Most Beautiful Aircraft

[Yokel]

The Hawk is a classic in the nice to look at stakes.

At Warton I spent more than a few minutes in one of the hangars where a Hawk was parked more or less under the wing of a Tornado, it was a very visually interesting sight. Huge brutal and boxy vs rather sleek and elegant, the contrast was marked. Would have made a great photo, but for obvious reasons that would have been a major no-no.

The T-45 Goshawk, derived from the Hawk and with significant elements of the airframe made in Britain, is none too shabby either:

I am not sure if the improved lift devices can be seen compared to the original Hawk T1, but the wings needed modifying, the fuselage and landing gear needed strengthening, a more powerful version of the Rolls Royce Adour engine was needed, and a more responsive throttle control had to be developed.

 

[Grim_Squeaker85]

I grew up near what was then RAF Chivenor so I saw Hawks all the time - in those days they were grey/green. However I think that it looks more striking when painted black - this must have started when it was decided to paint all training aircraft black.

On a backwards looking tangent, I wonder what a black Jet Provost would have looked like?

Best I can find

 

[CaptainRidiculous]

I grew up near what was then RAF Chivenor so I saw Hawks all the time - in those days they were grey/green. However I think that it looks more striking when painted black - this must have started when it was decided to paint all training aircraft black.

Mick Jagger walt

 

[Grim_Squeaker85]

Mick Jagger walt

Kick would hate it nowadays, we are taking the black ones and making them red

 

[Cloth bomber]

Black.

And thirsty!

 

[Karamoja]

I grew up near what was then RAF Chivenor so I saw Hawks all the time - in those days they were grey/green. However I think that it looks more striking when painted black - this must have started when it was decided to paint all training aircraft black.


On a backwards looking tangent, I wonder what a black Jet Provost would have looked like?

Here you go....

 

[Yokel]

Best

Best I can find

View attachment 673766

Here you go....

View attachment 673829

I am not entirely sure if that belongs on this thread or another one. My only knowledge of the Jet Provost has been reading comments suggesting that it helped prepare future pilots for things like fuel management in ways that the succeeding Tucano could not. I also once chatted to a retired RN Cdr who had joined the Navy to fly but did not get past the Jet Provost stage.

 

[Karamoja]

I am not entirely sure if that belongs on this thread or another one. My only knowledge of the Jet Provost has been reading comments suggesting that it helped prepare future pilots for things like fuel management in ways that the succeeding Tucano could not. I also once chatted to a retired RN Cdr who had joined the Navy to fly but did not get past the Jet Provost stage.

Very complicated fuel management procedures required for the variable noise static thrust engine.

 

[MOzanne]

Here you go....

View attachment 673829

Photo-shopping out the undercart is cheating...

 

[Yokel]

Could the Jet Provost have been navalised to make it into a carrier landing trainer? The Royal Navy never had a trainer for Pilots to perfect carrier landings - your first carrier landing was trying to put a Scimitar or Sea Vixen aboard a relatively small deck without having had the opportunity to train with a slower and more stable aircraft first.

 

[Cold_Collation]

Could the Jet Provost have been navalised to make it into a carrier landing trainer? The Royal Navy never had a trainer for Pilots to perfect carrier landings - your first carrier landing was trying to put a Scimitar or Sea Vixen aboard a relatively small deck without having had the opportunity to train with a slower and more stable aircraft first.

No training on a concrete carrier first?

 

[Toastie]

Best I can find

View attachment 673766

As a complete aside, one flew over yesterday (South Cheshire) but in the old red and white scheme.

 

[Cloth bomber]

Very complicated fuel management procedures required for the variable noise static thrust engine.

A fitter( airframes) I knew ,worked on them. He said the only thing to remember when contemplating buying an ex service provost to put on the private register, was the main fuel feed was 3” diameter !!!
I wasn’t tempted.

 

[Cold_Collation]

As a complete aside, one flew over yesterday (South Cheshire) but in the old red and white scheme.

You are Doctor Who and I claim my £5.

 

[Toastie]

A fitter( airframes) I knew ,worked on them. He said the only thing to remember when contemplating buying an ex service provost to put on the private register, was the main fuel feed was 3” diameter !!!
I wasn’t tempted.

Ah but it was powered by the Viper engine do you could have run it on coal dust, chip fat or shredded newspaper.

Amongst my late father’s effects was this, presented to him as part of his retirement goodies as the Viper was his first project lead:

 

[Yokel]

No training on a concrete carrier first?

Probably, but a concrete carrier does not steam at x knots, it does not offer a constantly moving target, and does not have a deck that is subject to yaw, roll, pitch, surge, sway, and heave. Not does it have the same turbulence produced by structures such as the island or hot gases from the funnel.

All these things mean that line up, angle of attack, and throttle all have to be constantly corrected to land at sea.

 

[Chef]

Probably, but a concrete carrier does not steam at x knots, it does not offer a constantly moving target, and does not have a deck that is subject to yaw, roll, pitch, surge, sway, and heave. Not does it have the same turbulence produced by structures such as the island or hot gases from the funnel.

All these things mean that line up, angle of attack, and throttle all have to be constantly corrected to land at sea.

I'd have thought that landing on a land strip the size of a carrier's deck would be a good introduction to the difference in size and latitude twixt land and sea landings.

Incidentally, Eric Brown holds the record for the most deck landings, 2407. Unlikely ever to be broken as a lot more training is done on simulators.

I saw that in a museum which also mentioned that the Americans attempted to get the record and dedicated three pilots to do so. The attempt was eventually abandoned but not before one pilot had a mental breakdown. Which shows how stressful the whole business must be even for the experts.

 

[tiv]

Could the Jet Provost have been navalised to make it into a carrier landing trainer? The Royal Navy never had a trainer for Pilots to perfect carrier landings - your first carrier landing was trying to put a Scimitar or Sea Vixen aboard a relatively small deck without having had the opportunity to train with a slower and more stable aircraft first.

The USN won't have soon, the Goshawk replacement is not required to make carrier landings or catapult launches, just touch and goes.

 

[UKAviationGroup]

I grew up near what was then RAF Chivenor so I saw Hawks all the time - in those days they were grey/green. However I think that it looks more striking when painted black - this must have started when it was decided to paint all training aircraft black.

On a backwards looking tangent, I wonder what a black Jet Provost would have looked like?

The one in your photo belongs to ETPS
A fine establishment and visited a few years ago to see how it all works.

 

[Cloth bomber]

We had what is now Anthorn transmitter array on the solway.
orig HMAS Nuthatch (( I think), 3 runways on a peninsula jutting out into the solway.
The ( still visible from overhead) runways were as narrow as fvck however
like big single track roads. Obv built with training escort carrier pilots in mind.
before they closed they were working sea fury pilots up for Korea, which would have been “fascinating “