Hawker Hunter

Hawker Hunter
Hawker Hunter FMk58, J-4040 "PAPYRUS" at Air 04
Type:	Single-engine fighter aircraft
Design country:	United Kingdom
Manufacturer:	Hawker Siddeley
First flight:	July 20, 1951
Commissioning:	1956
Number of pieces:	1972

The civil two-seater "Blue Diamond" (XL577), the machine is painted in silver in 2016 and has Jordanian license plates

Jordanian hunters captured by Israel

Jonathon Whaley's private hunter Miss Demeanour was the J-4104 of the Swiss Air Force

16 Hunter of the Black Arrows of the Royal Air Force flying in formation

Cockpit of the trainer version T 75

The Hawker Hunter is a single beam fighter aircraft of the time of the Cold War, from British production. The type of aircraft made by the manufacturer Hawker Siddeley was mainly used by the Royal Air Force from 1954 ; it was also exported to other countries and was the oldest active fighter with first flight in 1951 with jet propulsion were made available to the world as the last ones in 2014 from Lebanon decommissioned.

history

development

The Hunter was developed in the 1950s to intercept Soviet bomber formations off the British Isles. No on-board radar was planned for the Hunter , as the guidance was to be provided by a ground control center. Since the development of guided missiles was still in the development phase in Great Britain at that time, the developers concentrated on automatic cannons as the main armament. According to a request from the British Ministry of Defense , the new interceptor should be able to bring down a Soviet bomber with a short burst of its automatic cannons. As a solution, a quickly exchangeable hull with four 30 mm ADEN (Armament Development Establishment) automatic cannons was built into the fuselage, which could bring a large projectile weight to the target even with short bursts of fire. In the beginning, the vibrations and gases from the automatic cannons were problematic; later the Hunter was intended for ground combat support , with only two automatic cannons installed.

The test pilot and squadron leader (Squadron Leader) Neville Duke made the maiden flight on July 20, 1951 with the prototype Hawker P.1067 Hunter designed by Sydney Camm , equipped with the Avon 103 engine of an English Electric Canberra . On September 7, 1953, he set an official world speed record of 1173 km / h (753 mph). The Hunter broke the sound barrier several times at air shows in flight inclination . Production of the Hunter F.1 began for the Royal Air Force (RAF) in 1950, and it entered service in July 1954. A short time later, the versions Mk.2 to 5 followed.

In 1952, NATO decided to support the procurement of a new European fighter aircraft. American pilots flew the Hunter against the Supermarine Swift , which lost. The USA subsequently supported the procurement of 950 Hunter F4s. Part of this would benefit the RAF and the Danish Air Force. The majority of the aircraft went to Belgium and the Netherlands.

Production of the F6 began in 1955, and by 1958 all RAF squadrons were equipped with this machine. From 1958, the manufacturer turned to the task of designing the F6 specifically for attacking ground targets. For the modifications such as a container for a braking parachute housed in the stern and additional tanks that could hold around 1045 liters (230 British gallons) of fuel, cutouts had to be made on the landing flaps, and the air conditioning was improved. 128 of this version were produced and designated as FGA.9. The model was equipped with Rolls-Royce Avon -203 engines (intermediate version Mk.9); later it received the improved Avon 207 engines with an output of 45.15 kN (10,150 lb) static thrust.

Troop service

The first squadron from July 1954 was the 43rd Squadron in RAF Leuchars . Initially, Hunters, especially the F4 and F6 and others, flew on various squadrons of RAF Germany (see the Usage section below). In 1959, Hunter served with 18 RAF squadrons. Aircraft of the further developed multi-purpose series FGA.9 for ground attack and aerial combat were later used by Squadrons No. 1, 8, 20, 28, 43, 54 and 208, then also with Squadrons No. 45 and 58 and Tactical Weapons Units No. 1 and 2 in the UK as a training aircraft. The Hunter served as a combat reconnaissance aircraft FR10 for the RAF in Germany until the early 1970s; Except for a few training and test machines, the Hunter was decommissioned in 1980 by the RAF.

In Switzerland she stayed in service much longer - until 1994; it has been modified several times (for detailed information, see the separate section below).

Due to its excellent handling characteristics, the Hunter has always been a machine of choice for aerobatic teams, from the RAF Black Arrows and Blue Diamonds teams of the early 1960s to the Patrouille Suisse .

In 2014 the Hunter was only in service in Lebanon: three FGA Mk.70A and a Trainer T.Mk.66C.

In 2012, Hunter were used again for military purposes in the country of origin. The company Hawker Hunter Aviation flew in the spring of the year, initially on a trial basis, on behalf of the Royal Navy flight target display from the Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton with Hunter Mk.58 and T.8.

Combat missions

The Hunter has played a role in numerous conflicts:

• Six Day War 1967 ( flown by Jordanian and Iraqi Air Force pilots)
• Chile: during the coup against the 1970 elected socialist president Salvador Allende, Hunter bombed the presidential palace , Allende's house and radio stations.
• During civil wars in Somalia
• Rhodesia : against ZANU / ZAPU in the late 1960s
• Support for Laurent-Désiré Kabila by Zimbabwe during the Second Congo War (1998 to 2003)
• The Squadron No. 7 of the Indian Air Force (IAF) received the first Hunter in January 1958. They flew in the second (1965) and the third Indo-Pakistani War (1971, also known as the Bangladesh War )
• Proxy war in Yemen between Egypt and Saudi Arabia in 1962-67: the Egyptian Air Force deployed MiG-17 ; air battles occasionally occurred between these and Hunters of the Royal Saudi Air Force . Egypt had a union with North Yemen until 1967.

technology

variants

The following series have been developed for the armed forces of the United Kingdom (see designation system for aircraft of the British armed forces # variant and usage identifier ):

P.1067

Prototype of the single-seat day fighter, 3 built

Hunter F.Mk.1

Day fighter aircraft for the Royal Air Force (RAF) with Rolls-Royce-Avon engine, built 139

Hunter F.Mk.2

Day fighter with Wright J65 engine, 45 built

Hunter F.Mk.3

Record aircraft, 1 converted prototype

Hunter F.Mk.4

Day fighter, compared to the F.Mk.1 further improved day fighter variant with Avon-Mk-115/121-engine and wing tanks and under wing stations for drop-off tanks, in the mid-1950s for a short time with four squadrons of the 2nd Tactical Air Force of the RAF in Used in Germany , 349 built, plus 97 licensed buildings for the Koninklijke Luchtmacht (Klu) and 113 for the Belgian Air Force

Hunter F.Mk.5

Day fighter, corresponding version with Sapphire Mk 101 engine, 105 built

Hunter F.Mk.6

Another improved version of the day fighter with Avon Mk 203 engine, even greater fuel capacity thanks to a modified wing (characteristic: offset of the leading edge) and four wing stations. The first flight was on March 25, 1955, used by the 2nd Tactical Air Force / RAF Germany, 384 built plus 97 licensed builds for the Netherlands and 144 for Belgium

Hunter F.Mk.6A

like the F.Mk.6, but with a more powerful Mk-207 engine, 24 converted F.Mk.6

P.1181

Prototype of the two-seater trainer, 2 built

Hunter T.Mk.7

two-seat trainer, which was developed from F.Mk.4, including the F.Mk.6 wings with the offset of the leading edge. The first flight was on October 11, 1957, 45 newly built, 6 converted, plus 20 for the Netherlands

Hunter T.Mk.7A (B)

Trainer for the Buccaneer , which was only built as a single-seater , 5 converted

Hunter T.Mk.8

Versions of the T.Mk.7 for the Royal Navy (RN), which were equipped with a catch hook, 10 newly built, 18 converted,

Hunter T.Mk.8B / C

Equipped with TACAN , the sub-variant B also with EFIS , but without an on-board cannon, 3/10 converted

Hunter T.Mk.8M

retrofitted with the Sea-Harrier's Blue Fox radar , 3

Hunter FGA.Mk.9

single-seat ground attack aircraft that was developed from the F.Mk.6. It has the Avon Mk-207 engine, a reinforced airframe and a higher weapon load. There are numerous export versions of this series, 128 converted F.Mk.6

Hunter FR.Mk.10

single-seat reconnaissance aircraft that was developed from the F.Mk.6, almost all used by the RAF Germany, 33 converted F.Mk.6

Hunter GA.Mk.11

single-seat ground attack version of the F. (GA) Mk.9, which was developed for the RN

Hunter T.Mk.12

Two-seater for TSR.2 trials

The Hunters, built under license in the Netherlands and Belgium for the Royal and Belgian Air Force, had the same series designations as the British models. The following versions were names for the export:

• F.Mk.50 : Export model based on the F.Mk.4 for the Swedish Flygvapnet , designated there as J 34, 120 built
• F.Mk.51 : Export model based on the F.Mk.4 for the Danish Flyvevåbnet , built 30
• F.Mk.52 : Export model based on the F.Mk.4 for Peru
• T.Mk.53 : Export model based on the F.Mk.4 (wings without leading edge offset) and the two-seater trainer T.Mk.7, built for the Danish Flyvevåbnet, 2
• F.Mk.56 : Export model of the F.Mk.6 with minor modifications for the Indian Air Force (IAF), 144 newly built, 16 converted F.Mk.6
• FGA.Mk.56A : Export model of the FGA.Mk.9 for the IAF, 53 converted
• FGA.Mk.57 : Export model of the F.Mk.6 for Kuwait, 6 converted
• F.Mk.58 : Export model of the F.Mk.6 for the Swiss Air Force , 88 newly built, 12 converted F.Mk.6
• F.Mk.58A : Export model of the FGA.Mk.9 for the Swiss Air Force, 52 converted
• FGA.Mk.59 / 59A : Export model of the F.Mk.6 for Iraq, converted 24/18
• FR.Mk.59B : export model of FR.Mk.10 for Iraq, 4 converted
• F.Mk.60 : Export model of the F.Mk.6 for Saudi Arabia, 4 converted F.Mk.6
• T.Mk.62 : two-seat trainer for Peru, 1 converted T.Mk.7
• T.Mk.66 : two-seat trainer for the IAF, built 22
• T.Mk.66B / 66C / 66D / 66E : two-seat trainer for Jordan (B), Lebanon (C) and the IAF (D / E), 3/3/12/5 converted T.Mk.7
• T.Mk.67 : two-seater coach for Kuwait, 5 converted T.Mk.66
• T.Mk.68 : two-seat trainer for the Swiss Air Force, 8 converted T.Mk.66
• T.Mk.69 : two-seat trainer for Iraq, 5 upgraded T.Mk.66
• FGA.Mk.70 / 70A : Export model of the FGA.Mk.9 for Lebanon, 4/6 converted
• FGA.Mk.71 : Export model of the FGA.Mk.9 for the Fuerza Aérea de Chile (FACh), 28 converted
• FR.71A : Export model of the FR.Mk.10 for the FACh, 6 converted
• T.Mk.72  : two-seat trainer for the FACh, 5 converted T.Mk.66
• FGA.73 / 73A / 73B : Export model of F. (GA) Mk.9 for Jordan, 8/12/3 converted
• FGA.74 : Export model of the FGA.Mk.9 for the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF), 12 converted
• FR.74A / 74B : Export model of the FR.Mk.10 for the RSAF, 4/22 converted
• T.Mk.75 / 75A : two-seat trainer for the RSAF, 4/5 converted T.Mk.66 (a 75A was already lost before delivery)
• FGA.Mk.76 : Export model of F. (GA) Mk.9 for Abu Dhabi , 7 converted
• FR.Mk.76A : Export model of the FRMk.10 for Abu Dhabi, 3 converted
• T.Mk.77 : two-seat coach for Abu Dhabi, 2 converted T.Mk.7
• FGA.Mk.78 : export model of F. (GA) Mk.9 for Qatar , 3 converted
• T.Mk.79 : two-seat coach for Qatar, 1 converted T.Mk.7
• FGA.Mk.80 : Export model from F. (GA) Mk.9 for Kenya, 4 converted
• T.Mk.81 : two-seat trainer for Kenya, 2 converted T.Mk.7

A total of 1972 aircraft were built in Great Britain. There were also 455 licensed builds built by Avions Fairey in Belgium and Fokker in the Netherlands. Numerous modifications were made for the export market.

Data from F. (GA) Mk.9

Hawker Hunter

Parameter	Data
length	13.98 m
span	10.26 m
height	4.01 m
Wing area	32.43 m²
Empty mass	6,020 kg
Takeoff mass, normal	8,340 kg
Max. Takeoff mass	10,885 kg
Top speed at sea level	1144 km / h (Mach 0.94)
Top speed in 11,000 m	978 km / h
Marching speed	740 km / h
Service ceiling	15,250 m
Radius of action	350-570 km
Transfer range	2965 km
Initial rate of climb	40.7 m / s
Climbing time up to 14,000 m	6:45 min
Engine	a Rolls-Royce Avon 207 with 4604 kp (45.15 kN) thrust

Armament

• In the short-mounted gun: 4 x 30-mm automatic cannon Royal Small Arms Factory ADEN Mk.2 , each with 150 rounds of ammunition

• Ordnance up to 1814 kg at six external load stations under the wings:
  • Air-to-air guided missile
    • 2–4 × LAU-7 / A start rails for 1 × Ford AIM-9B Sidewinder each - infrared-controlled for short distances
  • Air-to-surface guided missile
    • 2–4 × LAU-117A launching rail supports for a Raytheon AGM-65B Maverick - video-guided for fighting tanks
  • Unguided air-to-surface missiles
    • 4 × Matra F4 (Matra 155) rocket tube launch containers for 18 × unguided SNEB air-to-surface rockets, caliber 68 mm
    • 6 × launch rails for 4 × unguided RP-3 (Rocket Projectile 3-inch) air-to-surface missiles each; Caliber 76.2 mm
    • 8 × launch rails for 4 × Oerlikon SURA-D (Hispano SURA R80) unguided air-to-surface missiles each ; Caliber 80 mm
  • Unguided bombs
    • 2 × Hunting Engineering BL755 (264 kg anti-tank cluster bomb with 7 × 21 bomblets)
    • 2 × Royal Ordnance MC / GP Mk.10 (454 kg free-fall bomb )
    • 2 × 450 kg free fall bomb
    • 2 × 450 kg fire bomb
    • 8 × 50 kg free-fall bombs
    • 8 × UB 80 (7 kg exercise bomb)
  • External container
    • 2 × drop-off additional tanks for 675 liters (230 US gallons) of kerosene
    • 2 × drop-off additional tanks for 455 liters (100 gallons) of kerosene
    • 2 × Saab Erijammer A100 (ALQ-503 or Vista-5) EKF container ( jammer )
    • 1 × MBV-25 towing winch for tow bag

Self protection

As active measures:

• 2 × decoys launchers with 15 decoys cartridges each (e.g. heat flares with a width and length of 38 mm)

Former user states

•  Belgium : 257 (113 F.Mk.4 and 144 F.Mk.6), except for one F4 all machines manufactured under license by Avions Fairey and Fokker
•  Chile : 29 FGA.Mk.71, 6 FR.Mk.71A and 5 T.Mk.72
•  Denmark : 30 F.Mk.51, 2 T.Mk.53 and 2 T.Mk.7
•  India : 22 F.Mk.6, 160 F.Mk.56, 53 FGA.Mk.56A and 22 T.Mk.66, 12 T.Mk.66D and 5 T.Mk.66E, some later on site to FR .10 rebuilt
•  Iraq : 15 F.Mk.6, 42 FGA.Mk.59 / 59A, 4 FR.Mk.59B and 5 T.Mk.69
•  Jordan ( Jordanian Air Force ): 12 F.Mk.6, 12 FGA.Mk.9, 2 FR.10, 8 FGA.Mk.73, 12 FGA.Mk.73A, 3 FGA.73B and 3 T.Mk.66B
•  Qatar : 3 FGA.Mk.78 and 1 T.Mk.79
•  Kenya : 4 FGA.Mk.80 and 2 T.Mk.81
•  Kuwait ( Air Force ): 6 FGA.Mk.57 and 5 T.Mk.67
•  Lebanon ( Air Force of Lebanon ): 19 FGA.Mk.70A and 1 T.Mk.66C
•  Netherlands ( Koninklijke Luchtmacht ): 210 (97 F.Mk.4, 93 F.Mk.6 and 20 T.Mk.7), license production by Fokker except for one F4 and the T7
•  Oman : a handful of F.Mk.6 and other former Jordanian specimens
•  Peru : 16 F.Mk.52 and 1 T.Mk.62
•  Saudi Arabia : 4 F.Mk.60 and 2 T.Mk. 7
•  Singapore ( RSAF ): 12 FGA.Mk.74, 4 FR.Mk.74A, 22 FR.Mk.74B, 4 T.Mk.75 and 4 T.Mk.75A, some later rebuilt variously on site, these received the Series suffix "S"
•  Sweden : 130 F.Mk.50
•  Switzerland ( Swiss Air Force ): 160 (100 F.Mk.58, 52 F.Mk.58A 8 T.Mk.68)
•  Zimbabwe , initially Rhodesia: 21 FGA.Mk.9, 4 FGA.Mk.80 and 1 T.Mk.81
•  Somalia : ia T.Mk.77
•  United Arab Emirates ( Abu Dhabi Air Force ): 7 FGA.Mk.76, 3 FR.Mk.76A and 2 T.Mk.77
•  United Kingdom ( Royal Air Force ): (various variants such as F.Mk.4–6, FGA.Mk.9, T.Mk.7, T.Mk.8B, T.Mk.8C, T.Mk.8M, GA.Mk.11, PR.Mk.11, T.Mk.66B)

Station locations in Germany

Hunter F6, Gatow, Berlin

• Royal Air Force Germany
  • RAF Brüggen , January 1956 to May 1957, Hunter F4 ( 67th , 71st , 112th and 130th Squadron )
  • RAF Geilenkirchen , May 1956 to July 1957, Hunter F4 ( 3rd and 234th Squadron )
  • RAF Gütersloh , August 1958 to May 1970, Hunter F6 / T7 / FR10 ( 2nd , 4th , 14th , 20th and 26th Squadron , the first two with FR10, in 1961 relocated all machines due to problems with the runway for a few months after Jever)
  • RAF Jever , April 1955 to December 1960, Hunter F4 / F6 and March to September 1961, Hunter FR10 ( 2nd , 4th , 14th , 93rd , 98th and 118th Squadron )
  • RAF Oldenburg , May 1955 to September 1958, Hunter F4 ( 14th , 20th and 26th Squadron )

The Hunter in the Swiss Air Force

In the late 1950s, the first series of the DH.100 Vampire and DH.112 Venom had to be replaced by modern combat aircraft. After the cancellation of the FFA P-16 developed in Switzerland , the choice fell in the final round against the American F-86 Saber on the British Hunter Mk 6. This type of aircraft was considered a top product by experts at the time. On January 29, 1958, the Federal Assembly decided to procure 100 of these combat aircraft (including reserve material and ammunition) directly from the manufacturer and at a cost of CHF 313 million . The delivery and transfer of the new machines from England to Switzerland began in April. This enabled the pilots and technical staff to be retrained quickly, and just one year later, five squadrons were ready for action on the Hunter. The aircraft with the designation Hunter Mk. 58 were actually procured for air combat, but the tests had already shown a good suitability for ground combat tasks. From 1980 onwards, many of these hunters received further improvements, including receivers for enemy radar detection and extended collecting containers for used parts of the ammunition belt , which also integrated the chaff and flare bomb throwers , as well as additional underwing pylons inside for air-to-surface missiles and new UHF / VHF antennas. In the 1970s, larger additional tanks were procured, which made adjustments to the landing flaps necessary. The aircraft proved to be operationally safe, effective and fully suitable for the militia .

Mission tasks and flight performance

During the 36-year period of use, the Hunter combat aircraft were modified several times and retrofitted with new systems and weapons systems. In the period from 1975 to 1991 a total of nine front squadrons and one special squadron were equipped with the Hunter. With the commissioning of the Tiger space protection fighters, the hunters were largely relieved of their aerial combat duties; their main domain remained the use of fighter-bombers. For this purpose, the Hunter was upgraded to carry 300 kg cluster bombs Fliegerbombe 79 ( BL755 ) and optically controlled AGM 65 Maverick guided weapons. The Hunter fleet achieved a flight performance of around 310,000 flight hours in around 483,000 missions. Of a total of 160 machines, 28 were lost in accidents.

End of the Hunter era

At the end of 1994, the Hunter fighter planes were decommissioned as part of the Swiss Armed Forces Organization Army 95 and the airborne units equipped with them were disbanded. After more than 36 years of service, the fighter-bombers were considered technically outdated; their combat strength would have been insufficient for a future conflict scenario and their maintenance would have become disproportionately expensive. The first Hunter deployed in Switzerland at the time with the registration J 4001 landed symbolically at the Dübendorf military airfield and was handed over to the Flieger-Flab-Museum there .

The last military missions took place on December 16, 1994. The J-4066 received military license plates again and flew in Great Britain as the ZZ190. The ZZ191 (J-4058) also flew there until at least June 2013. The J-4021 was given the registration number ZZ194. Even 20 years after being retired from service in Switzerland, several Swiss Hunter flights are still flying, for example in Japan.

Preserved machines

Six Hunters at Fairford in July 2011; the tabby Hunter from Altenrhein behind. The lead aircraft, the WV372 / G-BXFI, crashed in Shoreham in the summer of 2015.

The last operational missions of an air force took place in India as target aircraft. The Zimbabwe Air Force still owns a small number of these machines today. However, all of them are no longer airworthy. In Lebanon three copies and a trainer are still in use (as of early 2015).

In the United Kingdom and Switzerland, and until 2010 also at Thundercity in Cape Town, South Africa, more than ten specimens are still airworthy. In Switzerland there are several associations of former pilots and mechanics of the Swiss Air Force who keep several hunters fit to fly and offer flights for passengers in a two-seat trainer.

There are also a number of museum aircraft. An F.Mk.6A (XG152) in the colors of the 4th season of the RAF is today in the Military History Museum at Berlin-Gatow airfield .

Incidents

• On April 5, 1968, Flight Lieutenant Alan Pollock used a routine flight to West Raynham Air Base in Norfolk to conduct an unauthorized demonstration over London. With his Hawker Hunter FGA. 9 (XF442) he circled the British Parliament building three times, saluted with the typical "wing rocker" over the Royal Air Force Memorial and flew through London's Tower Bridge between the upper pedestrian and lower folding walkways. With this action, four days after the 50th anniversary of its founding, he wanted to demonstrate the efficiency of the Royal Air Force and at the same time protest against the government under Prime Minister Harold Wilson.

• On August 22, 2015, a private Hunter T7 crashed onto the A27 dual carriageway and exploded during the Shoreham Airshow . Eleven people were killed in their vehicles. The pilot survived seriously injured.

Web links

Commons : Hawker Hunter  - album with pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Top 10: The oldest active combat aircraft types. 1st place: First flight in 1951 . In: Flug Revue online, August 2, 2016, accessed on August 4, 2020.
2. ↑ In: Fliegerrevue , No. 8/2012, p. 24.
3. ↑ Retired funds of the Swiss Air Force (viewed on March 10, 2020)
4. ↑ Hawker Hunter in Conflicts
5. ^ Ray Deacon: Hawker Hunter. Fifty golden years. Vogelsang, Blackboys 2001, ISBN 0-9540666-0-X .
6. ^ Hunter flight Switzerland. goaviator.com, accessed March 19, 2017.
7. ^ Hunter to Tower - Under. In: Flight International , April 11, 1968, p. 500.
8. ^ Why I Flew my Hunter through Tower Bridge - 5th April 1968 by Flight Lieutenant Al Pollock. rafjever.org, accessed August 23, 2015.
9. ↑ James Hamilton-Paterson: Empire of the Clouds: When Britain's Aircraft Ruled the World. London 2010, ISBN 978-0-571-24794-3 , pp. 344-350.
10. ↑ Nicola Harley: Shoreham Air Show plane crash: seven dead and 14 injured after Hawker Hunter smashes into four cars . In: The Telegraph , August 22, 2015, accessed March 19, 2017.
11. ↑ No new victims found when plane that crashed at UK airshow lifted, police say . CNN.com, accessed August 25, 2015.