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The Hawk is a tandem two seat
aircraft, primarily used for initial cost effective
fighter training to prepare aircrew for operational
conversion to the F/A-18 Hornet fighter or F-111
strike aircraft.
Operated by No.76 Squadron located at RAAF
Williamtown, New South Wales and No.79 Squadron
located at RAAF Pearce, Western Australia, under the
command of 78 Wing, the Hawk 127s through-life
support programs have been designed for a 25 year
life of type: its design allows for growth capacity
to ensure system upgrades can be incorporated, to
reflect the evolving training requirements.
The Hawk 127 is a low wing, all metal structured
aircraft, fitted with an integrated navigation and
attack system, and powered by a single Adour Mk.871
turbofan engine, which has a two stage low pressure
(LP) compressor driven by a single stage LP turbine,
and a five-stage high pressure (HP) compressor
driven by a single HP turbine. The avionics system
is integrated via 1553 multiplex database. The
principle components are two display and mission
computers (DMCs), which coordinate processes and
command the display of information from the
communications, navigation and attack sub-systems.
Each cockpit has Hands on Throttle and Stick (HOTAS)
control.
The Head Up Display (HUD) in the front cockpit and
three colour Multi Function Displays (MFD) in each
cockpit present a range of flight information
ranging from aircraft performance and attitude
through to equipment status reports.
Mission-specific data can be pre-programmed by the
pilot and downloaded into the system using a data
transfer system. Equipment performance, aircraft
fatigue and engine life data is monitored and
recorded by a health and usage monitoring system
(HUMS).
The Hawk 127 armament system provides for the
carriage, aiming and release/firing of practice and
Mk82 series bombs, AIM-9M missiles and a 30mm
cannon. The stores are carried on two wingtip
missile stations and pylons mounted on four
underwing and one centreline hardpoints. A 30mm Aden
cannon carried in a gunpod can be installed on the
centreline station in place of the pylon. Stores are
controlled by the integrated stores management
system (SMS). |
