Kev Storer
takes a look at the steps being taken to keep the
RAF's fleet of Hawk advanced training aircraft in
active service.
On the 21 August 1974, the Hawker Siddeley (now
BAe Systems) Hawk made its maiden flight at Dunsfold,
Surrey. This event, now seen by many as a milestone
in post-war British aviation history, saw the birth
of an impressive legend. Arguably the most successful
jet-powered training aircraft ever built, the Hawk
has been further developed into a single-seat variant
and a navalised version, the US Navy T-45 Goshawk.
Moving from its original design as a trainer, with
limited weapons training capabilities, the now heavily
armed Hawk has successfully entered the competitive
light-attack and lightweight fighter market and
continues to be a world-beater.
As the original customer for the Hawk,
the RAF intended that the aircraft would replace
the Hawker Siddeley Gnat T1 in the jet trainer role
and the Hawker Hunter T7 in the tactical weapons
training role. It took delivery of the first in-service
aircraft at RAF Valley
on 4 November 1976 - an association that continues
to this day. It was during the production run that
a requirement for some aircraft to be in the pure
flying training role was decided, this being facilitated
by the removal of the aircraft's weapons control
boxes. The capability to refit these boxes was maintained
and once 'converted', the aircraft were referred
to, by the RAF alone, as Hawk T1W aircraft. Additionally,
a later weapons system modification introduced a
Sidewinder capability to 88 aircraft, the aircraft
being redesignated Hawk T1A. During the winter of
1979 and 1980, the Red Arrows replaced its Gnats
with Hawks and during the summer of 1980 undertook
its first public displays using the new type.
Originally, the Hawk was designed for a life of
6,000 flying hours (approximately 20 years) and
15,000 landings. However, in 1985 it was decided
to maintain the current Hawk fleet in-service until
2010 - initially this meant a programme to re-wing
many of the aircraft with high-lifed wings. The
different usage of aircraft - in the flying training
and weapons training roles; the Red Arrows; No 100
Squadron at RAF Leeming; and FRADU at RNAS Culdrose
- has meant some aircraft have become high-fatigue
lifed and others high-houred. During the early 1990s,
it was evident that the majority of the fleet would
not reach the required out-of-service date and therefore
a series of Life Extension Programme (LEP) studies
were undertaken to try to extend the aircraft's
life to 10,200 flying hours and 25,000 landings.
As part of the LEP the re-wing programme was extended
to cover all RAF Hawks. In conjunction with the
other component manufacturers, BAe started looking
at the aircraft structure and all the components
fitted to the aircraft. This involved re-commissioning
the previously completed fatigue test at BAe Brough
and examining and testing a sample of all the aircraft's
components to ascertain whether they could reach
the ultimate required life. The life extension would
allow the aircraft to fly beyond it's design life
of 6,000 flying hours but would require a detailed
examination of the aircraft structure to a pre-defined
schedule to be carried out. Once the work has been
carried out by 'A' Flight No 6(Eng) Squadron at
DARA St Athan, the aircraft will be returned to
their respective units.
Moreover, the results of the fatigue test predicted
that many of the aircraft would show signs of damage
in the rear and centre fuselages before the out-of-service
date was reached. Therefore, a modification programme
to replace the rear and centre fuselages of 80 aircraft
was initiated. This modification programme, titled
'Mod 2010' or the 'Fuselage Replacement Project
(FRP)', will see this batch fitted with a Mark 65A
series centre and rear fuselage. This new section
of fuselage will incorporate all the fatigue enhancements
made by BAe Systems from its experience in developing
its later series of Hawks. The modification programme
is being undertaken by BAe Systems, with 'D' Flight
No 6(Eng) Squadron at DARA St Athan acting as a
sub-contractor, responsible for the strip-out and
rebuild. Initially the aircraft are flown to St
Athan to have the wing, latest standard tailplane,
fin, engine and all components removed from the
fuselage. The fuselage is then transported to Brough
where it is 'split'. The 'split' utilises the transport
joint behind the cockpit rear-pressure bulkhead
where, during the original build, the cockpit and
the separately assembled centre fuselage were mated.
The front cockpit is then joined to the new section
of fuselage in the appropriate jigs at Brough and
returned to St Athan for rebuild. Before their refit,
all of the components are inspected and replaced
where necessary. The aircraft will then be returned
to the fleet without a change in aircraft designation.
In addition to extending the life of the aircraft,
the weapons training role of the aircraft has been
enhanced with the addition of a Gun Sight Video
Recording System (GVRS). The system comprises a
video camera that films the view through the pilot's
Head-Up Display (HUD) and records it onto videotape
instead of 'wet' film, as is currently used. This
is similar to the systems already fitted to the
Jaguar, and being
introduced to the Tornado
GR1 and GR4. Unlike the original system, GVRS will
allow instant playback of the weapons aspects of
the mission during the post-sortie debrief, thereby
eliminating the time normally taken to process the
HUD camera film. As the image quality is greater
than the wet film, and the system has shown a higher
level of reliability, the system will reduce the
number of sorties required to pass the weapons training
phase, saving flying hours and fatigue life. The
system is planned to be fitted to aircraft that
will then operate from Valley and the Tactical Armament
Facility (Hawk) Detachment (TAFHDET) at St Athan.
Having a permanent detachment of eight Hawks from
Valley at TAFHDET reduces the aircraft transit time
to the Pembrey weapons range, enabling a higher
sortie rate to be maintained.
The recent upgrades programmes seen in the Jaguar
and Tornado - in particular the introduction of
advanced cockpits - and the existing
Harrier GR7 'glass' cockpit, are seen by
many to be a quantum leap from the 'dial' cockpit
of the Hawk. The introduction into service of the
Typhoon, with its state-of-the-art cockpit, will
further widen this technology gap. The later marks
of the Hawk, in particular those purchased for the
NATO Flying Training Course, the Australian Lead-In
Fighter and the South African aircraft have a 'glass'
cockpit. This is in conjunction with the longer
nosed mark of aircraft which offers greater space
for avionics, support trays and cooling associated
with such a cockpit. The USN has achieved a 'glass'
cockpit upgrade with its T-45Cs and has the capability
to retrofit this cockpit into its T-45As. It is
felt that such a cockpit would allow students a
smoother transition from their advanced jet training
to the Operational Conversion Units. They will have
aircraft with advanced cockpits and will save simulator
time and flying hours that would otherwise be used
in familiarisation of the advanced cockpits.
The future of all RAF flying training is currently
being reviewed, with a view to defining the training
requirements of future generations in terms of future
aircraft types, both in the training role and at
the front-line. This project will define the role,
and broadly speaking the specification, of any future
training aircraft and the programmes required to
support them. It is likely that any future jet training
aircraft will involve an aircraft of similar capability
to the Hawk. The absence of any other aircraft,
either currently available or in the design stage
by either Britain or the USA suggests that the next
RAF jet trainer will be a Hawk derivative. It is
felt that any future 'Hawk' would be similar to
the Australian Lead-in Fighter, but would probably
have an up-rated engine, a glass cockpit that can
be configured as any future RAF fast jet aircraft,
together with an enhanced weapons training capability.
The procurement and fit of new wings, tailplanes
and rear fuselages will ensure that the structural
elements of the aircraft will withstand the rigours
of pilot training and opens the possibility of a
cockpit upgrade, which could help the RAF's Hawks
to remain technologically compatible with any current
and future RAF aircraft. Notwithstanding any glass
cockpit upgrade or future purchases of Hawk-derived
aircraft, it is fitting that as the Hawk's initial
customer, the RAF Hawk fleet is set to continue
well into the second decade of the millennium.
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