Only a few engines were built as the aircraft designs intended to use it were not adopted by the Royal Air Force.

The Goshawk was developed from the Kestrel IV prototype engine, to use evaporative (also known as "steam") cooling.

Twenty engines were built, and flew only in prototypes as a few manufacturers' private ventures and "one-offs".

Problems with coolant leaks, coolant pumping and the realisation that large wing-mounted condensing radiators would be vulnerable to combat damage caused the project to be cancelled, although valuable lessons had been learned and were put to good use with development of the later Merlin.

The Goshawk also powered Hawker's privately developed "High Speed Fury Mk 2" (K3586) and "Intermediate Fury" 2" (the latter Hawker's own development aircraft and "hack" serial G-ABSE)[2] and the Westland Pterodactyl V (K2770) and was installed for trials in the Gloster TSR.38 (S1705), and the first Gloster Gnatsnapper prototype (N227).