Sabre Hawk ga2

[lenny100]

Royal Northumberland Air Force announced last year, by Air Marshal Barry Thornton, Chief of Defence Material (Air). that it was  a requirement for a replacement for the RNAF's Tucano turboprop two-seat trainer, which came into service in 1988 which its self had replaced the Jet Provost, and the Hawk T4 which replaced the Gnat in 1980
Despite it being propeller-driven the Tucano has all the characteristics of a jet and bridged the gap between the basic trainer, the Tutor, and the Hawk advanced trainer. Over the next few years it will need replacing to mirror the 21st century cockpit environments of jets
The Hawk also needs updating from its current analog cockpit and poor economy engine
Aware of these issues, the Ministry of Supply started work with Armstrong Whitworth , attempting to define a new trainer.
Originally the designs concentrated on a smaller aircraft more similar to a small light jet, and there was some discussion of developing the Hawk in this direction as the P.18, while adaptations of the earlier developments of the Tucano were gathered under the P.17 designation. These early studies eventually settled on an aircraft with a 500 nm ferry range, Mach 0.88 speed "at altitude", and STOL performance. The latter requirement was a side-effect of common battle plans from the 1950s, which suggested that strikes in the opening stages of war would damage most runways and airbases, meaning that aircraft would need to take off from improvised sites, or even fields.
As the project continued, the requirements continued to grow and a requirement started to show a need for a Coin aircraft based on the same aircraft.
A crew of two was required, one operating the advanced navigational and attack equipment, and bomb-load is to be one 1,000 lb (450 kg) bomb and either self defence equipment or rocket pods. This basically eliminated the P.17 design as a suitable approach, and further work concentrated solely on the P.18A.

The requirements were eventually made official in with General Operational Requirement 439 (GOR.439).

Specifically the requirement included:

Basic and advance flight training
Weapons delivery training
deliver tactical weapons at low level in all weathers.
photo-reconnaissance at medium and low levels day and night
electronic reconnaissance
Low level was stated to be under 1,000 ft (300 m) with an expected attack speed at sea-level of Mach 0.85. The operational range was to be 500 nautical miles  operating off runways of no more than 2,000 ft

[lenny100]

Most of this build will be using this kit but with a few changes



I started this build on the tables at the Perth show and in it raw form a few people asked me if i was MAD or just crazy
Well i just say that my doctor has given me a piece of paper that says i do have mental problems so who knows were the inspiration come from!!!

[lenny100]

here is the work in progress





the fusalarge cut to recive the new powerplant

[Weaver]

So if I'm reading you right, this is a turbopropped Hawk?  Wow..... watching this one with interest......

[BrittMac]

So if I'm reading you right, this is a turbopropped Hawk?  Wow..... watching this one with interest......

Looked that way to me too.  Hard to mistake that chin scoop!
This will be neat to see done!

[lenny100]

finished

[Spey_Phantom]

nice work, Lenny 
that A400M like prop really looks the part 
excelent build 

[Ed S]

Cool, not only is it a turboprop, but it's a taildragger...  Nice.   

Ed