| T-45 Goshawk | |
|---|---|
| The T-45A in flight | |
| Role | Naval trainer aircraft |
| Manufacturer | McDonnell Douglas Boeing BAE Systems |
| First flight | 16 April 1988[1] |
| Introduction | 1991 |
| Primary user | United States Navy |
| Number built | 214 as of 31 December 2008[2] |
| Developed from | BAE Hawk |
The T-45 Goshawk is a highly modified version of the BAE Hawk land-based training jet aircraft. Manufactured by McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing) and British Aerospace (now BAE Systems), the T-45 is used by the United States Navy as an aircraft carrier-capable trainer.
Contents |
The T-45 Goshawk is a fully carrier-capable version of the British Aerospace Hawk Mk.60.[1][3] It was developed as a jet flight trainer for the United States Navy (USN) and United States Marine Corps (USMC).
The Goshawk's origins began in the mid-1970s, when the US Navy began looking for replacement for its T-2 and TA-4 trainers.[4][5] The US Navy started the VTXTS advanced trainer program in 1978. British Aerospace and McDonnell Douglas proposed a version of the Hawk and were awarded the T-45 contract in 1981.[6]
The Hawk had not been designed for carrier operations and numerous modifications were required to make it carrier-suitable. These included improvements to the low-speed handling characteristics and a reduction in the approach speed.[4] Other changes were strengthened airframe,[7] more robust and wider landing gear with catapult tow bar attachment and an arresting hook.[4] It features a two-wheel nose landing gear.[8]
The Goshawk first flew in 1988 and became operational in 1991.[8] BAE Systems manufactures the fuselage aft of the cockpit, the air inlets, the vertical stabilizer of the T-45 at Samlesbury, and the wings at Brough, England. Boeing, which merged with McDonnell Douglas in 1997, manufactures the remainder of the aircraft and assembles them in St. Louis, Missouri.
On 16 March 2007 the 200th airframe was delivered to the US Navy. Their requirements call for 223 aircraft.[9] All T-45A aircraft will eventually be converted to a T-45C configuration under the T-45 Required Avionics Modernization Program (T-45 RAMP).
The T-45 has been used for intermediate and advanced portions of the Navy/Marine Corps Student Naval Aviator strike pilot training program with Training Air Wing One at Naval Air Station Meridian, Mississippi and Training Air Wing Two at Naval Air Station Kingsville, Texas. The T-45 replaced the T-2C Buckeye intermediate jet trainer and the TA-4J Skyhawk II advanced jet trainer with an integrated training system that includes the T-45 Goshawk aircraft, operational and instrument flight simulators (OFT/IFT), academics, and training integration system support. In 2008, the T-45C also began operation in the advanced portion of Navy/Marine Corps Student Naval Flight Officer (NFO) training with Training Air Wing Six at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida.
The T-45A, which became operational in 1991, contains an analog cockpit design while the newer T-45C, which was first delivered in December 1997, features a new digital "glass cockpit" design. The T-45A and C models are currently in operational use. The T-45 is to be in service until 2035 or later.[9]
Data from The International Directory of Military Aircraft, 2002-2003,[3] Navy fact file[8]
General characteristics
Performance
Armament
Data from naval-technology.com [1]
Data from naval-technology.com [4]
| External images | |
|---|---|
| Hi-res cutaway of T-45 Goshawk | |
| Hi-res cutaway of T-45 Goshawk by Flight Global. | |
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