dark sea grey over white with 806 Squadron in the late 1950s. The other is an 810 Squadron plane from the Suez Crisis in 1956 with black and yellow invasion stripes. This is in extra dark sea grey over sky. The third option in extra dark sea grey over white is an Indian Navy plane from the INS Vikrant in the 1960s. The two decal sheets are very nicely printed and should work very well. The instruction sheet includes Hobby Boss' nicely drawn construction steps and the full colour markings guide includes several paint options. I should mention that the paint instructions call for dark sea grey on the uppers instead of the extra dark sea grey (which quickly weathered when exposed to the elements anyway).

So, on with the build…

Roger

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Re: Hawker's Sea Hawks
« Reply #1 on: May 27, 2017, 05:38:36 PM »
Hi Pen Pusher
I'm interested that you say the MPM and HobbyBoss kits come from the same mould.  Have you got both as they look to be quite different in photos?  The parts layout and breakdown of the smaller parts look different, and the hobbyboss kit looks easier to build, with a two piece canopy, baffles in the intakes and all plastic tanks and cockpit rather than resin, but I guess the detail isn't as good.  In fact the hobbyboss kit looks more like the Trumpeter 1/48th kit in style, maybe they are related?
Which of the three are you building, or will it be all three for us?

Cheers
Roger

Pen-Pusher

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Re: Hawker's Sea Hawks
« Reply #2 on: May 27, 2017, 05:56:16 PM »
Are you referring to the 1/48 or 1/72 kits? You could be right on either as HB and Trumpy are now one and the same?? I suspect the HB/Trumpy one may be a clone?

On the matter of build and numbers.... I fancy at least a couple!!