science

Hawker P.1072

Hawker P.1072 is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Hawker P.1072 rather than just read about it. In short: The Hawker P.1072 was a 1949 experimental British aircraft acting as a test bed for the Armstrong Siddeley Snarler rocket booster engine. It was the prototype Hawker Sea Hawk modified to install the rocket in the tail.

Key takeaways

Hawker P.1072 belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Hawker P.1072 to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Hawker P.1072 from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The Hawker P.1072 was a 1949 experimental British aircraft acting as a test bed for the Armstrong Siddeley Snarler rocket booster engine. It was the prototype Hawker Sea Hawk modified to install the rocket in the tail.

Development After the Second World War Hawker was working on a new fighter under their internal designation P.1040 which later became the Hawker Sea Hawk. Armstrong Siddeley had begun work in 1946 to develop a liquid-fuelled rocket motor (to be used as a booster unit for fighters) for the Ministry of Supply. To investigate the feasibility of rocket-powered fighter aircraft, the original Sea Hawk prototype, VP401, was converted into a test bed for the Armstrong Siddeley Snarler rocket motor, in addition to its normal Rolls-Royce Nene turbojet, becoming the P.1072. The P.1040 had a split exhaust which gave space in the tail free for the installation of the rocket. The Snarler was pump fed rather than by pressurization of the fuel tanks. The installation of the rocket motor required considerable reinforcement of the fuselage as well as completely revised pneumatic and fuel systems. Jet engine fuel capacity was reduced from 395 gal (1,520 L) to 175 gal (675 L) and two tanks for rocket fuel were installed. The cylindrical liquid oxygen tank in the forward fuselage had a capacity of 75 gal (288 L), and the water-methanol tank in the rear fuselage had a capacity of 120 gal (460 L). External differences were limited to a slight bulge in the rear fuselage under the rudder and a fairing on the bottom centerline of the fuselage, covering piping between the tanks and the rocket motor in the tail. The Rolls-Royce Nene 103 with 5,180 lbf (23.1 kN) of thrust was used for the ferry flights and for takeoff and initial climb. The Snarler rocket which developed 2,000 lbf (8.9 kN) of thrust was first used in flight on 20 November 1950. There were limitations on the six flights were made using the rocket motor before a minor explosion damaged the aircraft. Soon after, the British government decided that turbojets with reheat (afterburner) would be used instead of rocket power.

Specifications (P.1072) Data from British Aircraft DirectoryGeneral characteristics Crew: 1 Length: 37 ft 7 in (11.46 m) Wingspan: 36 ft 6 in (11.13 m) Height: 8 ft 9 in (2.67 m) Wing area: 264.7 sq ft (24.59 m2) Empty weight: 11,050 lb (5,012 kg) Gross weight: 14,500 lb (6,577 kg) Fuel capacity: Turbine fuel: 175 imp gal (210 US gal; 800 L); Rocket oxidiser: 75 imp gal (90 US gal; 340 L); Rocket fuel: 120 imp gal (140 US gal; 550 L) Powerplant: 1 × Rolls-Royce Nene 103 centrifugal flow turbojet, 5,180 lbf (23.0 kN) thrust main engine Powerplant: 1 × Armstrong Siddeley ASSn.1 Snarler liquid-fuelled rocket, 2,000 lbf (8.9 kN) thrust endurance: 2 minutes 45 seconds Performance

Maximum speed: 553 mph (890 km/h, 481 kn) Cruise speed: 447 mph (719 km/h, 388 kn) Range: 350 mi (560 km, 300 nmi) Service ceiling: 44,500 ft (13,600 m) Rate of climb: 5,000 ft/min (25 m/s) Wing loading: 53 lb/sq ft (260 kg/m2) Thrust/weight: 0.51

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Hawker P.1072

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Hawker P.1072 claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Hawker P.1072 before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Hawker P.1072 ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Hawker P.1072

In research: Hawker P.1072 appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Hawker P.1072 in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Hawker P.1072 is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1950s British experimental aircraft, Hawker aircraft, Mid-wing aircraft, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Hawker P.1072 outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

Ask Teacher Smith questions about this articleOpens your AI tutor with a question about “Hawker P.1072” →

Affiliate

Preply — study more efficiently by working with a personal tutor. 50% off.

How to study Hawker P.1072 in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Hawker P.1072 means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Hawker P.1072 out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Hawker P.1072 in simple terms?

Why does Hawker P.1072 matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Hawker P.1072?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Hawker P.1072.