Re: Hawker Sea Hawk for FS2004 - released
Posted: 24 Dec 2008, 14:17
Hi Again,
You had no access panels for the Plennum Chamber except from above, therefore if tools etc. ,were accidentally dropped in this area,especially during engine replacement, the engine had to be re-lifted! (Much Cursing etc.). The Plessey Cartridge starter was an "engineering work of art"- it was well made and fairly complex -Indexing and planetary gears, I think there were six cartridges fired in pairs (could be eight) but if it misfired the first suspect was that the Head had not been fitted correctly, thus one smote it with a mallet just in case because the whole head could have blown off in one's face!
The guns were the dept. of the "Bomb Heads"(Ordnance Tiffies) so can't help there. In general it was a relatively clean burning engine and unlike some of its contemparies it recovered the rear bearing oil ,not using the total loss system of others. Incidentally, I went on the INS Vikrant during its work-up passing through Malta in 1961, in fact I helped to transport some of their aircraft by road from Hal Far to be lightered on to the carrier. The aircraft that in many (cases belatedly) followed this machine, the Scimitar, Vixen and Buccaneer were far more complex and more than twice as heavy as the delightful Sea Hawk and Sea Venom.
Regards John
You had no access panels for the Plennum Chamber except from above, therefore if tools etc. ,were accidentally dropped in this area,especially during engine replacement, the engine had to be re-lifted! (Much Cursing etc.). The Plessey Cartridge starter was an "engineering work of art"- it was well made and fairly complex -Indexing and planetary gears, I think there were six cartridges fired in pairs (could be eight) but if it misfired the first suspect was that the Head had not been fitted correctly, thus one smote it with a mallet just in case because the whole head could have blown off in one's face!
The guns were the dept. of the "Bomb Heads"(Ordnance Tiffies) so can't help there. In general it was a relatively clean burning engine and unlike some of its contemparies it recovered the rear bearing oil ,not using the total loss system of others. Incidentally, I went on the INS Vikrant during its work-up passing through Malta in 1961, in fact I helped to transport some of their aircraft by road from Hal Far to be lightered on to the carrier. The aircraft that in many (cases belatedly) followed this machine, the Scimitar, Vixen and Buccaneer were far more complex and more than twice as heavy as the delightful Sea Hawk and Sea Venom.
Regards John
but something to put a smile on your face for early '09, eh, chaps? And before anyone asks, it's not the size of the rocket, it's what you do with it ;-) 
