Variation with FLIR nose and avionics in rear cockpit. Should also allow for increased all round vision.
I've decided to bring this back up as I don't want to completely derail the new acquisitions thread.
I recently bought Airfix's 1/72 Hawk T.Mk.1 and have decided to have a go at a light attack variation
The premise is this:
The entire Hawk 200 program is shelved. Initially this is the result of lukewarm response to the type by potential customers; however, the 1986 crash of a demonstrator aircraft which killed the pilot was also key in the decision to halt work on it.
One comment that BAe reps heard frequently from potential customers was that they might be more interested if the attack version had more commonality with the baseline Hawk for ease of maintenance. Several said that they would happily forgo the radar in favor of optical and thermal targeting devices.
With this information, the representatives recommended engineers and designers to work inside the existing Hawk T.Mk.1 lines to develop the attack variant.
The first step was to gut the rear cockpit and refit it as an avionics compartment. Some of the equipment from the nose was relocated into the new compartment to make room for an LRMTS fairing on top of the nose section. Consequently, the nose mounted pitot tube was relocated to the vertical fin leading edge.
Other changes were smaller in order to keep as much commonality as possible. Antenna fit was altered to fit the attack role, this included the RWR receiver on the vertical fin.
Some thought was also given to possible users in developing nations who might have rougher airfield conditions; as such, the landing gear doors were reworked to allow large sections of them to remain closed except on take off and landing rotations.
All of this resulted in a machine which the RAF, who ordered a squadron worth for evaluation, referred to as the Hawk Gr.Mk.3. The evaluation unit was given the 64 Squadron number plate.
When the new aircraft was put on demonstration, to many of the same countries the Hawk 200 was demonstrated to, the response was markedly warmer; particularly when the commonalities between it and the baseline Hawk were demonstrated.
Meanwhile, 64 squadron, who operated the type for a period of five years through the late 80s and early 90s, was gathering a wealth of data on operations with it and compiling a list of suggested improvements.
Enough orders were confirmed to justify production and many of the recommendations made by RAF pilots were instituted in the new Hawk 100 airframe seen in the profile above.
While the RAF ultimately saw the light attack Hawk variant as superfluous to requirements, they did take the Hawk 100 on as the T.Mk.2.
Several nations have purchased the light attack Hawk and others are considering it. It is often perceived as a direct competitor to the Czech L-59 ALCA; however, this is somewhat of a misconception as the attack Hawk has much more commonality with the basic Hawk while the Czech aircraft has only a family resemblance to the L-39 Albatros that it descended from and no commonality with it. As such, L-39 user nations would not enjoy the same benefits of ease of maintenance on the L-159 that Hawk users would on the Hawk 100 series.
From an operational standpoint, the two are comparable. However, from a selling point of view, the Czech aircraft has been largely sales proof while the Hawk continues to sell.