Originally Posted by
BomberH
KenV - I have flown all three.
My Hawk time is very limited - but I found it an easy aircraft to fly and very forgiving. The view from the rear is great for a trainer, but because the rear cockpit is raised above the rolling axis of the aircraft, it is slightly uncomfortable in a dynamic ACT sortie where there is lots of rolling under "g". Very easy to fall over when getting out at the end of the sortie! But a good trainer, albeit not good at instilling some of the important aspects of flying such as landing on speed on the numbers. Too forgiving!
The Gnat was an absolute delight to fly, as others have said. Very quick, and very responsive. Tiny jet which you strapped on, rather than in. But it was a trainer and carried no external stores - other than semi-embedded "slipper" tanks for fuel. A great trainer but a dreadful view from the rear cockpit. However, I think that all who flew it loved it.
The Scooter (I flew the A-4M, so it had the big engine - P408?) was as delightful as the Gnat in many ways with a similarly small cockpit which you strapped on. I never flew a clean-wing A-4, but it's load carrying ability was remarkable for such a small aircraft and it performed supremely well even when loaded. It was very close to the responsiveness of the Gnat - but those aerodynamic full leading edge slats which could deploy asymmetrically at times when pulling "g"and rolling in a dynamic ACT setting was disconcerting to say the least, and the cause of the odd headache! I loved the A-4M - however, the TA-4 with the P6 or P8 engine - you can keep!!
If offered the choice of which to fly one more sortie in - I'd go for the A-4M - simply because you could do so much more in it. If it had to be a two-seater, then the Gnat wins without question.
Bomber, PM sent on another subject.
Mog