BAe Hawk T.1

British Aerospace · United Kingdom · first flew 1974 · fighter

The Hawk T.1 is the original production variant of the BAe Hawk, a single-engine advanced jet trainer that became the backbone of RAF fast-jet training from the late 1970s.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Low-mounted, swept
E — Engines	1 × turbofan, fuselage-mounted
F — Fuselage	Single belly intake under the forward fuselage with a straight-edged lip
T — Tail	Conventional

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Spot it by:

Short, blunt rounded nose with no radar or FLIR pod
Single belly intake under the forward fuselage with a straight-edged lip
Original narrow-chord fin without the pronounced fillet of later marks

Distinguished from the Hawk T.2 by its shorter, blunter nose, narrower fin chord, and absence of the pronounced forward-fuselage hump; smaller overall than the longer T.2.

Specifications

The BAe Hawk T.1 has a length of 11.96 m (39 ft).
It has a wingspan of 9.94 m (33 ft).
Its maximum speed is 1040 km/h (646 mph).
Typical crew: 2.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

First flown in August 1974, the Hawk T.1 entered RAF service in 1976 replacing the Folland Gnat and Hawker Hunter. Over 170 were delivered to the RAF, serving at RAF Valley for advanced flying training and with the Red Arrows aerobatic display team.

Variants

The T.1A added underwing pylons for a weapons-training role. Later development led to the substantially redesigned Hawk 100 and 200 series with a new nose and avionics.

Where you'll see it

Equips the Red Arrows at RAF Scampton/Waddington in a specially maintained all-red scheme; also used at RAF Valley for advanced jet training with No. 4 FTS.

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