Sea hawk prototype - more questions

[John R]

Funny how when you decide to build something slightly out of the ordinary all sorts of questions start to pop up, the answers to which must be 'out there' if only I could find them.

The latest concerns the canopy and seat of VP413, the first prototype. Does anyone have any pictures or details of these items? They look, to me, to have been different to production versions

John

PS. At whatstage in its development did it acquire the tail bullet?

Edited January 4, 2016 by John R

[BritJet]

It had the same style of canopy as originally fitted to the P1040 VP401 but not the curved, frameless windscreen. The seat is probably an early Martin Baker example but I don't know which mark.

Also VP413 originally had the short span wings and tailplane as fitted to the P1040 - 2'6" less wingspan and 1ft less tailplane span.

Steve

[John R]

Thanks. I knew about the wingspan and was wondering about the tail but I had not seen any reference to it. The more I read the more it seems like the later P1040 with guns and arrestor hook than your actual Sea Hawk.

Edited January 4, 2016 by John R

[BritJet]

I think you're pretty much spot-on with that description.

It was a Malcolm (ML Aviation) ejection seat which explains why it looks different from the Sea Hawk's MB seat. I would guess that the tail bullet was added when the tailplane span was increased.

Steve

[John R]

Doh! Guess what? Last night I thought to look through Barry Jones' book ' British Experimental Turbojet Aircraft' looking for a picture of the P1081 and came across a side view photo of VP413 showing the canopy and arrestor hook assembly (without the actual hook). Unfortunately it's copyright.

I believe that the only Malcolm (ML Aviation) ejection seat which exists is in the P1052 at Yeovilton.

Regarding the tail bullet it was not fitted to the F1 although I believe it had the increased wingspan and larger tail.

John