Difference between revisions of "Sea Hawk Mk.50 (France)"

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! Combat flaps !! Take-off flaps !! Landing flaps !! Air brakes !! Arrestor gear !! Drogue chute
 
! Combat flaps !! Take-off flaps !! Landing flaps !! Air brakes !! Arrestor gear !! Drogue chute
 
|-
 
|-
−
| _ || _ || _ || _ || _ || _     <!-- ✓ -->
+
| X || ✓ || ✓ || ✓ || ✓ || X     <!-- ✓ -->
 
|-
 
|-
 
|}
 
|}
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! Combat !! Take-off !! Landing !! + !! -
 
! Combat !! Take-off !! Landing !! + !! -
 
|-
 
|-
−
| {{Specs|destruction|body}} || {{Specs|destruction|gear}} || ___ || ___ || ___ || ~__ || ~__
+
| {{Specs|destruction|body}} || {{Specs|destruction|gear}} || N/A || 836 || 796 || ~13 || ~6
 
|-
 
|-
 
|}
 
|}
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! Ailerons !! Rudder !! Elevators !! Radiator
 
! Ailerons !! Rudder !! Elevators !! Radiator
 
|-
 
|-
−
| < ___ || < ___ || < ___ || -
+
| < 461 || < 600 || < 550 || N/A
 
|-
 
|-
 
|}
 
|}
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! colspan="2" | {{Annotation|Basic mass|Mass of the aircraft with pilot and engine oil, but no fuel or weapons load}} || colspan="2" | Wing loading (full fuel)
 
! colspan="2" | {{Annotation|Basic mass|Mass of the aircraft with pilot and engine oil, but no fuel or weapons load}} || colspan="2" | Wing loading (full fuel)
 
|-
 
|-
−
| colspan="2" | _____ || _
+
| colspan="2" | Rolls-Royce Nene-Mk.103 || 1
−
| colspan="2" | _,___ kg || colspan="2" | ___ kg/m<sup>2</sup>
+
| colspan="2" | 4,450 kg || colspan="3" | 232 kg/m<sup>2</sup>
 
|-
 
|-
 
! colspan="3" | Engine characteristics
 
! colspan="3" | Engine characteristics
Line 98: Line 98:
 
|-
 
|-
 
! Weight (each) || colspan="2" | Type
 
! Weight (each) || colspan="2" | Type
−
! _m fuel || __m fuel || __m fuel
+
! 10m fuel || 20m fuel || 30m fuel || 35m fuel
 
|-
 
|-
−
| ___ kg || colspan="2" | ___
+
| 1,000 kg || colspan="2" | Centrifugal-flow turbojet
−
| _,___ kg || _,___ kg || _,___ kg || _,___ kg
+
| 4,866 kg || 5,278 kg || 5,789 kg || 5,995 kg || 7,170 kg
 
|-
 
|-
 
! colspan="3" | {{Annotation|Maximum engine thrust @ 0 m (RB/SB)|The maximum thrust produced by each engine, while mounted in the aircraft. NOTE: Thrust varies significantly depending on speed & altitude.}}
 
! colspan="3" | {{Annotation|Maximum engine thrust @ 0 m (RB/SB)|The maximum thrust produced by each engine, while mounted in the aircraft. NOTE: Thrust varies significantly depending on speed & altitude.}}
−
! colspan="4" | Thrust to weight ratio @ 0 m (___%/WEP)
+
! colspan="4" | Thrust to weight ratio @ 0 m (100%/WEP)
 
|-
 
|-
−
! Condition || 100% || ___%/WEP
+
! Condition || 100% || 100%/WEP
−
! _m fuel || __m fuel || __m fuel || MGW
+
! 10m fuel || 20m fuel || 30m fuel || 35m fuel || MGW
 
|-
 
|-
−
| ''Stationary'' || ___ kgf || ___ kgf
+
| ''Stationary'' || 2,376 kgf || N/A
−
| _.__ || _.__ || _.__ || _.__
+
| 0.49 || 0.45 || 0.41 || 0.40 || 0.33
 
|-
 
|-
−
| ''Optimal'' || ___ kgf<br>(_ km/h) || ___ kgf<br>(_ km/h)
+
| ''Optimal'' || 2,376 kgf<br />(0 km/h) || N/A
−
| _.__ || _.__ || _.__ || _.__
+
| 0.49 || 0.45 || 0.41 || 0.40 || 0.33
 
|-
 
|-
 
|}
 
|}
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{{Specs-Avia-Armour}}
 
{{Specs-Avia-Armour}}
 
<!-- ''Examine the survivability of the aircraft. Note how vulnerable the structure is and how secure the pilot is, whether the fuel tanks are armoured, etc. Describe the armour, if there is any, and also mention the vulnerability of other critical aircraft systems.'' -->
 
<!-- ''Examine the survivability of the aircraft. Note how vulnerable the structure is and how secure the pilot is, whether the fuel tanks are armoured, etc. Describe the armour, if there is any, and also mention the vulnerability of other critical aircraft systems.'' -->
−
''Examine the survivability of the aircraft. Note how vulnerable the structure is and how secure the pilot is, whether the fuel tanks are armoured, etc. Describe the armour, if there is any, and also mention the vulnerability of other critical aircraft systems.''
+
 
 +
* 64 mm bulletproof glass - Armoured windscreen
 +
* All fuel tanks and engine in the middle of the fuselage
  
 
=== Modifications and economy ===
 
=== Modifications and economy ===
Line 160: Line 162:
 
=== Pros and cons ===
 
=== Pros and cons ===
 
<!-- ''Summarise and briefly evaluate the vehicle in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark its pros and cons in the bulleted list. Try not to use more than 6 points for each of the characteristics. Avoid using categorical definitions such as "bad", "good" and the like - use substitutions with softer forms such as "inadequate" and "effective".'' -->
 
<!-- ''Summarise and briefly evaluate the vehicle in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark its pros and cons in the bulleted list. Try not to use more than 6 points for each of the characteristics. Avoid using categorical definitions such as "bad", "good" and the like - use substitutions with softer forms such as "inadequate" and "effective".'' -->
−
''Summarise and briefly evaluate the vehicle in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark its pros and cons in the bulleted list. Try not to use more than 6 points for each of the characteristics. Avoid using categorical definitions such as "bad", "good" and the like - use substitutions with softer forms such as "inadequate" and "effective".''
+
In ground battles, this naval jet aircraft truly shines thanks to the high number of rockets it can carry, plus bombs.
 +
 
 +
In air battles, this naval jet aircraft is still very deadly thanks to its speed, manoeuvrability and access to the Sidewinder air-to-air missiles, but don't get too confident since other nations have some fighters which get early air spawn and some of them have more powerful engine than the Sea Hawk, so if you want to survive, you need to be aware of your surroundings. This is especially important in uptiers when everything you face will be either faster than you, able to turn better than you, or can climb better than you. Or, potentially, all three.
 +
 
 +
Be careful when using Sidewinder air-to-air missiles as they can also lock on to unintended targets such as the sun or your own teammates.
 +
 
 +
The best use of the Sidewinders is in a hunter-killer role, wait for your enemy to be at a slower speed (500-600 km/h) before launching. This means that the missile will be incredibly fast relative to your target, and give a much smaller window for them to dodge it at closer ranges. By climbing to ~3000km after gaining speed at the start of the game, you can often pick off enemies as they exit the furball or engage your allies, then track them and wait for them to bleed their speed before hitting them with a missile.
 +
 
 +
In a down tier, maintain energy dominance over lower battle rating enemies and don't over-commit; any jet can dodge your missile.
  
 
'''Pros:'''
 
'''Pros:'''
−
*
+
* Extremely high flap breakage speed (850 km/h for take-off, 796 km/h for landing).
 +
* Good selection of suspended armament options.
 +
* Gets air-to-air missiles, unlike the British equivalent [[Sea Hawk FGA.6|Sea Hawk FGA.6.]]
 +
* Very good for destroying ground vehicles.
 +
* 4 x 20 mm cannons, high rate of fire and good amount of ammunition.
 +
* Maintains effectiveness even at lower speeds (500 km/h).
 +
* Smaller size makes it harder to hit.
 +
* Very stable
  
 
'''Cons:'''
 
'''Cons:'''
−
*
+
* Subpar turning energy retention.
 +
* Not so fast in level flight.
 +
* The missile cannot track manoeuvring and fast targets so well.
 +
* The bomb holders greatly decrease plane manoeuvrability.
 +
* Mk II AP rockets are ineffective.
 +
* Completely helpless against faster jets (MiG-15, F-86, F-84G, F-89, etc).
 +
* Engine loses performance at altitudes exceeding 2,500 m.
 +
* Severely punished by radar SPAA.
 +
* Incredibly weak air frame with cramped modules.
  
 
== History ==
 
== History ==
−
<!-- ''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the aircraft in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the vehicle and adding a block "/History" (example: <nowiki>https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Vehicle-name)/History</nowiki>) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <code><nowiki><ref></ref></nowiki></code>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <code><nowiki><references /></nowiki></code>. This section may also include the vehicle's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under <code><nowiki>=== In-game description ===</nowiki></code>, also if applicable).'' -->
+
 
−
''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the aircraft in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the vehicle and adding a block "/History" (example: <nowiki>https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Vehicle-name)/History</nowiki>) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <code><nowiki><ref></ref></nowiki></code>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <code><nowiki><references /></nowiki></code>. This section may also include the vehicle's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under <code><nowiki>=== In-game description ===</nowiki></code>, also if applicable).''
+
Towards the middle of the 1950s, the Royal Netherlands Navy was awarethat its Sea Furies were becoming increasingly obsolete, and a search was started for a successor.  After a number of US and British naval fighters were evaluated, preference went out towards the Hawker Sea Hawk, which was at the time entering service with Britain's Royal Navy and could be operated from the Hr. Ms. Karel Doorman, Netherland's Colossus-Class aircraft carrier.
 +
 
 +
Even though the Royal Netherlands Navy's preference towards the type became known as early as December 1955, budget and permission issues delayed the size and timing of the purchase.  Originally an order of 30 aircraft was considered, but it wasn't until September of 1956 that a financial agreement was struck with the United States under the Mutual Defence Assistance Program for order of 22 Sea Hawks built by Armstrong Whitworth at their Coventry factory. These aircraft, known as the FGA.Mk.50 variant, would be based on the Royal Navy's own FGA.Mk.6 variant, but equipped with an American UHF radio system, built under license by Philips at Eindhoven.
 +
 
 +
Deliveries of the Sea Hawks, registered 6-50 to 6-71, started in July of 1957 and continued until February of 1958, with aircraft being delivered to the Royal Netherlands Navy's Nos. 3 (conversion) and 860 Squadron at Valkenburg.  As the Dutch carrier Hr. Ms. Karel Doorman was still being converted to an angled deck configuration, the first year saw the Dutch Sea Hawks mainly being flown from the Valkenburg air base, with occasional deployments to British aircraft carriers for deck landing practices. During this time, one Sea Hawk (6-53) was written off in an accident on November 6th 1957.
 +
 
 +
Following a conversion which had lasted nearly three years, the Hr. Ms. Karel Doorman was handed back to the Dutch Navy on May 28th 1958. Following a number of shake-down and flying trials in September which involved Sea Hawks and Sea Venoms of the Royal Navy as well as Avengers of the Royal Netherlands Navy, the first deck landing of a Dutch Sea Hawk of 860 Squadron was made aboard the Karel Doorman on October 11th.  Around the same time, a display team, "The Sea Lords", was formed on the type.
 +
 
 +
From January to May of 1959, the Karel Doorman was deployed to the Dutch West Indies, with enroute visits to the Azores, Jacksonville, Fort Lauderdale, Curaçao, Guantanamo and the Bermudas; during this trip, 860 Squadron's Sea Hawks were the first jet-powered aircraft to land at Curaçao. On their return in the Netherlands, 860 Squadron's Sea Hawks received an important upgrade: they were fitted with Philco-Ford GAR-6 Sidewinder 1A (AIM-9B) air-to-air missiles, the first fighter aircraft within the NATO's air forces to receive this weapon.
 +
 
 +
1959 also saw the Karel Doorman and its Sea Hawks involved in a number of NATO exercises, these being 'Fairwind IV' (a May-June 1959 deployment and joint exercise with the Royal Navy Home Fleet); 'Shoptalk' (September 1959, involving a cruise to Hamburg and back); and 'Sharp Squall 4' (October-November 1959, involving several calls in Norwegian ports). During 'Shoptalk', on September 30th 1959, the Royal Netherlands Navy suffered its second Sea Hawk loss when 6-61 was lost overboard during a failed catapult launch, unfortunately killing its pilot.
 +
 
 +
During 1960, rising tensions between the Netherlands and Indonesia over the Dutch New Guineas saw the Karel Doorman and its Sea Hawks deployed both as a show of force, and to deliver a dozen of Hawker Hunter F.4s to bolster the local air defences.  Following its departure from the Netherlands in May of 1960, the carrier travelled via the Canary Islands; Mauritius and Fremantle, Australia to the Dutch New Guineas, arriving at Hollandia early in August 1960.  During the journey between Mauritius and Fremantle, on July  8th, Seahawk 126 (ex 6-66) was lost overboard during a failed landing. Following the delivery of the Hunters at Biak, the Karel Doorman remained in the Dutch New Guineas until the end of September 1960 before returning to the Netherlands.  Following visits to French Noumea; Sydney, Australia; Auckland, New Zealand; Easter Island; the Juan Fernandez archipelago; Val Paraíso, Chile; and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; the Karel Doorman and its Sea Hawks arrived back at Rotterdam towards the end of December, 1960.
 +
 
 +
A change of priorities within NATO saw the role of the Hr. Ms. Karel Doorman substantially changed, and with it that of its Sea Hawks: given the increased obsolescence of the Hawker Sea Hawk as a naval fighter-bomber, and the Colossus-class relative small size which made it unsuitable for more modern, supersonic naval aircraft, a decision was made to redesignate the Karel Doorman as an Anti-Submarine Warfare carrier, and replace its air wing with types more suited to ASW warfare (Grumman S2F-1 Trackers patrol aircraft and Sikorsky HSS-1 Seabat helicopters). This reform saw the Royal Netherlands Navy's Sea Hawks relocated to the Valkenburg naval air base in early 1961, where most aircraft were put into storage. For the next three years the Dutch Sea Hawks would see increasingly fewer flights, with the fourth and last Sea Hawk accident in Dutch service occuring on March 9th 1962 (Sea Hawk 125/ex 6-65); in October 1963 a first batch of 6 Sea Hawks was struck of charge and reduced to spares for the remaining fleet. Following a last display of the "Sea Lords" display team at the Eelde Air Show in July of 1964, the last Sea Hawks were withdrawn from Dutch naval service on October 24th 1964.
 +
 
 +
Following the withdrawal of the Sea Hawk from Dutch naval service, the surviving 12 aircraft were sold for scrap.  Currently, two Sea Hawks are on display in the Netherlands, however these are former Royal Navy aircraft which were acquired for display purposes in the 1980s; former Royal Navy Sea Hawk FGA.6 WV828 is on display at the De Kooy naval air base's museum in the colours of Royal Netherlands Navy aircraft 118 (ex 6-58 - real one parted out for spares in October 1963); while the Nationaal Militair Museum at Soesterberg has an aircraft in the colours of Royal Netherlands Navy aircraft 131 (ex 6-71 - real one withdrawn from use and scrapped in October 1964); it is a composite of two different airframes, consisting of the front fuselage of Sea Hawk FB.5 WM983, with the tail of Sea Hawk FB.5 XE489.
 +
 
  
 
== Media ==
 
== Media ==
Line 192: Line 234:
 
* ''other literature.''
 
* ''other literature.''
  
 +
{{AirManufacturer Hawker}}
 
{{France jet aircraft}}
 
{{France jet aircraft}}
 
{{France premium aircraft}}
 
{{France premium aircraft}}

Latest revision as of 01:52, 14 October 2024

Rank 7 USA
F-5C Pack
This page is about the French premium jet fighter Sea Hawk Mk.50 (France). For the standard British version, see Sea Hawk FGA.6.
◘Sea Hawk Mk.50
sea_hawk_fga50_netherlands.png
GarageImage Sea Hawk Mk.50 (France).jpg
◘Sea Hawk Mk.50
France flag.png France
V Rank
Battle rating:
AB RB SB
8.0 8.0 8.0
Class:
PREMIUM
Purchase:8 560 Specs-Card-Eagle.png
Show in game

Description

The Netherlands placed an order in the mid-1950s for 30 aircraft, as the Sea Hawk Mk 50, a ground-attack variant for the Royal Netherlands Navy, which was financed by NATO funding. The Mk 50 was externally similar to the Royal Navy aircraft, differing in its use of a Philips-built ultra high frequency (UHF) radio; Dutch Sea Hawks were later equipped to each carry a pair of AIM-9 Sidewinder infrared-guided air-to-air missiles. Between 1957 and 1964, the Dutch Navy operated 22 aircraft.

Introduced as Golden Eagles Ge icon.png purchase in Update "Dance of Dragons", the '◘Sea Hawk Mk.50 is a premium rank V French jet fighter at with a battle rating of 8.0 (AB/RB/SB). It's a sturdy ground attacker, but also a capable air-to-air fighter. Though not as fast and sleek as other conventional fighters, in the hands of the right pilot, this aircraft can be critical to turning the tide in a match. Though hindered by the straight wings and Rolls-Royce Nene engine, compared to other contemporary aircraft, especially the swept-wing MiGs, the Mk.100 can hold its own in air combat. Though attempting to dogfight with rockets and bombs suspended from the aircraft is unwise, going for the more streamlined approach of just adding two AIM-9B Sidewinder missiles will bring the Mk.50 into contender status. Care is a must when firing a Sidewinder as there is potential for it to latch its targeting system onto friendly aircraft or even the sun. The four autocannons can make short work of other fighters and even bombers when targeting critical components such as engines, cockpit and fuel tanks.

General info

Flight performance

Arrestor gear
Accelerates braking by grabbing the brake cable on the deck of the aircraft carrier
Air brakes
Allows you to dramatically reduce the flight speed by releasing special flaps
Max speed
at 0 m933 km/h
Turn time26 s
Max altitude13 500 m
EngineRolls-Royce Nene-Mk.103
Type
Cooling systemAir
Take-off weight7 t

The '◘Sea Hawk Mk.50 is a carrier-based fighter. Its powerplant is the Rolls-Royce Nene Mk.103 engine, which gives it quite decent thrust to weight ratio of 0.40 with full fuel tanks. The plane is not that fast, at sea level it can reach only up to 933 km/h and can struggle to keep up with some planes like the F9F-5 or the Yak-30 that can reach 1025 km/h at that altitude. If the plane carries missiles it gets even lower, decreasing to 899 km/h. The level acceleration is at most mediocre: getting past 850 km/h can be a challenge in most situations, and it will struggle when the enemy decides to just run away. The energy retention can be considered good, but planes like the F2H-2 or La-15 will easily outperform it in this aspect. The other downside to its overall performance is the subpar climb rate; reaching only 32 m/s at sea level with minimum fuel taken. Flying at full power is limited to 15 minutes, after that time will start overheating. Reducing the power to 95% will cool it down instantly if reduced early enough.

The Sea Hawk does not have swept wings, so its high speed performance suffers a lot, but also makes it a very capable dogfighter at low and medium speeds with its main strength being the instantaneous turn rate. However, the energy retention and poor acceleration make it worse in any prolonged fight than a F2H, Yak-30 or MiG-15; after one or two full circles, it will start struggling a lot. When it has some energy to spare the plane can pull even 13G, more than most of its competitors, making it a very dangerous enemy to any plane with swept wings, although it will significantly reduce its speed. The roll rate is quite good at low and medium speeds, it can reach over 125°/s at 500 km/h IAS, but once the plane gains some more speed it decreases to 65°/s at 850 km/h IAS. The plane is equipped with two huge airbrakes in its wings that can help with reducing speed after reaching the low structural limit value or during the landing. The flaps have very high limits, both positions can be used during the combat to further increase its instantaneous turn rate. Overall the plane is a very stable platform, aiming is very easy and it is pleasant to fly.

Characteristics Max speed
(km/h at _,___ m) 		Max altitude
(metres) 		Turn time
(seconds) 		Rate of climb
(metres/second) 		Take-off run
(metres)
AB RB AB RB AB RB
Stock 919 898 13500 27.0 27.8 25.9 24.4 650
Upgraded 943 933 25.4 26.0 38.8 32.0

Details

Features
Combat flaps Take-off flaps Landing flaps Air brakes Arrestor gear Drogue chute
X ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ X
Limits
Wings (km/h) Gear (km/h) Flaps (km/h) Max Static G
Combat Take-off Landing + -
1012 370 N/A 836 796 ~13 ~6
Optimal velocities (km/h)
Ailerons Rudder Elevators Radiator
< 461 < 600 < 550 N/A

Engine performance

Engine Aircraft mass
Engine name Number Basic mass Wing loading (full fuel)
Rolls-Royce Nene-Mk.103 1 4,450 kg 232 kg/m2
Engine characteristics Mass with fuel (no weapons load) Max Gross
Weight
Weight (each) Type 10m fuel 20m fuel 30m fuel 35m fuel
1,000 kg Centrifugal-flow turbojet 4,866 kg 5,278 kg 5,789 kg 5,995 kg 7,170 kg
Maximum engine thrust @ 0 m (RB/SB) Thrust to weight ratio @ 0 m (100%/WEP)
Condition 100% 100%/WEP 10m fuel 20m fuel 30m fuel 35m fuel MGW
Stationary 2,376 kgf N/A 0.49 0.45 0.41 0.40 0.33
Optimal 2,376 kgf
(0 km/h) 		N/A 0.49 0.45 0.41 0.40 0.33

Survivability and armour

Crew1 person
Speed of destruction
Structural1 012 km/h
Gear370 km/h
  • 64 mm bulletproof glass - Armoured windscreen
  • All fuel tanks and engine in the middle of the fuselage

Modifications and economy

Repair cost
AB2 218 Sl icon.png
RB6 517 Sl icon.png
SB8 519 Sl icon.png
Crew training10 000 Sl icon.png
Experts620 000 Sl icon.png
Aces2 000 Ge icon.png
Research Aces1 660 000 Rp icon.png
Reward for battleAB / RB / SB
Talisman.png 2 × 130 / 380 / 600 % Sl icon.png
Talisman.png 2 × 208 / 208 / 208 % Rp icon.png
Modifications
Flight performance Survivability Weaponry
Mods aerodinamic fuse.png
Fuselage repair
Mods jet compressor.png
Compressor
Mods armor frame.png
Airframe
Mods booster.png
New boosters
Mods aerodinamic wing.png
Wings repair
Mods g suit.png
G-suit
Mods armor cover.png
Cover
Mods jet engine.png
Engine
Mods jet engine extinguisher.png
EFS
Mods ammo.png
hispano_belt_pack
Mod arrow 1.png
Mods pilon bomb.png
500 LB
Mod arrow 0.png
Mods pilon rocket.png
25 lb A.P. Mark II
Mod arrow 0.png
Mods weapon.png
hispano_mk5_new_gun
Mods pilon bomb.png
4 500 LB
Mod arrow 0.png
Mods pilon rocket.png
60 lb S.A.P. Mark I
Mod arrow 0.png
Mods pilon bomb.png
1000 LB
Mods air to air missile.png
AIM-9B

Armaments

Offensive armament

Main article: Hispano Mk.V (20 mm)

The Sea Hawk Mk.50 (France) is armed with:

  • 4 x 20 mm Hispano Mk.V cannons, chin-mounted (200 rpg = 800 total)

Suspended armament

Describe the aircraft's suspended armament: additional cannons under the wings, bombs, rockets and torpedoes. This section is especially important for bombers and attackers. If there is no suspended weaponry remove this subsection.

Default weapon presets
  • Without load
  • 2 x AIM-9B Sidewinder missiles
  • 10 x AP Mk II rockets
  • 30 x AP Mk II rockets
  • 8 x RP-3 rockets
  • 16 x RP-3 rockets
  • 2 x 500 lb G.P. Mk.IV bombs (1,000 lb total)
  • 4 x 500 lb G.P. Mk.IV bombs (2,000 lb total)
  • 2 x 1,000 lb M.C. Mk.I bombs (2,000 lb total)

Usage in battles

Describe the tactics of playing in the aircraft, the features of using aircraft in a team and advice on tactics. Refrain from creating a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view, but instead, give the reader food for thought. Examine the most dangerous enemies and give recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of the game in different modes (AB, RB, SB).

Pros and cons

In ground battles, this naval jet aircraft truly shines thanks to the high number of rockets it can carry, plus bombs.

In air battles, this naval jet aircraft is still very deadly thanks to its speed, manoeuvrability and access to the Sidewinder air-to-air missiles, but don't get too confident since other nations have some fighters which get early air spawn and some of them have more powerful engine than the Sea Hawk, so if you want to survive, you need to be aware of your surroundings. This is especially important in uptiers when everything you face will be either faster than you, able to turn better than you, or can climb better than you. Or, potentially, all three.

Be careful when using Sidewinder air-to-air missiles as they can also lock on to unintended targets such as the sun or your own teammates.

The best use of the Sidewinders is in a hunter-killer role, wait for your enemy to be at a slower speed (500-600 km/h) before launching. This means that the missile will be incredibly fast relative to your target, and give a much smaller window for them to dodge it at closer ranges. By climbing to ~3000km after gaining speed at the start of the game, you can often pick off enemies as they exit the furball or engage your allies, then track them and wait for them to bleed their speed before hitting them with a missile.

In a down tier, maintain energy dominance over lower battle rating enemies and don't over-commit; any jet can dodge your missile.

Pros:

  • Extremely high flap breakage speed (850 km/h for take-off, 796 km/h for landing).
  • Good selection of suspended armament options.
  • Gets air-to-air missiles, unlike the British equivalent Sea Hawk FGA.6.
  • Very good for destroying ground vehicles.
  • 4 x 20 mm cannons, high rate of fire and good amount of ammunition.
  • Maintains effectiveness even at lower speeds (500 km/h).
  • Smaller size makes it harder to hit.
  • Very stable

Cons:

  • Subpar turning energy retention.
  • Not so fast in level flight.
  • The missile cannot track manoeuvring and fast targets so well.
  • The bomb holders greatly decrease plane manoeuvrability.
  • Mk II AP rockets are ineffective.
  • Completely helpless against faster jets (MiG-15, F-86, F-84G, F-89, etc).
  • Engine loses performance at altitudes exceeding 2,500 m.
  • Severely punished by radar SPAA.
  • Incredibly weak air frame with cramped modules.

History

Towards the middle of the 1950s, the Royal Netherlands Navy was awarethat its Sea Furies were becoming increasingly obsolete, and a search was started for a successor. After a number of US and British naval fighters were evaluated, preference went out towards the Hawker Sea Hawk, which was at the time entering service with Britain's Royal Navy and could be operated from the Hr. Ms. Karel Doorman, Netherland's Colossus-Class aircraft carrier.

Even though the Royal Netherlands Navy's preference towards the type became known as early as December 1955, budget and permission issues delayed the size and timing of the purchase. Originally an order of 30 aircraft was considered, but it wasn't until September of 1956 that a financial agreement was struck with the United States under the Mutual Defence Assistance Program for order of 22 Sea Hawks built by Armstrong Whitworth at their Coventry factory. These aircraft, known as the FGA.Mk.50 variant, would be based on the Royal Navy's own FGA.Mk.6 variant, but equipped with an American UHF radio system, built under license by Philips at Eindhoven.

Deliveries of the Sea Hawks, registered 6-50 to 6-71, started in July of 1957 and continued until February of 1958, with aircraft being delivered to the Royal Netherlands Navy's Nos. 3 (conversion) and 860 Squadron at Valkenburg. As the Dutch carrier Hr. Ms. Karel Doorman was still being converted to an angled deck configuration, the first year saw the Dutch Sea Hawks mainly being flown from the Valkenburg air base, with occasional deployments to British aircraft carriers for deck landing practices. During this time, one Sea Hawk (6-53) was written off in an accident on November 6th 1957.

Following a conversion which had lasted nearly three years, the Hr. Ms. Karel Doorman was handed back to the Dutch Navy on May 28th 1958. Following a number of shake-down and flying trials in September which involved Sea Hawks and Sea Venoms of the Royal Navy as well as Avengers of the Royal Netherlands Navy, the first deck landing of a Dutch Sea Hawk of 860 Squadron was made aboard the Karel Doorman on October 11th. Around the same time, a display team, "The Sea Lords", was formed on the type.

From January to May of 1959, the Karel Doorman was deployed to the Dutch West Indies, with enroute visits to the Azores, Jacksonville, Fort Lauderdale, Curaçao, Guantanamo and the Bermudas; during this trip, 860 Squadron's Sea Hawks were the first jet-powered aircraft to land at Curaçao. On their return in the Netherlands, 860 Squadron's Sea Hawks received an important upgrade: they were fitted with Philco-Ford GAR-6 Sidewinder 1A (AIM-9B) air-to-air missiles, the first fighter aircraft within the NATO's air forces to receive this weapon.

1959 also saw the Karel Doorman and its Sea Hawks involved in a number of NATO exercises, these being 'Fairwind IV' (a May-June 1959 deployment and joint exercise with the Royal Navy Home Fleet); 'Shoptalk' (September 1959, involving a cruise to Hamburg and back); and 'Sharp Squall 4' (October-November 1959, involving several calls in Norwegian ports). During 'Shoptalk', on September 30th 1959, the Royal Netherlands Navy suffered its second Sea Hawk loss when 6-61 was lost overboard during a failed catapult launch, unfortunately killing its pilot.

During 1960, rising tensions between the Netherlands and Indonesia over the Dutch New Guineas saw the Karel Doorman and its Sea Hawks deployed both as a show of force, and to deliver a dozen of Hawker Hunter F.4s to bolster the local air defences. Following its departure from the Netherlands in May of 1960, the carrier travelled via the Canary Islands; Mauritius and Fremantle, Australia to the Dutch New Guineas, arriving at Hollandia early in August 1960. During the journey between Mauritius and Fremantle, on July 8th, Seahawk 126 (ex 6-66) was lost overboard during a failed landing. Following the delivery of the Hunters at Biak, the Karel Doorman remained in the Dutch New Guineas until the end of September 1960 before returning to the Netherlands. Following visits to French Noumea; Sydney, Australia; Auckland, New Zealand; Easter Island; the Juan Fernandez archipelago; Val Paraíso, Chile; and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; the Karel Doorman and its Sea Hawks arrived back at Rotterdam towards the end of December, 1960.

A change of priorities within NATO saw the role of the Hr. Ms. Karel Doorman substantially changed, and with it that of its Sea Hawks: given the increased obsolescence of the Hawker Sea Hawk as a naval fighter-bomber, and the Colossus-class relative small size which made it unsuitable for more modern, supersonic naval aircraft, a decision was made to redesignate the Karel Doorman as an Anti-Submarine Warfare carrier, and replace its air wing with types more suited to ASW warfare (Grumman S2F-1 Trackers patrol aircraft and Sikorsky HSS-1 Seabat helicopters). This reform saw the Royal Netherlands Navy's Sea Hawks relocated to the Valkenburg naval air base in early 1961, where most aircraft were put into storage. For the next three years the Dutch Sea Hawks would see increasingly fewer flights, with the fourth and last Sea Hawk accident in Dutch service occuring on March 9th 1962 (Sea Hawk 125/ex 6-65); in October 1963 a first batch of 6 Sea Hawks was struck of charge and reduced to spares for the remaining fleet. Following a last display of the "Sea Lords" display team at the Eelde Air Show in July of 1964, the last Sea Hawks were withdrawn from Dutch naval service on October 24th 1964.

Following the withdrawal of the Sea Hawk from Dutch naval service, the surviving 12 aircraft were sold for scrap. Currently, two Sea Hawks are on display in the Netherlands, however these are former Royal Navy aircraft which were acquired for display purposes in the 1980s; former Royal Navy Sea Hawk FGA.6 WV828 is on display at the De Kooy naval air base's museum in the colours of Royal Netherlands Navy aircraft 118 (ex 6-58 - real one parted out for spares in October 1963); while the Nationaal Militair Museum at Soesterberg has an aircraft in the colours of Royal Netherlands Navy aircraft 131 (ex 6-71 - real one withdrawn from use and scrapped in October 1964); it is a composite of two different airframes, consisting of the front fuselage of Sea Hawk FB.5 WM983, with the tail of Sea Hawk FB.5 XE489.


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Hawker Aircraft Limited
Biplane fighters 
Fury  Fury Mk I · Fury Mk II
Nimrod  Nimrod Mk I · Nimrod Mk II
Scout plane  Osprey Mk IV
Piston fighters 
Hurricane  Hurricane Mk I/L · Hurricane Mk.I/L FAA M · Sea Hurricane Mk IB · Sea Hurricane Mk IC · Hurricane Mk IIB/Trop · Hurricane Mk IV
Typhoon  Typhoon Mk Ia · Typhoon Mk Ib · Typhoon Mk Ib/L
Tempest  Tempest Mk V · Tempest Mk V (Vickers P) · Tempest Mk II
Fury  Sea Fury FB 11
Jet fighters 
Hunter  Hunter F.1 · Hunter F.6 · Hunter FGA.9
Sea Hawk  Sea Hawk FGA.6
Harrier  Harrier GR.1 · Harrier GR.3
Export  ▄Hurricane Mk I/L · ▂Hurricane Mk IIB · ◘Sea Fury FB 51
  ◘Sea Hawk Mk.50 · ◄Sea Hawk Mk.100 · ◘Hunter F.6 · ◌Hunter F.58 · J34 · AV-8A · AV-8C · ▄AV-8S
Captured  ▀Tempest Mk V
See Also  Fokker

France jet aircraft
Fighters  M.D.450B Ouragan · M.D.450B Barougan · M.D.452 IIA · M.D.452 IIC · Mystere IVA · Super Mystere B2
  ▄F-86K · ▄F-100D · ▄F-8E(FN)
  Mirage IIIC · Mirage IIIE · Milan · Mirage 5F · Mirage 2000C-S4 · Mirage 2000C-S5 · Mirage 2000-5F · Mirage 4000
  Mirage F1C · Mirage F1C-200 · Mirage F1CT
Strike aircraft  ▄F-84F · F-84F IAF · ▄F-84G-26-RE
  Etendard IVM · Super Etendard · Alpha Jet E
  Jaguar A · Jaguar E · Mirage 2000D-R1 · Mirage 2000D-RMV
Bombers  S.O.4050 Vautour IIA · Vautour IIA IDF/AF · S.O.4050 Vautour IIB · S.O.4050 Vautour IIN · S.O.4050 Vautour IIN (late)
Belgium  ▄Meteor F Mk.8 · ▄Mirage 5BA · ▄F-104G · ▄F-16A · ▄F-16AM
Netherlands  ◘Sea Hawk Mk.50 · ◘Hunter F.6

France premium aircraft
Fighters  D.371 H.S.9 · Pallier's D.510 · ▄P-39Q-25 · ▄P-40F-5 Lafayette · ▄P-47D-22-RE · F-6C-10-NA
  M.B.152C1 · ▄Yak-3 · Challe's ▄Yak-9T · NC.900 · S.O.8000 Narval
Jet fighters  ◘Sea Hawk Mk.50 · Milan · Mirage F1C-200
Strike aircraft  ▄AD-4NA · F-84F IAF
Bombers  Late 298D · ▄PBY-5A Late
Jet bombers  Vautour IIA IDF/AF · S.O.4050 Vautour IIN

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