The predominant Fleet Air Arm jet fighter of the 1950s, Hawker’s Sea Hawk traced its ancentry back to the company’s P.1035 design – an adaptation of the Sea Fury design with a Rolls-Royce B.41 turbojet. This remained unbuilt, but was evolved into the P.1040, retaining the Nene, but with a revised wing and fuselage and with much shorter bifurcated exhausts.
Sea Hawk F Mk.1: Initial operational version with the Nene 101 and increased wingspan. First flown in November 1951 and used for the type’s first deployment in early 1954.
Sea Hawk F Mk.2: Power boosted ailerons
Sea Hawk FB Mk.3: Fighter-bomber model, with beefed-up wing and hardpoints for 500lb bombs or unguided rockets.
Sea Hawk FB Mk.5: Mk.3s refitted with Nene 103s.
Sea Hawk FGA Mk.6: New build aircraft with Nene 103 engine.
Sea Hawk Bibliography:
Review: The Hawker Sea Hawk, by Francis K. Mason, Aircraft in Profile series
Highlights:
Photos (2, small): P.1040 prototype VP401
N.7/46 prototype VP422
Shot of a Nene with the jetpipe fitted
Color profiles include an FGA.6 in an all-Black Airwork Services scheme, FB.3 of No. 738 in an all red scheme, two RNAS aircraft, and Indian and German Sea Hawks.
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Photo: aft view of Sea Hawk VP413 Aviation Week October 2, 1950 p.15
“Exchange Pilots Fly Royal Navy’s Jets” Naval Aviation News April 1953 Includes a picture of three Sea Hawks in formation
“Sea Hawks: Fleet Fighter at Bawdy” Flight 19 February 1954 p.209+
Eric Brown “The Sea Hawk…Epitome of Elegance” Air International December 1982 Includes two views of the P.1040 prototype VP401, and an FGA.4 cutaway drawing
“Sea Hawk rework” FlyPast July 1998 p.16 rebuilding of the RNHF’s FGA.6 WV908
Photo: Jet Heritage Sea Hawk FB.5 G-SEAH Air International May 1989 p.250
Review: “Hawker Sea Hawk FB.3/Mk 50 with AIM-9B Hi Tech” Scale Aviation Modeller International July 2005
Libor Jekl “Suez Sea Hawk” Model Airplane International September 2006 Building the MPM/Special Hobby 1/72 kit – includes a walk around of aircraft WV826
George Black “They Gave Me A Sea Hawk” Aeroplane October 2006 Flying the Sea Hawk during the Suez operation – includes a color profile of FB.3 WM995
Trevor Pask “Dutch Sea Hawk” Scale Aviation Modeller International 03-2007 the Special Hobby 1/72 kit
John Bisset Review of the 1/48 Sea Hawk Mk 100/101 kit from Trumpeter. Scale Aviation Modeller International July 2008
Review of the Special Hobby 1/72 Sea Hawk Mk.101/Mk.50 kit Skymodel 20/09 p.60
Donald Nijboe, Dan Patterson Cold War Cockpits p.114-115: photo and cockpit layout of the FGA.6 preserved at Yeovilton
Paul A. Jackson German Military Aviation 1956-1976 photos of West German FAW.100 VA229, and FAW.101 RB370 with wings folded
Leo Marriott Jets at Sea: Naval Aviation in Transition 1945-1955 includes a photo of Sea Hawk VP413 aboard HMS Illustrious