3d hawker sea hawk jet - Hawker Sea Hawk by pbratt

With the end of WW2 the Royal Navy found itself lagging behind the RAF in getting itself equipped with jet fighters. It was not immediately obvious that jet aircraft could even by operated from aircraft carriers. However trials with the De Haviland Vampire showed that a jet fighter could successfully take off and land from a carrier and the Royal Navy issued requirements for it's first jet fighters. The first to enter service was the Supermarine Attacker in 1951 which was not entirely successful, but the second, the Hawker Sea Hawk was a much more capable aircraft.