The T-45 Goshawk is a highly modified version of the BAE Hawk jet trainer. It was developed by McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing) and British Aerospace (now BAE Systems) as an advanced jet trainer for the US Navy. It is a rare example of a military European aircraft being used by the Americans. 
 
Large modifications were made to the British Hawk to have a suitable jet trainer aircraft for US NAVY pilots that would be required for US aircraft carrier operations. Developed started in the eighties and the first operational aircraft was with the US Navy in 1994. 

The original T-45A had cockpit with "clocks", later an updated "Cockpit 21" program started towards T-45C standard with electronic Multi Function displays. Also a CAI gunsight is fitted. 

Over 200 T-45s trainers are used by the US NAVY (it replaced the T-2 Buckeye).  The aircraft is not armed as a trainer, but has a single pylon installed under each wing for carrying bomb racks, rocket pods or auxiliary fuel tanks. A single baggage pod can also be carried. 

The major T-45 modifications as compared to the Hawk are:
A- different cockpit with also the Martin Baker NACES mk 14 ejection seats
B- slatted wing with straight leading edge and with adapted wing tips
C- trailing edge double slotted flap with full flap-span vane (Hawk has a double slotted flap with a limited flap-span vane)
D- twin nose wheel gear with catapult launch bar (and larger nose wheel diameter)
E- slightly deeper nose profile and larger nose gear bay
F- stronger undercarriage with larger main gear (bulged) bays (and bumped fairings on the wingtop root area)
G- other main wheels with larger wheel-hub
H- large span and squared tipped tailplanes (0.10 m)
I-  higher vertical tail (0.15 m)
J- two flow vanes in front of tailplane to avoid tailplane stall while landing on carriers needing  higher lift   
K- single ventral fin (with arrestor hook)
L- more vortex generators on upper wing
M- two perforated airbrakes on rear fuselage
N- other systems and stronger Adour 871 engine

Goshawk page 2...
Goshawk page 3...
Goshawk page 4...
Goshawk page 5...

Goshawk page 6

The real aircraft dimensions were used to scale up the kit drawing to "working drawings" in 1/32 scale. 

This basic drawing looks good also for reference as combined with various photos of the real T-45 seen on the Internet and in books and magazines (see References below). 

Also, the 1/48 Kinetic T-45 Goshawk kit was on the table for some cross reference, borrowed from my friend Michel.
Here that kit's colour scheme is seen:
click for large drawing

Note that no evidence was found that the canopy is different or that the air intakes or main fuselage profile were different. This was also not seen in the various references and sources. The nose profile is often mentioned to be a bit "deeper" but no big profile differences were seen looking at pictures. The kit nose will be made a bit deeper though by making it a bit thicker at the nose and blending it to the cockpit area of the fuselage. This deeper nose also enables storage of the much larger twin nose gear (mod D-). 

A couple of working drawings were made and printed for use during the conversion/built. (these will be shown during assembly steps ...).

Basic kit improvements on the 1/32 Revell Hawk kit will also be incorporated where applicable for the T-45 conversion. This as modelling the Revell 1/32 Hawk kit as a RAF Hawk T.1 is/will also be done and (later) the  1/32 Kinetic Hawk 100 series kit. 
   

Books:
- Hawk comes to age, Peter R March, RAFBFE, 1995
- World Air Power , vol 22

Models:
Kinetic T-45 Goshawk in 1/48 scale 

Internet: 

Bae systems 

Back to 1/32 Models.......