Sea Hawk

• Photographs
• Design
• Development
• Production
• Service History
• Drawings
• Data
• Surviving Sea Hawks
• References for Information on the Sea Hawk

Photographs

The photographs at above left and right show VP422, the Sea Hawk prototype. They were published in June 1950 in the AIRCRAFT RECOGNITION Journal.

The above photograph on the left showing the wing folded by the power mechanism, was published in July 1950 in the AIRCRAFT RECOGNITION Journal.
The above photograph on the right is a FGA6 and is Copyright Military Aircraft.

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Design

The P1040 was the first Hawker jet propelled aircraft and the first with a tricycle undercarriage. It was intended to be a fighter for the RAF but that Service did not want it as it already had the Meteor (over which the P1040 had no significant performance advantage) and the Vampire. However the Admiralty was interested (prompting (the then) Sydney Camm to say "Thank heaven for the Navy!"). The P1040 design was modified to be based on aircraft carriers, with folding wings and an arrester hook and later renamed the Sea Hawk.
The Sea Hawk is a mid wing single seat fighter, powered by a Rolls-Royce Nene centrifugal flow jet engine. It is of all metal construction and has straight wings with a root thickness to chord ratio of __% tapering to __% at the tip. The air intakes are in the wing roots and the Hawker patented split twin jet effluxes are behind the wings, this enables fuel to be carried both in front and behind the engine. It is armed with four 20mm cannon mounted under the nose.

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Development

The unarmed P1040 experimental aircraft, VP401, first flew on 2 September 1947 piloted by Bill Humble from the Hawker grass airfield at Langley.

The first Sea Hawk prototype VP413, with guns, folding wings and an arrestor hook, first flew on 3 September 1948. Dummy deck assessment was done at Boscombe Down using VP413 which were followed by the first carrier trials aboard the fleet aircraft carrier "HMS Illustrious" in April 1949. The second prototype, VP422, shown above left, essentially a production aircraft, first flew on 17 October 1949 and on 22 November 1949 the RN ordered 151 aircraft.

During Development and Service the following modifications were made:
Mark F1: It had a wing span increase of 2 feet 6 inches, length increase of about the same and increased vertical and horizontal tail surface areas compared to the only P1040.
Mark F2: The F1 suffered from aileron oscillation above 460 mph and so powered ailerons were incorporated in the F2.
Mark FB3: Reflecting a role change to fighter bombing, the FB3 had a strengthened wing with 4 store pylons.
Mark FB4: This had a greater weapon capability than the FB3.
Mark FB5: The FB5 were FB3 and FB4 fitted with the 4% more powerful Nene 103 engine.
Mark FGA6: The FGA6, shown above right, was the same as the FB5 but new production.
Mark 50: This was developed for the Royal Netherlands Navy. It was the same as the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm (FAA) aircraft but with the addition of UHF radio. Later most of them were fitted with two Sidewinder missiles.
Mark 100: This was developed for the West German Navy.They were also fitted with a UHF radio and had a fin and rudder 15 inches higher than the Royal Navy aircraft. They had the role of strike fighter.
Mark 101: This was developed for the West German Navy.They were also fitted with a UHF radio and had a fin and rudder 15 inches higher than the Royal Navy aircraft. They had the role of night fighter with a radar pod mounted under one of the wings, and reconnaissance.

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Production

The first production Sea Hawk F1 was WF 143, which flew in November 1951. WF143 was the first of 35 Sea Hawks produced at the Hawker Kingston factory. In 1951 the decision was made to transfer Sea Hawk production to the Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft (AWA) factory at Baginton. The first Sea Hawk F1 produced by AWA, WF240, first flew from Bittteswell before the end of 1953 and a further 59 were produced. All further marks were also produced by AWA.
The first of 40 production F2 first flew from Bittteswell on 24 February 1954.
The first of 116 production FB3 first flew from Bittteswell in March 1954.
The first of 97 production FB4 first flew from Bittteswell in August 1954.
The first of 86 production FGA6 first flew from Bittteswell in ____ __, was the same as the FB5 but new production rather than a conversion.
The first of 32 production Mark 50 first flew from Bittteswell in ____ __.
The first of 32 production Mark 100 first flew from Bittteswell in ____ __.
The first of 32 production Mark 101 first flew from Bittteswell in ____ __.

A total of 530 Sea Hawks were built.

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Service History

Royal Navy

The Sea Hawk F1 first entered front-line service with the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) Number 806 (Ace of Diamonds) Squadron, equipped with Hawker built aircraft, in March 1953 and the Squadron embarked in Feb 1954 on HMS Eagle.
Marks FB3 and FGA6 of the FAA were in operation the during Suez war in 1956, escorted by Sea Venoms. Sea Hawk 800, 802, 804, 810, 897 and 800 squadrons were embarked on aircraft carriers HMS Albion, Bulwark and Eagle. Ground targets were attacked and a large amount of damage inflicted on a wide range of targets. Two Sea Hawks were shot down by AA fire and several were damaged. This was the first and last operational action of the Sea Hawk in UK service.
At one time there were 10 FAA Sea Hawk squadrons. The last FAA front line squadron disbanded in December 1960.

Royal Netherlands Navy

The Mark 50 was in service with the Royal Netherlands Navy from 1957 to 1964. It served aboard the Dutch aircraft carrier "HNLMS Karel Doorman ex HMS_Venerable, including decolonization operations guarding against Indonesian threats.

West German Navy

The Mark 100 and the Mark 101 were in service with the West German Navy from 1957 to 1965.

Indian Navy

The Mark TBA entered service with the Indian Navy in 1960. The Indian Sea Hawks flew from the aircraft carrier INS_Vikrant" ex-HMS Hercules, and were used operationally in the Indo-Pakistan wars of 1965 and 1971. In the 1971 war, their Sea Hawk squadrons attacked Pakistan ground and sea targets without loss contributing to the Indian victory. The Sea Hawks continued in Indian service to 1983 when they were replaced by the Sea Harrier.

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Drawings

The above 3-view drawings were published in July 1950 in the AIRCRAFT RECOGNITION Journal.

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Surviving Sea Hawks

There are 13 Sea Hawks surviving in the UK of which 1 is airworthy, FGA6 serial WV908 with the Royal Navy Historic Flight based at Yeovilton. There are also 1 in Malta, 3 in Germany and 3 in Holland.

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References for Information on the Sea Hawk

This may be obtained from several dedicated Web Sites.
The following publications also contain information:
1) Hawker Aircraft since 1920, Francis K. Mason, Putnam, 1961, 1971 and 1991, ISBN 1 85177 839 9
2) The Hawker Sea Hawk, Francis K. Mason, Profile Publications, 1966.
3) A handbook of Fighter Aircraft, Francis Corby, Hermes House, 2003. ISBN 10 987 65432

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By Tim Hammond, September 2009. Revised and Index added, August 2010.