Hawker info

[Rythm3]

Anyone have any experience with the old Hawkers with the Viper engines? More specifically, a 1971 model.

Everything I've heard has been horror stories. Anyone with experience with these care to share?

 

[pilot370]

I went through Hawker 700 Initial with a guy from Africa and his had vipers on them. He said after flying for about 2.5 hours you better find a gas station cause they are thirsty. Our hawker is a 600 with fans and, from what i've been told, had vipers on it in Australia??? and was retro-fitted with 731's. So now it's basically a 700. My differences training lasted all of 5 minutes.
Most of the ones I have seen with vipers are from Mexico, but have seen a few for sale here in the US for just under 495k.

Anybody still flying one with vipers here on the board?



____________________
"What is the meaning of life? 42!"
Hitch Hikers guide to the galaxy

 

[501261]

I've got a few hours in an old Viper Hawker some years back. It's really not a bad engine, considering when it was built. The 2 biggest problems were that it just didn't produce enough thrust for a fully loaded Hawker (turning the Hawker into even more of a pig), and that they burned gas like only a pure jet can! 2 1/2 hours is all ~1500 gallons gets you! Plus I'm pretty sure the Viper is the loudest engine ever put on a business jet, makes a CJ610 or Spey seem quiet by comparison, so forget going into noise sensitive airports.

The biggest problem flying them today I would imagine is that if the principle can only afford a $380K airplane (65’ 1A), how the hell is he going to pay for the MX that comes with it!

 

[Roadie]

My favorite part of flying the old Hawker 400 was pouring the oil in the engines (it used like .9 pint/hr or something) during a stiff breeze.

 

[Rick1128]

I have had the chance to fly a viper powered Hawker, a 600. Compared to a 600 fan it had a little more gumption. And yes it is the noisiest aircraft this side of a F14.

Yes they burn fuel like its going out of style. But its not a major problem, as you have to stop to refill the oil anyway. The oil issue is because the viper was originally a drone engine. There is no scavenge pump on the rear bearing and the oil from that bearing is blown overboard. You also have to pump alcohol into the engine for anti-ice protection.

There are a few advantages to the viper. One is the overhaul times. Under part 91, if it makes power, its legal. And second, is the engines are so cheap right now, you don't overhaul, you just take the bad one off and put on a better one.

The biggest problem is cost of operating. Not just fuel, but also inspections, etc. Hawkers are inspection intensive. I happen to like Hawkers, they are a nice flying aircraft, but the British methods of manufacture and design seem to make for aircraft that require at least twice as many inspections as necessary and the disassembly of the aircraft to do them.

If you are looking at purchasing one, also keep in mind schooling. There are very few instructors at accepted schools that know anything earlier than a 700.

 

[Hawker rider]

I flew an old 3A/RA the RA standing for lon-range..hihi, just a little tank in the tail that the regular 3A didn't have.

Had the Viper522 engines on there, as i can remember those engines were not very easy to get by and pretty expensive, I only have about 300 hours as co-pilot on them, I fell off the enginepylon once in Jackson Hole, while filling up the iol, GOSH you gotta love a 13-pint oil reservoir though!!