British Aerospace Hawk T.2
Going into the 1970s, the RAF relied on the BAC Jet Provost, Folland Gnat, and Hawker Hunter as their primary jet trainers. Both the Jet Provost and Hunter were getting long in the teeth, and the Gnat had reliability issues. The SEPECAT Jaguar was thought to be the answer, but it was better suited as a strike aircraft and was too complicated to act as a trainer, so in 1968, Hawker-Siddeley began work on a pure, high performance trainer. The Hawk first flew in 1974.
The Hawk soon won its admirers. It was simple to operate and maintain, and its performance was close to that of a frontline fighter. Hawks could act as emergency fighters and were meant from the start to carry gunpods and Sidewinder missiles. The Hawk rapidly replaced the Gnat and Hunter as the RAF's primary trainer. It also saw export success: though British Aerospace hoped to market the Panavia Tornado and the Hawk as a package deal, only Saudi Arabia bought both aircraft; several air forces, however, bought Hawks, making it the best selling jet trainer in the late 20th Century. It would also serve as the basis for the US Navy's T-45 Goshawk trainer as well.
As fighter costs spiraled, nations also started to see the Hawk not as just a trainer, but as a frontline aircraft. British Aerospace subsequently modified the design into the Hawk 100, a two-seat advanced trainer that could act as a multirole fighter, and the Hawk 200, a single-seat fighter. Cheaper than the F-16, the Hawk 100/200 was attractive to air forces who could not afford top-of-the-line fighters.
17 nations would operate Hawks; 13 still use the type, and it continues in production in both the United Kingdom and India.
This Hawk is a T.2 version, based on the Hawk 100 advanced trainer/light attack aircraft; this version has an extended nose with option for FLIR, slightly different wing design, and an upgraded "glass" cockpit and engine. It is from one of several RAF training units, and is a F-Toys snap-together, prepainted kit. It has good detail, but the paint job leaves a bit to be desired, so this will get a repaint at some point.
British Aerospace Hawk T.2
Going into the 1970s, the RAF relied on the BAC Jet Provost, Folland Gnat, and Hawker Hunter as their primary jet trainers. Both the Jet Provost and Hunter were getting long in the teeth, and the Gnat had reliability issues. The SEPECAT Jaguar was thought to be the answer, but it was better suited as a strike aircraft and was too complicated to act as a trainer, so in 1968, Hawker-Siddeley began work on a pure, high performance trainer. The Hawk first flew in 1974.
The Hawk soon won its admirers. It was simple to operate and maintain, and its performance was close to that of a frontline fighter. Hawks could act as emergency fighters and were meant from the start to carry gunpods and Sidewinder missiles. The Hawk rapidly replaced the Gnat and Hunter as the RAF's primary trainer. It also saw export success: though British Aerospace hoped to market the Panavia Tornado and the Hawk as a package deal, only Saudi Arabia bought both aircraft; several air forces, however, bought Hawks, making it the best selling jet trainer in the late 20th Century. It would also serve as the basis for the US Navy's T-45 Goshawk trainer as well.
As fighter costs spiraled, nations also started to see the Hawk not as just a trainer, but as a frontline aircraft. British Aerospace subsequently modified the design into the Hawk 100, a two-seat advanced trainer that could act as a multirole fighter, and the Hawk 200, a single-seat fighter. Cheaper than the F-16, the Hawk 100/200 was attractive to air forces who could not afford top-of-the-line fighters.
17 nations would operate Hawks; 13 still use the type, and it continues in production in both the United Kingdom and India.
This Hawk is a T.2 version, based on the Hawk 100 advanced trainer/light attack aircraft; this version has an extended nose with option for FLIR, slightly different wing design, and an upgraded "glass" cockpit and engine. It is from one of several RAF training units, and is a F-Toys snap-together, prepainted kit. It has good detail, but the paint job leaves a bit to be desired, so this will get a repaint at some point.