Hawker P.1048

Interceptor Fighter Proposal

United Kingdom | 1946

"The post-World War 2 Hawker P.1048 was briefly considered for the Interceptor Fighter role - it did not progress beyond the paper stage."

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Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 11/15/2021 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site; No A.I. was used in the generation of this content.

The little-known P.1048 (P.1048/1) was a project "interceptor fighter" developed by Hawker / Hawker-Siddeley against British Air Ministry Specification 1.46 in 1946. The aircraft shared similarities with two others of the period, namely the German Luftwaffe's war time Messerschmitt Me 262 and the British Gloster Meteor, both designs going on to see operational-level service. The P.1048, however, did not advanced beyond its basic drawing board stage and ultimately fell to the pages of history.

The interceptor fighter was a simple concept built around quick reaction take-off and high-speed flight. Once airborne, the aircraft would fly to meet up enemy bombers or escorts and unleash cannon fire or rockets in an attempt to destroy the advance.

What is known of the P.1048 was that it would have carried 2 x 30mm ADEN automatic cannons in the nose. Its engine pair would be podded and underslung, the powerplants being Rolls-Royce AJ.65 (AJ = "Axial Jet") series "Avon" turbojet units providing the necessary thrust / output power for fast acceleration and high-speed flight. Dimensions included a running length of 41 feet and a wingspan of 39.5 feet.

Externally, the aircraft was an elongated Me 262 with a slim, streamlined nose assembly and the cockpit just aft. The cockpit resided over and ahead of the mainplanes which themselves were seated ahead of midships. The mainplanes were straight in their general form and tapered towards the wing tips - the trailing edge seeing considerably more sweep than the leading edge. With the underslung engines, the center of gravity would climb towards the front of the aircraft so a modern tricycle (retractable) undercarriage would be fitted for ground-running. The sleek design tapered to the rear to which a conventional single-finned tail unit was fitted. Horizontal tailplanes were mounted relatively low along the sides of the rudder.

The podded nature of the turbojet engines meant easy access to the units and easy replacement when maintaining / repairing the aircraft. The AJ.65 made its way into other critical British designs of the time including the de Havilland Comet, English Electric Lightning, and the Hawker Hunter.

Beyond the twin cannon armament, no other weaponry was proposed though it can be assumed that aerial rockets and possible bombs would have made their way into the arsenal of this promising jet design.

Performance figures on this page for this entry are estimates by the author.

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Power & Performance
Those special qualities that separate one aircraft design from another. Performance specifications presented assume optimal operating conditions for the Hawker P.1048/1 Interceptor Fighter Proposal.

2 x Rolls-Royce AJ.65 Avon turbojet engines developing 6,500lb of thrust each (estimated).
Propulsion

621 mph
1,000 kph | 540 kts
Max Speed

39,370 ft
12,000 m | 7 miles
Service Ceiling

699 miles
1,125 km | 607 nm
Operational Range

4,200 ft/min
1,280 m/min
Rate-of-Climb

Structure
The nose-to-tail, wingtip-to-wingtip physical qualities of the Hawker P.1048/1 Interceptor Fighter Proposal.

1
(MANNED)
Crew

41.0 ft
12.50 m
O/A Length

39.5 ft
(12.05 m)
O/A Width

11.7 ft
(3.56 m)
O/A Height

8,818 lb
(4,000 kg)
Empty Weight

16,535 lb
(7,500 kg)
MTOW

Armament
Available supported armament and special-mission equipment featured in the design of the Hawker P.1048 Interceptor Fighter Proposal .

PROPOSED:
2 x 30mm ADEN automatic cannons in the nose.

Variants
Notable series variants as part of the Hawker P.1048 family line.

Operators
Global customers who have evaluated and/or operated the Hawker P.1048. Nations are displayed by flag, each linked to their respective national aircraft listing.

Total Production: 0 Units
Contractor(s): Hawker Aircraft - UK

[ United Kingdom ]

1 / 1

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Going Further...
The Hawker P.1048 Interceptor Fighter Proposal appears in the following collections:

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