Hawker P.1081

P.1081

Role	Research aircraft
Manufacturer	Hawker Aircraft
First flight	19 June 1950
Status	Destroyed in flying accident - 3 April 1951
Primary user	Royal Aircraft Establishment
Number built	1
Developed from	Hawker P.1052

The Hawker P.1081, also known as the "Australian Fighter" was a British jet aircraft from the mid-twentieth century.

Design and development

In 1949, the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) began assessing replacements for two fighters built in Australia: the Mustangs built by Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation (CAC) and Vampires of De Havilland Australia (DHA).^[1] A series of designs were considered, including the Grumman F9F Panther and the CAC CA-23 – an unconventional, twin-jet all-weather design by CAC.

Hawker Aircraft also submitted a proposal, for a swept-wing, swept-tail fighter based on the Hawker P.1052, but using a Rolls-Royce Tay engine. Work began to modify the second prototype of the P.1052 (VX279) along these lines, although the Rolls-Royce Nene engine already fitted was initially retained. The rear fuselage of the P.1052 was replaced, so that a straight-through jet pipe could be installed.

VX279, which was now the prototype P.1081, took to the air on 19 June 1950. CAC, evidently planning to build any design accepted by the Australian government, assigned the serial number CA-24 to the P.1081.

By mid-1950, however, the RAAF urgently required a replacement for its Mustangs, some of which were in action in Korea and faced the possibility of clashes with MiG 15s. The P.1081 could not realistically become operational within the time frame required; in November 1950, Hawker decided to cease development. Likewise, the US-built North American F-86 Sabre could not be delivered to the RAAF for at least a few years. As a stop-gap, the RAAF ordered the ready-made Gloster Meteor F.8. CAC instead built a more powerful, Rolls-Royce Avon-engined variant of the F-86 a project which resulted in the CAC Sabre.^[2]

The P.1081 prototype, which had remained in the UK, was handed over by Hawker to the Royal Aircraft Establishment (RAE). Its swept tail increased the Mach number above that of the P.1052 into the Mach 0.9-0.95 region, providing valuable data that contributed to the design of the axially-powered Hawker Hunter.

On 3 April 1951, the P.1081 prototype was lost with its pilot, Squadron Leader T.S. "Wimpy" Wade.^[3]

Operators

United Kingdom

Royal Aircraft Establishment

Specifications

The Hawker P.1081 breaking right, in 1950.

Data from Mason:^[4]

General characteristics

Crew: one
Length: 37 ft 4 in (11.38 m)
Wingspan: 31 ft 6 in (9.6 m)
Height: 10 ft 10 in (3.30 m)
Wing area: 258 ft² (23.97 m²)
Empty weight: 11,200 lb (5,080 kg)
Loaded weight: 14,480 lb (6,570 kg)
Powerplant: 1 × Rolls-Royce Nene RN2 turbojet exhausting through tailpipe, 5,000 lbf (22.2 kN)

Performance

Maximum speed: 604 kn (1,119 km/h)
Service ceiling: 45,600 ft (13,900 m)

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Hawker P.1081.

Notes

↑ RAAF Museum, 2009, A94 CAC Sabre (14 December 2012).
↑ RAAF Museum, 2009, A94 CAC Sabre
↑ Jacques Trempe Collection
↑ Mason 1991, p. 373.

Bibliography

Hannah, Donald. Hawker FlyPast Reference Library. Stamford, Lincolnshire, UK: Key Publishing Ltd., 1982. ISBN 0-946219-01-X.
James, Derek N. Hawker, an Aircraft Album No. 5. New York: Arco Publishing Company, 1973. ISBN 0-668-02699-5. (First published in the UK by Ian Allan in 1972)
Mason, Francis K. Hawker Aircraft since 1920. London: Putnam, 1991. ISBN 0-85177-839-9

Hawker and Hawker Siddeley aircraft

By project number	P.1000 P.1001 P.1002 P.1003 P.1004 P.1005 P.1006 P.1007 P.1008 P.1009 P.1010 P.1011 P.1012 P.1013 P.1014 P.1015 P.1016 P.1017 P.1018 P.1019 P.1020 P.1021 P.1022 P.1023 P.1024 P.1025 P.1027 P.1028 P.1029 P.1030 P.1031 P.1032 P.1033 P.1034 P.1035 P.1036 P.1037 P.1038 P.1039 P.1040 P.1041 P.1042 P.1043 P.1044 P.1045 P.1046 P.1047 P.1048 P.1049 P.1050 P.1051 P.1052 P.1053 P.1054 P.1055 P.1056 P.1057 P.1058 P.1059 P.1060 P.1061 P.1062 P.1063 P.1064 P.1065 P.1067 P.1068 P.1069 P.1070 P.1071 P.1072 P.1073 P.1074 P.1075 P.1076 P.1077 P.1078 P.1079 P.1080 P.1081 P.1082 P.1083 P.1084 P.1085 P.1087 P.1088 P.1089 P.1090 P.1091 P.1092 P.1093 P.1094 P.1095 P.1096 P.1097 P.1098 P.1099 P.1100 P.1101 P.1102 P.1103 P.1104 P.1105 P.1106 P.1107 P.1108 P.1109 P.1114 P.1115 P.1116 P.1118 P.1120 P.1121 P.1122 P.1123 P.1124 P.1125 P.1126 P.1127 P.1128 P.1129 P.1130 P.1131 P.1132 P.1134 P.1136 P.1137 P.1139 P.1140 P.1141 P.1143 P.1149 P.1150 P.1152 P.1154 P.1155 P.V.3 P.V.4

By name	Audax P.1081 ("Australian") Cygnet Danecock Demon Duiker Hawker F.20/27 Fury Hardy Harrier Hart Hawfinch Hector Hedgehog Henley Heron Hind Hoopoe Hornbill Hornet Horsley Hotspur Hunter (variants) Hurricane (variants) Kestrel Nimrod Osprey Sea Fury Sea Hawk Tempest Tomtit Tornado Typhoon Woodcock

Hawker Siddeley	Andover Buccaneer Harrier (variants) Hawk HS.125 HS.141 HS.146 HS.681 HS.748 Nimrod Sea Vixen Trident P.139B P.1127 Kestrel P.1154

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Hawker P.1081

Design and development

Operators

Specifications

See also

References