DONE @p.5 +++ HAL Samudree Baaj (Sea Hawk) Mk. 201, Indian Navy

[Dizzyfugu]

1:72 HAL ,,Samudree Baaj" (समुद्री बाज, Sea Hawk) Mk. 201; aicraft ,,51 (IN608)" of the Indian Navy 300 Squadron "The White Tigers"; Naval Air Station Hansa (Goa, India), early 2021 (What-if/kitbashing) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr



Some background:
The Indian ,,Samudree Baaj" (समुद्री बाज, Sea Hawk) was a highly modified, navalized version of the British BAE Systems Hawk land-based training jet aircraft, which had been manufactured under license by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). The first indigenously built Hawk Mk. 132 trainer was delivered in 2008 to the Indian Air Force, and the type has since then been updated with indigenous avionics into the "Hawk-I" Mk. 132 from 2020 onwards. The aircraft's Rolls Royce Adour Mk 871 engine was also license-built by HAL, and the company had experience from a wide range of aircraft projects in the past.

The Samudree Baaj project was initiated in 2006 by the Indian Navy, as part of the long historic plan to provide the Indian Navy with a fully capable aircraft carrier. This plan had been initiated in 1989, when India announced a plan to replace its ageing British-built aircraft carriers, INS Vikrant and INS Viraat (ex-HMS Hermes), with two new 28,000-ton Air Defence Ships (ADS) that would operate the BAe Sea Harrier aircraft. The first vessel was to replace Vikrant, which was set to decommission in early 1997. Construction of the ADS was to start at the Cochin Shipyard (CSL) in 1993 after the Indian Naval Design Organisation had translated this design study into a production model. Following the 1991 economic crisis, the plans for construction of the vessels were put on hold indefinitely.

In 1999, then-Defence Minister George Fernandes revived the project and sanctioned the construction of the Project "71 ADS". By that time, given the ageing Sea Harrier fleet, the letter of intent called for a carrier that would carry more modern jet fighters. In 2001, CSL released a graphic illustration showing a 32,000-ton STOBAR (Short Take-Off But Arrested Recovery) design with a pronounced ski jump. The aircraft carrier project finally received formal government approval in January 2003. By then, design updates called for a 37,500-ton carrier to operate the MiG-29K. India opted for a three-carrier fleet consisting of one carrier battle group stationed on each seaboard, and a third carrier held in reserve, in order to continuously protect both its flanks, to protect economic interests and mercantile traffic, and to provide humanitarian platforms in times of disasters, since a carrier can provide a self-generating supply of fresh water, medical assistance or engineering expertise to populations in need for assistance.


1:72 HAL ,,Samudree Baaj" (समुद्री बाज, Sea Hawk) Mk. 201; aicraft ,,51 (IN608)" of the Indian Navy 300 Squadron "The White Tigers"; Naval Air Station Hansa (Goa, India), early 2021 (What-if/kitbashing) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 HAL ,,Samudree Baaj" (समुद्री बाज, Sea Hawk) Mk. 201; aicraft ,,51 (IN608)" of the Indian Navy 300 Squadron "The White Tigers"; Naval Air Station Hansa (Goa, India), early 2021 (What-if/kitbashing) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 HAL ,,Samudree Baaj" (समुद्री बाज, Sea Hawk) Mk. 201; aicraft ,,51 (IN608)" of the Indian Navy 300 Squadron "The White Tigers"; Naval Air Station Hansa (Goa, India), early 2021 (What-if/kitbashing) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 HAL ,,Samudree Baaj" (समुद्री बाज, Sea Hawk) Mk. 201; aicraft ,,51 (IN608)" of the Indian Navy 300 Squadron "The White Tigers"; Naval Air Station Hansa (Goa, India), early 2021 (What-if/kitbashing) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


In August 2006, then-Chief of the Naval Staff, Admiral Arun Prakash stated that the designation for the vessel had been changed from Air Defence Ship (ADS) to Indigenous Aircraft Carrier (IAC). The euphemistic ADS had been adopted in planning stages to ward off concerns about a naval build-up. Final revisions to the design increased the displacement of the carrier from 37,500 tons to over 40,000 tons. The length of the ship also increased from 252 metres (827 ft) to 262 metres (860 ft).
It was at this time that, beyond the MiG-29K, primarily a carrier-capable trainer and also a light (and less costly) strike aircraft would be needed. With the running production of the Hawk Mk. 132 for the Indian Air Force and BAE Systems' connection and experience to the USA and McDonnell/Boeing's adaptation of the Hawk as the US Navy's carrier-capable T-45 trainer, HAL was instructed to develop a suitable aircraft family on the Hawk's basis for the new carriers.

HAL's Samudree Baaj is a fully carrier-capable version of the British Aerospace Hawk Mk. The Hawk had not originally been designed to perform carrier operations, so that numerous modifications were required, such as the extensive strengthening of the airframe to withstand the excessive forces imposed by the stresses involved in catapult launches and high sink-rate landings, both scenarios being routine in aircraft carrier operations.

The aerodynamic changes of the aircraft, which were mutually developed by HAL and BAE Systems, included improvements to the low-speed handling characteristics and a reduction in the approach speed. Most notable amongst the changes made to the Hawk's design were extended flaps for better low-speed handling, along with the addition of spoilers on the wings to reduce lift and strakes on the fuselage which improved airflow and stabilizer efficiency.
Other, less obvious modifications included a reinforced airframe, the adoption of a more robust and widened landing gear, complete with a catapult tow bar attachment to the oleo strut of the new two-wheel nose gear design, and an arresting hook. The tail fin was extended by 1 foot (12 in, 30.5 cm) to compensate for the loss of the Hawk's ventral stabilizing strakes. To make room for the arrester hook, the original ventral air brake was split and re-located to the flanks, similar to the USN's T-45 trainer.


1:72 HAL ,,Samudree Baaj" (समुद्री बाज, Sea Hawk) Mk. 201; aicraft ,,51 (IN608)" of the Indian Navy 300 Squadron "The White Tigers"; Naval Air Station Hansa (Goa, India), early 2021 (What-if/kitbashing) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 HAL ,,Samudree Baaj" (समुद्री बाज, Sea Hawk) Mk. 201; aicraft ,,51 (IN608)" of the Indian Navy 300 Squadron "The White Tigers"; Naval Air Station Hansa (Goa, India), early 2021 (What-if/kitbashing) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 HAL ,,Samudree Baaj" (समुद्री बाज, Sea Hawk) Mk. 201; aicraft ,,51 (IN608)" of the Indian Navy 300 Squadron "The White Tigers"; Naval Air Station Hansa (Goa, India), early 2021 (What-if/kitbashing) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


At the time of the Samudree Baaj's design, the exact catapult arrangement and capacity on board of India's new carriers was not clear yet – even more so, since the MiG-29K and its powerful engines might have made a catapult obsolete. Therefore, the Samudree Baaj was designed to be operable either with a ski jump ramp (in the style of the Russian Kiev class carriers, of which India had purchased one as INS Vikramaditya) or with only minimal launch support within the projected STOBAR concept, which included a relatively short-stroke steam catapult and a similarly short, undampened arrester gear.

By 2009 the basic airframe had been defined and four prototypes were built for two versions: the Mk. 101 trainer, which was basically a navalized version of the land-based Mk. 132 with almost the same mission equipment, and the Mk. 201, a single-seater. Two airframes of each type were built and the first Samudree Baaj flight took place in early 2011. The Indian government ordered 30 trainers and 15 attack aircraft, to be delivered with the first new Indian carrier, INS Vikrant, in late 2017.

The Samudree Baaj Mk. 201 was developed from the basic navalized Hawk airframe as a light multirole fighter with a small visual signature and high maneuverability, but high combat efficiency and capable of both strike and point defense missions. It differed from the trainer through a completely new forward fuselage whereby the forward cockpit area, which normally housed the trainee, was replaced by an electronics bay for avionics and onboard systems, including a fire control computer, a LINS 300 ring laser gyroscope inertial navigation system and a lightweight (145 kg) multimode, coherent, pulse-Doppler I band airborne radar. This multimode radar was developed from the Ferranti Blue Fox radar and capable of airborne interception and air-to-surface strike roles over water and land, with look-down/shoot-down and look-up modes. It had ten air-to-surface and ten air-to-ground modes for navigation and weapon aiming purposes.
A ventral fairing behind the radome carried a laser rangefinder and a forward-looking infrared (FLIR). Mid-air refueling was also possible, through a detachable (but fixed) probe. GPS navigation or modern night-flight systems were integrated, too.


1:72 HAL ,,Samudree Baaj" (समुद्री बाज, Sea Hawk) Mk. 201; aicraft ,,51 (IN608)" of the Indian Navy 300 Squadron "The White Tigers"; Naval Air Station Hansa (Goa, India), early 2021 (What-if/kitbashing) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 HAL ,,Samudree Baaj" (समुद्री बाज, Sea Hawk) Mk. 201; aicraft ,,51 (IN608)" of the Indian Navy 300 Squadron "The White Tigers"; Naval Air Station Hansa (Goa, India), early 2021 (What-if/kitbashing) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 HAL ,,Samudree Baaj" (समुद्री बाज, Sea Hawk) Mk. 201; aicraft ,,51 (IN608)" of the Indian Navy 300 Squadron "The White Tigers"; Naval Air Station Hansa (Goa, India), early 2021 (What-if/kitbashing) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


Like the trainer, the Mk. 201 had a total of seven weapon hardpoints (1 ventral, four underwing and a pair of wing tip launch rails), but the more sophisticated avionics suite allowed a wider range of ordnance to be carried and deployed, which included radar-guided AAMs for BVR strokes and smart weapons and guided missiles – especially the Sea Eagle and AGM-84 "Harpoon" anti-ship missiles in the Indian Navy's arsenal. For the maritime strike role and as a support for ASW missions, the Samudree Baaj Mk. 201 could even deploy Sting Ray homing torpedoes.
Furthermore, a pair of 30mm (1.18 in) ADEN machine cannon with 150 RPG were housed in a shallow fairing under the cockpit. The self-protection systems include a BAE SkyGuardian 200 RWR and automatic Vinten chaff/flare dispensers located above the engine exhaust.

The Samudree Baaj project was highly ambitious, so that it does not wonder that there were many delays and teething troubles. Beyond the complex avionics integration this included the maritime adaptation of the Adour engine, which eventually led to the uprated Adour Mk. 871-1N, which, as a side benefit, also offered about 10% more power.
However, in parallel, INS Vikrant also ran into delays: In July 2012, The Times of India reported that construction of Vikrant has been delayed by three years, and the ship would be ready for commissioning by 2018. Later, in November 2012, Indian English-language news channel NDTV reported that cost of the aircraft carrier had increased, and the delivery has been delayed by at least five years and is expected to be with the Indian Navy only after 2018 as against the scheduled date of delivery of 2014. Work then commenced for the next stage of construction, which included the installation of the integrated propulsion system, the superstructure, the upper decks, the cabling, sensors and weapons. Vikrant was eventually undocked on 10 June 2015 after the completion of structural work. Cabling, piping, heat and ventilation works were to be completed by 2017; sea trials would begin thereafter. In December 2019, it was reported that the engines on board the ship were switched on and in November 2020, only the basin trials of the aircraft carrier were completed.


1:72 HAL ,,Samudree Baaj" (समुद्री बाज, Sea Hawk) Mk. 201; aicraft ,,51 (IN608)" of the Indian Navy 300 Squadron "The White Tigers"; Naval Air Station Hansa (Goa, India), early 2021 (What-if/kitbashing) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 HAL ,,Samudree Baaj" (समुद्री बाज, Sea Hawk) Mk. 201; aicraft ,,51 (IN608)" of the Indian Navy 300 Squadron "The White Tigers"; Naval Air Station Hansa (Goa, India), early 2021 (What-if/kitbashing) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 HAL ,,Samudree Baaj" (समुद्री बाज, Sea Hawk) Mk. 201; aicraft ,,51 (IN608)" of the Indian Navy 300 Squadron "The White Tigers"; Naval Air Station Hansa (Goa, India), early 2021 (What-if/kitbashing) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


By that time, the first Samudree Baaj aircraft had been delivered to Indian Navy 300 squadron, and even though only based at land at Hansa Air Station, flight training and military operations commenced. In the meantime, the start of Vikrant's trials had initially been scheduled to begin on 12 March 2020, but further construction delays caused that to be moved back to April. With the COVID-19 crisis, the navy explained that trials were unlikely to begin before September/October. During the Navy Day press meeting in December 2019, Navy Chief Admiral Karambir Singh said Vikrant would be fully operational before the end of 2022. The COVID-19 pandemic had already pushed that back to 2023 and further delays appeared possible.
In late 2020, the Indian Navy expected to commission Vikrant by the end of 2021. Until then, the Samudree Baaj fleet will remain land-based at INS Hansa near Goa. This not only is the INAS 300 home base, it is also the location of the Indian Navy's Shore Based Test Facility (SBTF), which is a mock-up of the 283-metre (928 ft) INS Vikramaditya (a modified Kiev-class aircraft carrier) deck built to train and certify navy pilots, primarily the the Mikoyan MiG-29K for operating from the aircraft carrier, but now also for the Samudree Baaj and for the developmental trials of the naval HAL Tejas lightweight fighter.



General characteristics:
    Crew: 1
    Length: 11.38 m (37 ft 4 in)
    Wingspan: 9.39 m (30 ft 10 in)
    Height: 4.30 m (14 ft 1 in)
    Wing area: 17.66 m2 (190.1 sq ft)
    Empty weight: 9,394 lb (4,261 kg)
    Gross weight: 12,750 lb (5,783 kg)
    Max takeoff weight: 9,101 kg (20,064 lb)
    Fuel capacity: 1,360 kg (3,000 lb) internal
                             3,210 kg (7,080 lb) with 3 drop tanks

Powerplant:
    1× Rolls-Royce Turbomeca Adour Mk. 871-1N non-afterburning turbofan, 28,89 kN (6,445 lbf) thrust

Performance:
    Maximum speed: 1,037 km/h (644 mph, 560 kn) at sea level
    Maximum speed: Mach 1.2 (never exceed at altitude)
    Cruise speed: 796 km/h (495 mph, 430 kn) at 12,500 m (41,000 ft)
    Carrier launch speed: 121 kn (139 mph; 224 km/h)
    Approach speed: 125 kn (144 mph; 232 km/h)
    Never exceed speed: 575 kn (662 mph, 1,065 km/h) / M1.04 design dive limit
    Stall speed: 197 km/h (122 mph, 106 kn) flaps down
    Range: 892 km (554 mi, 482 nmi) internal fuel only
    Combat range: 617 km (383 mi, 333 nmi) with 2x AGM-84 and 2x 592 l (156 US gal; 130 imp gal)
    Ferry range: 1,950 km (1,210 mi, 1,050 nmi) with 3 drop tanks
    Service ceiling: 15,250 m (50,030 ft)
    G-limits: +8/-3
    Rate of climb: 58.466 m/s (11,509.1 ft/min)
    Takeoff distance with maximum weapon load: 2,134 m (7,001 ft)
    Landing distance at maximum landing weight with brake chute: 854 m (2,802 ft)
    Landing distance at maximum landing weight without brake chute: 1,250 m (4,100 ft)

Armament:
    2× 30 mm (1.181 in) Aden cannon with 150 rounds each
    7× hardpoints (4× under-wing, 1× under-fuselage and 2 × wingtip)
          for a total ordnance of 3.085 kg (6,800 lb) and a wide range of weapons




1:72 HAL ,,Samudree Baaj" (समुद्री बाज, Sea Hawk) Mk. 201; aicraft ,,51 (IN608)" of the Indian Navy 300 Squadron "The White Tigers"; Naval Air Station Hansa (Goa, India), early 2021 (What-if/kitbashing) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 HAL ,,Samudree Baaj" (समुद्री बाज, Sea Hawk) Mk. 201; aicraft ,,51 (IN608)" of the Indian Navy 300 Squadron "The White Tigers"; Naval Air Station Hansa (Goa, India), early 2021 (What-if/kitbashing) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 HAL ,,Samudree Baaj" (समुद्री बाज, Sea Hawk) Mk. 201; aicraft ,,51 (IN608)" of the Indian Navy 300 Squadron "The White Tigers"; Naval Air Station Hansa (Goa, India), early 2021 (What-if/kitbashing) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 HAL ,,Samudree Baaj" (समुद्री बाज, Sea Hawk) Mk. 201; aicraft ,,51 (IN608)" of the Indian Navy 300 Squadron "The White Tigers"; Naval Air Station Hansa (Goa, India), early 2021 (What-if/kitbashing) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


The fictional HAL ,,Samudree Baaj" looks simple, but combining kits of the basically same aircraft from different manufacturers reveals their differences, and they are not to be underestimated! However, I like the result of a navalized Hawk single-seater, and - also with the relatively simple and dull livery - it looks pretty convincing.
Many thanks to SPINNERS for the creative inspiration  - even though my build is not a 100% "copy" of the artwork, but rather a step further into the navalisation idea with the T-45 parts.

[Old Wombat]

 

[chrisonord]

Absolutely  marvellous  Thomas 

[zenrat]

I'm not sure why or how this is a whiff, but it's a good build.  Nice work Dizz.

[Dizzyfugu]

Thanks a lot, everyone! 

[Pellson]

Your builds are so much nicer than mine. 

But I don't really see why you are picturing your models in flight with everything hanging down? The model look magnificent parked or even in the air on short finals, but at 5000 ft - naaaaah..
That said, I build my aircraft flying but never add any pilot figures, so I guess I just should shut up.. 

More interesting - what software do you use to cut n'paste your pics? That's also good work.

[PR19_Kit]

That's superb Thomas, one of your very best. 

And the backstory is totally BRILL too. 

I wish  my old friend Rob Hill was still alive, he'd have LOVED to have seen your model as he was one of the main Hawk development engineers at BAe's Brough site, and spent much of his later life planning more and more Hawk variants.

[Dizzyfugu]

Again, thanks a lot.

But I don't really see why you are picturing your models in flight with everything hanging down? The model look magnificent parked or even in the air on short finals, but at 5000 ft - naaaaah..
That said, I build my aircraft flying but never add any pilot figures, so I guess I just should shut up.. 

More interesting - what software do you use to cut n'paste your pics? That's also good work.

Well editing the landing gear away is one thing, but re-creating lowered flaps or speed brakes is another thing. Maybe the machine is slowing down in flight for a camera ship...?  Who knows? 

All my pics are NOT "cut and paste" composings, they are arranged and taken "as is" in front of a printed background This limits size and perspective a little, but I think that the results look much more natural than composings, which tend to look just like a (poor and cluttered) collage. For editing. however, I use a wide range of software, including Corel, XnView, Gimp, and also the primitive integral editor at FlickR. They all have certain strengths and weaknesses, and still not everything turns out the way I'd like to...

[AeroplaneDriver]

Absolutely superb!   

[Gondor]

One of your best Dizzy and inspiration for what I intend to build, might even pinch some of your back story

Gondor

[Pellson]

Again, thanks a lot.

But I don't really see why you are picturing your models in flight with everything hanging down? The model look magnificent parked or even in the air on short finals, but at 5000 ft - naaaaah..
That said, I build my aircraft flying but never add any pilot figures, so I guess I just should shut up.. 

More interesting - what software do you use to cut n'paste your pics? That's also good work.

Well editing the landing gear away is one thing, but re-creating lowered flaps or speed brakes is another thing. Maybe the machine is slowing down in flight for a camera ship...?  Who knows? 

All my pics are NOT "cut and paste" composings, they are arranged and taken "as is" in front of a printed background This limits size and perspective a little, but I think that the results look much more natural than composings, which tend to look just like a (poor and cluttered) collage. For editing. however, I use a wide range of software, including Corel, XnView, Gimp, and also the primitive integral editor at FlickR. They all have certain strengths and weaknesses, and still not everything turns out the way I'd like to...

I admit my comments might have been a bit on the harsh side, and I apologise for that. The model I should have referred to is your otherwise absolutely magnificent Danish Kfir. Whereas this Hawk is awesome, that Kfir is really inspiring me - but it did look a bit ridiculous in flight with its elevens at full nose down..

I wasn't aware that you use backgrounds. I need to look into that. Thanks!!

[Dizzyfugu]

You're welcome. 

[Doug K]

Again, thanks a lot.

But I don't really see why you are picturing your models in flight with everything hanging down? The model look magnificent parked or even in the air on short finals, but at 5000 ft - naaaaah..
That said, I build my aircraft flying but never add any pilot figures, so I guess I just should shut up.. 

More interesting - what software do you use to cut n'paste your pics? That's also good work.

Well editing the landing gear away is one thing, but re-creating lowered flaps or speed brakes is another thing. Maybe the machine is slowing down in flight for a camera ship...?  Who knows? 

All my pics are NOT "cut and paste" composings, they are arranged and taken "as is" in front of a printed background This limits size and perspective a little, but I think that the results look much more natural than composings, which tend to look just like a (poor and cluttered) collage. For editing. however, I use a wide range of software, including Corel, XnView, Gimp, and also the primitive integral editor at FlickR. They all have certain strengths and weaknesses, and still not everything turns out the way I'd like to...

I thought that was how you did the backgrounds, I agree that comping with Photoshop etc, if you don't shoot Ona green screen in the first place can look terrible, the old ways can often be very powerful - ILM has just proven that with the Mandalorian series. Great work

[Captain Canada]

Superb ! Great work on this one, and those lifelike pics are always a bonus. Always liked that aeroplane and she looks great in Naval guise !

[Dizzyfugu]

Thank you. I think that the Hawk 200 really gains from the more sturdy landing gear - the "normal" single seater looks IMHO quite awkward on the grand, due to the high cockpit, the blunt mose and the miniscule front landing gear. The T-45's twin wheel suits it IMHO much better, and it is also placed a little closer to the nose, so that it looks more balanced now? Pretty and positive side effect of the conversion.