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Aviation History
1948
1948 - 1174.PDF
First Photographs of the Hawker N. 7/46 Nene-Pawered Fighter IF aircraft have personalities, the dainty Hawker Furybiplane of nearly twenty years ago and the war-scarred,but triumphant, Hurricane and Typhoon must be smiling approval from the Valhalla of great warplanes on the N, 7/46 jet fighter. For a year or more, the existence of this most modem Hawker type has been common know- ledge and features of its design—notably the bifurcated jet outlet—have been the subject of discussion and con- jecture all over the world. Only now, however, is it possible to publish photographs of this notable machine and to quote dimensions. The photographs herewith, secured by Mr. Cyril Peck- ham, show the extremely clean lines of the aircraft and the The elegant " excellent view from the cockpit (occupied in this instance' by Mr. T. S. Wade, vecently appointed Hawker chief test pilot). Also visible are the wing root air intakes for the single. Rolls-Royce Nene turbojet, of 5,000 lb. > static thrust, and the Hawker patent bifurcated trunk, which enables the exhaust to be discharged at corresponding positions in the trailing edge instead of through one central outlet in the extreme tail of the fuselage. This arrangement is likely to allow more room than is usual in a single-jet fighter for internal fuel tanks and providing greater range—a requirement of prime importance consider- ing that the N. 7 /46, in its present form at least, is intended for naval operation. It Is likely, in fact, that the new fighter is able to fly faster and farther than any other single-jet fighter built to a COID-A parable specification. Tests scr far conducted » by the Hawker flying staff and by Service establishments indicate that the handling characteristics are well up to the standard set by previous Hawker fighters. No precise figures for performances may yet be quoted, but a maximum speed of! well over 600 m.p.h. may be confidently expected. In view of the requirements of the naval specification, which calls for folding wings and deck-landing gear, the machine is a real credit to Mr. Sydney Camm and the Hawker design office. Dimensionally the N. 7/46 is relatively small and, like a number of other modern high-speed aircraft, has a length (38 ft 4 in) greater than its span (36 ft 6 in). Despite the modernity of the design there is an unmistakable "Hawker" air about the machine, arising principally from the shape of the vertical tail surfaces and from the straight-tapered wing, with its rounded tips-
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