Red Arrows Thread

Ive had a look at the wikepedia entry for the Hawk. It says the G limit is +9/-4, but the RAF limit is +7.5, and the name originally chosed by Hawker Siddeley was Tercel which is a male Hawk(things you learn!)but the RAF opted for Hawk.

I can assure you that the normal RAF limit was indeed 8.5 (T1)
The 2 Medical flight Hawks are allowed 8.99.
For a normal T1 if you exceed 8.5 G then you do overgee checks,if you exceed 9.0 G then you have to pull the engine for more in depth overgee checks.
You cant really use wiki as a serious reference point.
There have been times during the Hawks life when lower G limits were imposed on some a/c ,but this was due to fleet mismanagement,the fuselage update programme should have started a few years earlier than it did

Don't get too carried away. Remember that over their life the majority of the RAF Hawk fleet has been re-winged, has had new tailplanes and a large number have had a new centre fuselage.

Thank you!

Dont know who is getting carried away or not...I am just giving you accurate info...
I have worked on them on and off since 1977 and indeed used to build them LOL

The point is that for most of the fleet, much of the structure that they were built with in the 1970s has been replaced because it had reached the end of its safe life. Let's face it, much of the UK fleet of clockwork-cockpit Hawk T Mk 1 is just about worn out. The now much reduced fast-jet pilot training task can be absorbed by the new Hawk T Mk 2s, leaving the best of the rest for secondary roles such as with 100 Sqn, the RN and the RAFAT.

No arguments with any of that...but the G limit remains the same

I had no disagreement with you regarding the 'g' limitations.

No real arguments with anybody LOL
I was just trying to clear up any confusion re G limits
+9 will be the design limit
+ 8.5 is the normal limit after which structural checks are mandatory
+7/7.5 would be local limit set by Valley so that the studes dont cause too many overgee checks - since it is easy to exceed g limits in Hawks,exceeding a local lower limit would probably 'only' mean an interview with flight commander whereas exceeding the 8.5 limit would cost time/money for structural checks .
Of course in any a/c fleet there were/are individual a/c with limitations due to fatigue issues/structural faults

rgds baz

has the red arrows resumed training again yet does anyone know