Specifications compared
| Variant compared | Jet Provost T.5 | Hawk T1 |
|---|---|---|
| First flight | 26 Jun 1954 (type) | 21 Aug 1974 |
| Entered service | 1955 (type) | 1976 |
| Max speed | 382 kn (440 mph) at 25,000 ft | Mach 0.88 in level flight; Mach 1.15 in a dive |
| Engine | Armstrong Siddeley (later Bristol Siddeley) Viper turbojet | Rolls-Royce Turbomeca Adour turbofan |
| Armament | None in RAF service (export versions: 2 × .303 in MG, rockets) | Centreline 30 mm ADEN pod; T1A: 2 × Sidewinder |
| Number built | 734 (all versions) | 1,000+ (all versions) |
| Crew | 2 (side by side) | 2 (tandem) |
The Jet Provost
Hunting Percival developed the Jet Provost from its piston-engined Provost trainer. It flew on 26 June 1954 and entered RAF service in 1955.
Flight International called it the first ab initio jet trainer to be standardised by any air force. It was meant to replace piston trainers, not supplement them. Pupils would learn on jets from their first lesson.
Instructor and pupil sat side by side with duplicated controls. The cockpit was essentially the same as the piston Provost's.
Development
The T.3, with a more powerful Viper and ejector seats, flew in June 1958. 201 were delivered by 1962. The T.4 of 1960 had more power again, and the pressurised T.5 followed in 1967.
Armed export versions went to Ceylon, Kuwait and Sudan. A more heavily armed derivative became the BAC Strikemaster ground-attack aircraft. In all 734 Jet Provosts were built.
The Hawk
The Hawk's prototype flew from Dunsfold on 21 August 1974, and the type entered RAF service in 1976. It replaced the Gnat and Hunter for advanced and weapons training.
Its pupil and instructor sit in tandem, with the rear seat raised for a clear view. It reaches Mach 0.88 in level flight and Mach 1.15 in a dive, so students meet transonic flight before front-line jets.
The Red Arrows have flown Hawks since 1979. More than 1,000 have been sold worldwide.
From 1983, 88 Hawks were modified as T1As to carry two Sidewinder missiles and a 30 mm gun pod. In war they would have served as short-range interceptors.
The myth: the Hawk replaced the Jet Provost
It did not. The Hawk took over from the Gnat and Hunter at the advanced stage. The Jet Provost was replaced in the early 1990s by the turboprop Short Tucano, and retired in 1993.
The all-through jet idea had faded earlier. From the early 1970s, first flying lessons went back to piston aircraft such as the Scottish Aviation Bulldog.
Where to see a Jet Provost and a Hawk
Eight gazetteer museums hold both, and South Wales Aviation Museum shows five Jet Provosts with a Hawk T1A. Boscombe Down Aviation Collection keeps the Hawk prototype XX154 beside its Jet Provosts.
| Museum | Adult entry | Airframes | Headline exhibit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boscombe Down Aviation CollectionSalisbury, Wiltshire | £13.50 | 49 | The Lancaster cockpit reproduction tour, and a test-and-evaluation pedigree collection you can physically inhabit rather than admire… |
| MorayviaForres, Moray | £8 | 35 | Nimrod XV244 (complete, and the crew who operated her sometimes give the tours) alongside a Sea King in RAF SAR yellow — the machine that… |
| North East Land, Sea and Air MuseumsSunderland, Tyne and Wear | £7.50 | 46 | NELSAM in Sunderland mixes Vulcan XL319 (flew in when the airport still existed), a Pucará from the Falklands, trams, buses and a… |
| Royal Air Force Museum MidlandsShifnal, Shropshire | Free | 78 | TSR-2 XR220, one of two survivors of the most gifted aircraft Britain ever cancelled, sharing floor space with the stainless-steel… |
| South Wales Aviation MuseumBarry, Vale of Glamorgan | £10 | 73 | The resident Harrier and a growing VC10/Tornado-era collection, most with steps and open canopies. Kids exit wearing thousand-yard grins. |
| South Yorkshire Aircraft MuseumDoncaster, South Yorkshire | £7.50 | 109 | Doncaster's South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum sprawls across the old RAF Doncaster site: dozens of airframes and helicopters, strong… |
| Ulster Aviation Society (Maze Long Kesh)Lisburn, County Antrim | By appointment | 63 | The Shorts family — SC.1 vertical take-off research aircraft included — plus a Buccaneer, Phantom, Wildcat, and a newly arrived AV-8… |
| Yorkshire Air MuseumYork, North Yorkshire | £17 | 54 | Halifax 'Friday the 13th' — the world's only complete Halifax reconstruction, honouring the type that flew from this very field —… |
Frequently asked
What replaced the Jet Provost in the RAF?
The Short Tucano turboprop, in the early 1990s. The Hawk replaced the Gnat and Hunter, not the Jet Provost.
Do the Jet Provost and Hawk seat their crews the same way?
No. The Jet Provost seats instructor and pupil side by side; the Hawk seats them in tandem, with the rear seat raised.
Where can I see a Jet Provost and a Hawk together?
At eight gazetteer museums, including South Wales Aviation Museum, Boscombe Down Aviation Collection, Yorkshire Air Museum and the Royal Air Force Museum Midlands.