BAe Hawk   Mk.50
Navigation Menu   Home Aircraft Info Pages Aircraft Images Pages Flight Simulator Pages Hawk Variants Hawk pre-production Hawk Mk.T1 for UK Hawk Mk.T1A for UK Hawk Mk.50 prototype Hawk Mk.51 for Finland Hawk Mk.52 for Kenya Hawk Mk.53 for Indonesia Hawk Mk.60 for Zimbabwe Hawk Mk.61 for Dubai Hawk Mk.62 for Venezuela Hawk Mk.63 for Abu Dubai Hawk Mk.64 for Kuwait Hawk Mk.65 for Saudi Arabia Hawk Mk.66 for Switzerland Hawk Mk.67 for South Korea Hawk Mk.100 prototype Hawk Mk.102 prototype Hawk Mk.103 for Oman Hawk Mk.108 for Malaysia Hawk Mk.109 for Indonesia Hawk Mk.115 for Canada Hawk Mk.127 for Australia Hawk Mk.200 prototype Hawk Mk.201 RDA prototype Hawk Mk.203 for Oman Hawk Mk.208 for Malaysia Hawk Mk.209 for Indonesia T-45A Goshawk for USA T-45C Goshawk for USA Hawk Technical Hawk scale drawings Hawk cut away Hawk profile images Hawk Flight Simulator Hawk models for FS98 Hawk models for FS2000 Hawk models for CFS 1 Hawk models for CFS 2 Hawk Scale Models 1/72nd scale Hawk models 1/48th scale Hawk models	British Aerospace had long envisioned the export potential of the Hawk, and efforts to promote the type started long before the first airframes were taking shape on the production line. Thus the 8th airframe from the production line was taken as a company funded demonstrator. The aircraft was given the British civil registration G-HAWK and first flew on 17th May 1976. G-HAWK was built as a Mk.50 - and incorporated all the export options available - provision for 5 pylons, with fuel lines plumbed to the inboard stations. In addition to much avionics component changes (from the RAF Hawks), G-HAWK also has full instrumentation in the rear cockpit Later on, G-HAWK was also allocated the British military serial ZA101 - to enable it to carry live ordnance in UK airspace. Extensive use was made of G-HAWK/ZA101 and it undertook many demonstration flights and tours - starting in 1978, when it toured, Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Oman, Kuwait and Jordan. Also during this tour the Hawk was demonstrated to the Egyptian Air Force, who were sceptical of the brochure performance. The sortie consisted of a 326nm (605km) circuit, carrying 5 x 1,000lb (454kg) bombs and included a 475 knot (880km/h) dash to represent the attack phase. The Hawk naturally made it easily, with fuel to spare.  G-HAWK/ZA101's most famous tour was in June 1981 when it undertook a US tour, as part of the VTXTS contest for the US Navy's next trainer system. The tour lasted 30 days and involved 108 sorties, with over a hundred of those flown within the USA, and constituted 118hrs of flying time. Over 100 USN pilots were able to experience the Hawk. A further Persian Gulf tour followed in April 1983, touring Saudi Arabia, Kuwait & Bahrain. After completing the tour, G-HAWK/ZA101 returned to Dunsfold briefly and 11 days later flew out to the USA once more, as part of the continued VTXTS programme. A further 55hrs of flying time was undertaken, introducing a further 54 pilots, senior USN staff and politicians to the Hawk. In late 1983 a visit was made to Berne, Switzerland to demonstrate to the Swiss Air Force representatives at Emmen and Sion. G-HAWK/ZA101 was also the only airframe available to BAe that could be used to develop and refine the aircraft. Thus it was also used to test engine modifications, refinements to the wing & flap system and any internal equipment changes proposed or required for export markets. Over the years G-HAWK/ZA101 has worn a number of different colour schemes, to match the intended export markets requirement. Initially G-HAWK had BAe's idea of a desert camoflage - aimed at the Middle East market. One of the best known schemes it wore, was the psuedo USN training colours it wore for the VTXTS programme. As has been detailed previously, G-HAWK/ZA101 has also undertaken many development tests & refinements, which have subsequently found their way into production models of the future. G-HAWK/ZA101 is today designated a Mk.100 - having been converted to the latest standard, and is still used on occasion by BAE Systems, from Warton in Lancashire. However, G-HAWK/ZA101 is now 25 years old and most of the modern demonstration work is undertaken by BAE System's newer aircraft - serialled ZJ100 (a Mk.102D aircraft - detailed separately).	Demonstrator G-HAWK / ZA101
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