Hawk T1 XX154 | Walk-Around

[@joeashton733]

Mike, don’t forget to mention that this is the FIRST Hawk!

[@charliegould5865]

XX154 I was there at Dunsfold the day it took it’s first flight, I remember it as if it were yesterday. Really pleased to see it preserved safely even if it’s not in its original colour scheme of red and white. It looked a lot better with the original nice “clean” wing before the aerodynamics people had to tweak the flying characteristics by putting all those vortex generators, wing fences and leading edge breaker strips on the wing. I was a member of the team that did the final assembly and testing when it arrived at Dunsfold. I worked as an aircraft electrician for Hawker Siddeley Aviation (later part of BAe) in the experimental department at Dunsfold. XX154 was initially built in the Kingston-upon-Thames facility then shipped by road to the Dunsfold experimental hangar for final assembly, testing and flying. Duncan Simpson the chief test pilot at the time was the pilot for that first flight on August 21st 1974, after several taxi trials up and down the runway he finally took off and flew for almost an hour. We were pleased he didn’t just do a circuit and land immediately, he did a couple of circuits then flew off for the flight, arriving back safely to do a perfect landing. Quite an honour to be involved with the Hawk project, very interesting work. A few years later in the same department I worked on and saw the first Sea Harrier XZ450 fly, sadly it was the first Sea Harrier lost in the Falklands war. Aircraft I’ve worked on are now cropping up in museums, XX154 in Boscombe. And then G-HAWK (ZA101) and G-VTOL (ZA250) the company demonstrators both in Brooklands. It makes me feel really old, so after 50 years in aviation I’ve retired as well.

[@66PHILB]

Charles, you certainly worked in a golden age of British aviation. HSA and later BAe turned out some of the most effective and efficient aircraft of their types in the Harrier family & the Hawk. Their capabilities and the length of their service showed so much about the people who designed, built and tested them, such as yourself. My uncle worked for de Havilland, HSA then BAe and I got to see something of how special the people involved in those companies were.

[@andykettley1927]

Spent 2years at Valley on the Hawk and 2 years at St Athan on Hawk major servicing. Also got a trip as well. Happy days.

[@Activated_Complex]

That is one sharp-dressed Hawk.

[@spdoosh]

I had several good years at Chivenor on 92sqn with these beasties.

[@DUBEE43]

What beautiful lines....👍

[@haroldellis9721]

I'm going to need to get some paper towels too clean up the drool.

[@Aircrewinterview]

🤣

[@modernschoolatlas]

XX154 was the basis of the airfix model in 1974, who else built this plane?

[@kevincasey5035]

Strange, cos during my 5 years at Valley this airframe was undergoing reconstruction ( 80 - 85)!

[@madzen112]

It's a sweet little jet

[@neilturner6749]

Anybody know where this was filmed? Looks like Boscombe Down Collection at Old Sarum airfield ?

[@Aircrewinterview]

Yep BDAC

[@samson40a]

Usually locked up but if you visit on Friday the owner can be seen working on the jet. I was lucky a few weeks ago when he powered it up and let me have a look around the cockpit. This is a beautiful aircraft in amazing condition.

[@dylanmilne6683]

Wonder if there will ever be any private owned Hawks which fly for leisure in the future?

[@Aircrewinterview]

It would be great if there were.

[@kevincasey5035]

I spotted this airframe in a Red Arrow vid filmed in 2019. What's the story? Mind you, knowing how long they took to rebuild the b###er I'm not surprised if anyone had reservations if they had to perform aerobatics in it!

[@clydecessna737]

The Hawk added nothing that the Trainer version of the Hunter already had. Once again the RAF spent precious money developing an aircraft but then had little funds to deploy the large numbers of aircraft needed to deter the USSR.

[@georgesmith2775]

Which they never needed in the end.....

[@timhancock6626]

Except BAE built and sold over a thousand Hawks, so somebody must have thought it worthwhile.

[@tomling9310]

Apart from the fact the hawk T1 is much more G capable with a MUCH higher G onset rate..

[@neilturner6749]

Er Clyde Cessna : the trainer versions of the Hunter would by now be at least 60yrs old and completely knackered...

[@haroldellis9721]

Think of what a job Airfix has done with Hawk, defense and R&D Pounds well spent.