Hawker aircraft alternatives after Hurricane until ~1955? (1 Viewer)

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Have to check - but I think Wackett (CAC) had no interest whatsoever in the P.1081. Sabre all the way.

That's right. While the Brits and the Aussie government were ironing out the projected fighter based on the P.1052, Wackett was doing a sneaky and was in secret talks with North American about the possibility of building the Sabre, but powered by the AJ.65 (Avon). Despite going behind everyone's backs, Wackett had support from the RAAF head and apparently made a convincing enough argument to the government to go for the Sabre. In fact, the deal was almost concrete in 1949, especially when Hives of RR got behind the idea of putting an Avon into the Sabre - and this was before the P.1081 had even flown for the first time. Wackett did happen to propose a slightly unrealistic manufacturing and in-service date, though, which can't have done his case any harm in the eyes of NAA and RR.

Despite the growing interest in the Avon Sabre, the P.1081 still held official interest in Australia, but its end boils down to a lack of faith in the aircraft and engine combination by the British. The P.1081 was to be fitted with the Tay, but the Aussies wanted a reheated Nene, but since neither the airframe nor engine received any great priority, therefore support from Britain the project was cancelled in late 1950.
 
Similar as the two current LW threads: the best, but still plausible ways for the products of Hawker company (fighters, predominantly)to be top-notch. After the 1st flight of the Hurricane is accomplished - lets say from January 1936. Ending by the time people were trying to make a Mach 2 fighter. Includes naval aircraft.
Obviously, two big wars will be happening between 1936 and 1955 for the new Hawker products to take place, plus the Greek civil war and India-Pakistan war, as well as Israel vs. Arabs in 1948.
Fix the turbulence in the RAE wind tunnel and even the Hurricane is markedly improved. Turbulence in the wind tunnel made both biplanes and thick wing sections appear to have much lower drag then they actually did. With correct number from the wind tunnel, both the Hurricane and Tornado/Typhoon performance is improved. I don't have a silver bullet solution for the sympathetic vibration between engine and tail (We will note Messerschmitt had same issue on Me.109F). Keep RR working on their own engines and not worrying about Napier. (Hard to do when RR top designer has left Napier) helps the Sabre enough that it would be competitive until jet are ready to replace it.

With Tornado/Typhoon fulfilling most of Tempest role, Hawker can build a Sabre powered Fury for '44 which again takes you to end of piston engines.

As noted in other posts, Hawker's jets really need the RR RB.44 Tay.
 
Keep RR working on their own engines and not worrying about Napier. (Hard to do when RR top designer has left Napier) helps the Sabre enough that it would be competitive until jet are ready to replace it.

Are you talking about Arthur Rowledge, who was chief designer at Napier and was responsible for the Lion?

If so, note that he joined Rolls-Royce in 1921.

The chief engineer on the Sabre was Major Frank Halford, who was a consultant. Halford left Napiers to work on jet engines for de Havilland. de Havilland bought Halford's engineering consultancy firm in 1944.
 

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