PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - RAF aircraft used Smiths Attitude/Heading Reference system?
Old 5th Jul 2018, 09:29
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BEagle
 
Join Date: May 1999
Location: Quite near 'An aerodrome somewhere in England'
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My only experience of the Hawk was in pre-AHRS days in 1980-81 at Valley and Heaven-in-Devon. The compass system was dreadful and fundamentally unfit for purpose and the attitude indicator wasn't much better. I recall reading some flight safety comic which stated "The deficiencies of the Hawk compass system were known before the aircraft entered service" I can't see that being acceptable today.

But why was the 'student's friend' never fitted? By which I mean the superb offset TACAN system fitted to the Gnat. It would only have needed a couple of potentiometers and a switch...

When was the dorsal fin trailing edge extension fitted? The jets I flew were never so fitted; according to the exponents of triggernometry (the QWIs) that's why the sight was such a bugger to keep steady during strafe sessions.

Still, a nice little jet though, without the quirks of the Hunter fuel gauging system or the short legs and complex longitudinal control system of the Gnat.
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