Hawker P.1121B Falcon FGR.1

[Devilfish]

The P.1121 was a private venture by Hawker Aviation, for a Mach 2.5 strike fighter.  Unfortunately at the time (late 50's) there were two obstacles. 1) the RAF weren't interested in it, and 2) the 1957 Duncan Sandys White Paper, which effectively said that the defence of the British Isles would soon be entirely handles by SAMs...

Duncan Sandys was an ex-Army officer, who knew nothing about aviation or technology....

Anyway, prior to this point Hawker had progressed with the design, building a wooden mock up, and starting to build the first prototype.

We jump forwards 10 years, and the TSR2, P.1154 and HS681 have all been cancelled, leaving a big hole in the British air defence system.  Wanting to still buy British if possible the government looked towards the decimated aircraft manufacturer's.  Hawker, now part of Hawker Siddeley dusted off it's P.1121, updated the design without making any major changes and said they could have a prototype up and flying within a year.  The P.1121 would replace the aging Lightning, and fill a hole that would have been taken by the Jaguar, Buccaneer and eventually Tornado.

The P.1121B entered service in 1972, as the Falcon FGR.1.

Based at RAF Laarbruch in Germany, 31 Sqn flew the Falcon in the ground attack role.



The kit is based on a Hobbyboss 1/48 F-105, with a 3d printer intake and forward fuselage underside.  I replaced the tail and modified the wings. I moved the main undercarriage to the fuselage and altered the exhaust.  I added a third set of pylons inboard, where the undercarriage bays used to be, carrying drop tanks. The pylons and tanks are from a Monogram AV-8b Harrier, as they match the shape of those proposed for the P.1121.

20240827_210842 20240827_21084620240827_210856 20240827_210913 20240827_210934

[McColm]

Well done 

[PR19_Kit]

Cor, that's a REAL looker, and so much a P.1121 it's not true!   

[buzzbomb]

Looks great 

[Old Wombat]

Woh, nice!    

[chrisonord]

That certainly looks the part. Very nice

[DogfighterZen]

  

[NARSES2]

That really does look good   

[Dizzyfugu]

Odd, but cool. 

[HarryPhishnuts]

Fantastic. Great mod with the intake. Just got into 3D printing mod parts myself and this gives me some ideas. Great work.   

[The Rat]

That's a stunner!   

[Gondor]

Very nice rendition. 

Gondor

[scautomoton]

Good effort! Makes me want to dig out the Maintrack vacform kit I have in the stash and torture myself trying to build it....

[PR19_Kit]

Good effort! Makes me want to dig out the Maintrack vacform kit I have in the stash and torture myself trying to build it....

Hmmm, funny you should say that...............

[Gondor]

I have two in the stash, one of which is earmarked to be a Navy two-seater. I have built the single-seater previously.

Gondor