Hawker Hunter

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Sixteen Hunters of the RAF Black Arrows perform aerobatics at the Farnborough Air Show, England.

A privately-owned Hawker Hunter F.58 in England

The Hawker Hunter was a British jet fighter aircraft of the 1950s and 1960s. The Hunter served for many years with the Royal Air Force and was widely exported, serving with 19 air forces. A total of 1,927 Hunters were produced by Hawker-Siddeley and under licence.

Contents

Specifications (Hunter F.6)

Development

The origins of the Hunter trace back to the Hawker Sea Hawk straight-wing carrier-based fighter. Seeking better performance and fulfilment of the Air Ministry Specification E.38/46, Hawker chief designer Sidney Camm created the Hawker P.1052, which was essentially a Sea Hawk with a 35-degree swept wing. First flying in 1948, the P.1052 demonstrated good performance but did not warrant further development into a production aircraft. As a private venture, Hawker converted the second P.1052 prototype into the Hawker P.1081 with swept tailplanes and revised fuselage, with a single jet exhaust at the rear. First flying on 1950-06-19, the P.1081 was promising enough to draw interest from the Royal Australian Air Force but development went no further and the sole prototype was lost in a crash in 1951.

Meanwhile, in 1946, the Air Ministry issued Specification F.43/46 for a daytime jet-powered interceptor. Camm took the basic P.1052 design and adopted it for the upcoming Rolls-Royce Avon turbojet. The Avon's major advantage over the Rolls-Royce Nene, used in the Sea Hawk, was the axial compressor, which resulted in a much smaller engine diameter and better thrust. In March 1948, the Air Ministry issued Specification F.3/48, to cover development of the project. Initially fitted with a single air intake in the nose and a T-tail, the project rapidly evolved to the more familiar shape. The intakes were moved to the wing roots, to make room for weapons and radar in the nose. A more conventional tail arrangement was devised, as a result of stability concerns.

The P.1067 first flew from MoD Boscombe Down on 1951-07-20, powered by a 6,500 lbf (28.91 kN) Avon 103 engine from an English Electric Canberra bomber. The second prototype was fitted with production avionics, armament and a 7,550 lbf (33.58 kN) Avon 107 turbojet. It first flew on 1952-05-05. As a back-up, Hawker was asked to adapt the new fighter to another British axial turbojet. The third prototype with an 8,000 lbf (35.59 kN) Armstrong-Siddeley Sapphire 101 flew on 1952-11-30. The two Avon-engined aircraft were duck-egg green in color, while the Sapphire prototype was speed silver.

The Ministry of Supply ordered the Hunter into production, in March 1950, a year before the first flight. The first production Hunter F.1 with a 7,600 lbf (33.80 kN) Avon 113 turbojet flew on 1953-03-16. The first 20 aircraft were in effect a pre-production series and featured a number of "one-off" modifications, such as blown flaps and area ruled fuselage.

Description

The Hunter was a conventional all-metal monoplane. The pilot sat on a Martin-Baker 2H ejector seat. The fuselage was of monocoque construction, with removable rear section for engine maintenance. The engine was fed through triangular air intakes in the wing roots and had a single jetpipe, in the rear of the fuselage. The mid-mounted wings had a leading edge sweep of 35 degrees and slight anhedral. The tail planes and fin were also swept. The controls were completely conventional. A single airbrake was fitted under the ventral rear fuselage. The aircraft had conventional retractable tricycle landing gear. A noteworthy feature was the armament of four 30 mm ADEN cannon. The cannon and ammunition boxes were contained in a single pack that could be removed from the aircraft for arming and maintenance. Interestingly, the barrels of the cannon remained in the aircraft, when the pack was removed. A simple ranging radar was fitted in the nose.

Operational history

Hunter F.1 entered service with the Royal Air Force in July 1954. It quickly became apparent that the new fighter had insufficient fuel capacity. In addition, incorrectly-designed air intakes produced disruptions in air flow to the engine, with resultant compressor stalls. The engine problems were compounded by ingestion of gas, when the cannon were fired, resulting in flameouts. The potential solutions of cutting fuel to the engine, when the cannon fired and restricting the use of cannon to low speeds and altitudes were obviously unsatisfactory. Furthermore, ejected cannon ammunition links had a tendency to strike and damage the underside of the fuselage. The original split flap airbrakes caused adverse changes in pitch trim and were quickly replaced by a single ventral airbrake. Unfortunately, this meant the airbrake could not be used for landings. Finally, the canopy suffered from fogging and icing during rapid descents.

Its short range was crippling for the new British fighter, with a maximum flight endurance of about an hour. On 1956-02-08, a flight of eight Hunters was redirected to another airfield, due to inclement weather. Six aircraft ran out of fuel and crashed, with one pilot killed. one of the aircraft that landed ran out of fuel while taxiing . On the positive side, the aircraft possessed good handling characteristics; but it was nearly impossible to exceed Mach 1, even in a dive. Neil Williams, former British test-pilot and once vice-world aerobatics champion (Killed in an accident with a Spanish Heinkel), relates in his book how his repeated attempts to break the sound-barrier all failed, even after diving the aircraft, full throttle and 'full vertical', from over 35,000 ft.

The first Hunter prototype was fitted with an afterburning Avon RA.7R with 9,600 lbf (42.70 kN) of thrust and other aerodynamic refinements (most noticeably a pointed nose). Dubbed Hunter F.3, on 1953-09-07 it set a speed record of 1,163.2 km/h (628.1 knots, 722.2 mph) over a 3 kilometer (1.62 nm, 1.86 mi) course.

To address the problem of range, a production Hunter F.1 was fitted with a new wing, with fuel bladders in the leading edge and 'wet' hardpoints. Thus, the internal fuel capacity rose from 337 to 414 imperial gallons (404 to 497 US gal, 1,533 to 1,833 L). In addition, a single 100 imperial gallon (120 US gal, 454 L) external fuel tank could be carried under each wing. The resulting Hunter F.4 first flew on 1954-10-20, entering service in March 1955. A distinctive Hunter feature added on the F.4 was the pair of blisters under the nose, which collected spent ammunition links, to prevent airframe damage. Crews dubbed them "Sabrinas" after the contemporary movie star. A Sapphire-powered version of the F.4 was designated Hunter F.5. Although the Sapphire did not suffer from the flameout problems of the Avon and had better fuel economy, the RAF elected to persevere with the Avon, in order to simplify supply and maintenance, since the same engine was also used by the Canberra bomber.

To deal with surging and flameout problems, Rolls-Royce fitted the Avon with a new automatic fuel system and redesigned compressor. The resulting Avon 203, producing 10,000 lbf (44.48 kN) of thrust, was fitted to Hawker P.1099, which became the definitive Hunter F.6. The other crucial revision on the F.6 was the new "Mod 228" wing, with larger area, distinctive "dogtooth" leading edge notch to alleviate the pitch-up problem and four "wet" hardpoints, finally giving the aircraft a good ferry range.

The Hunter F.6 was retired from its fighter role in the RAF, in 1963, being replaced by the English Electric Lightning. The ground attack variants served until 1970. Some aircraft remained in use for training and secondary roles, up to the early 1990s.

Combat History

Hunters played an important role in the military coup that overthrew the socialist president of Chile, Salvador Allende, on September 11, 1973. Hunters of Squadron No 7 of the Chilean Air Forces bombarded the presidential palace, Allende's house in Santiago and radio stations loyal to the government.

The regime of Siad Barre used Hunters for indiscriminate bombings, during the civil war in the late 1980s.

The Rhodesians used their Hunter FGA.9s extensively against ZANU/ZAPU insurgents, in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s, including cross-border strikes.

Zimbabwe used its Hunters to support Laurent Kabila, during the Second Congo War and they were supposedly also involved in the fighting in Mozambique.

1965

During the Second Kashmir War Hunters attacked Pakistani armoured units destroying many Patton tanks. The aircraft proved invaluable in a ground attack role and also shot down as many as 6 F-86 Sabres and other aircraft for the loss of 8 Hunters. The reason for the unimpressive results in the air-to-air combat is attributed to the fact that the Hunters were bomb-laden and operating at extreme ranges. [link]

1971

Four Hunters of the Indian Air Force (IAF) destroyed dozens of Pakistani T-59 and Sherman tanks in the Battle of Longewala. The Hunters destroyed nearly 100 different vehicles belonging to the Pakistan Army in the same battle. Hunters were also involved in Strategic bombing, attacking oil installations at Karachi, on December 4, 1971 and the Mangla Dam the next day, crippling its Hydel power project. A week later, four Hunters from Jaisalmer carried out rocket attacks on the SUI gas plant in Northern Sindh, setting the plant on fire. In East Pakistan (present-day Bangladesh), Hunters along with Canberras, MiGs and An-12s attacked the Joydebpur Ordnance factory and severely damaged it. The Hunters also engaged PAF aircraft over Dhaka skies.[link] Aided by other aircraft of the IAF, the Hunters soon destroyed the eastern wing of PAF and were instrumental in gaining air superiority for the IAF in the 71 war.

Private operators

Smoke from the crashed Hawker Hunter

On July 16, 2006 in Hillsboro, Oregon, USA, a privately owned Mk.58 Hawker Hunter owned by Lawyer [Robert Guilford]crashed into a residential area when it failed to gain full power upon takeoff, killing the pilot but otherwise causing only material damage to some properties.Connie King [Authorities release details of crash and house fires] Hillsboro Fire Department. Retrieved Jul. 16, 2006. The crash is still being investigated by the FAA and the NTSB. The Hunter had been part of the static display on the ground and not an active participant in the airshowSteve Callaway [Authorities release details of crash and house fires] Oregon Air Show. Retrieved Jul. 16, 2006. Witnesses said that the takeoff of the Hawker Hunter appeared to be slower than normal.

Variants

P.1067: Prototype.
P.1101: Two-seat trainer prototype.
Hunter F.1: First production version, Avon 113 engine, first flight 1953-03-16, 139 built.
Hunter F.2: Sapphire 101 engine, first flight 1953-10-14, 45 built.
Hunter F.3: The first prototype fitted with afterburning Avon RA.7R with 9,600 lbf (42.70 kN) engine, pointed nose, airbrakes on the sides of the fuselage, and a revised windscreen. Used to set a speed record, then retired as a ground instructional airframe.
Hunter F.4: Additional fuel bladders in the wings, provision for underwing fuel tanks, Avon 115 (later Avon 21) engine, blisters under the nose for ammunition links, first flight 1954-10-20, 349 built.
Hunter F.5: F.4 with Sapphire 101 engine, 105 built.
Hunter F.6: Single-seat clear-weather interceptor fighter. Powered by one 10,150-lb (4604 kg) Rolls-Royce Avon 203 turbojet engine, new wing with a leading edge "dogtooth" and four hardpoints, and an all-moving tailplane on later aircraft, first flight 1954-01-22, 384 built.
Hunter F.6A: This version had the strengthed wings of the Hunter FGA.9 ground-attack fighter.
Hunter T.7: Two-seat training version for the RAF.
Hunter T.7A: Special two-seat training version for the RAF. It was used to train Buccaneer aircrew.
Hunter T.7B
Hunter T.7C

Hunter T.8: Two-seat training version for the Royal Navy.
Hunter T.8B
Hunter T.8C
Hunter T.8M: Special two-seat training version for the Royal Navy. The Hunnter T.8M is fitted with the Sea Harrier Blue Fox radar, and it was used to train Sea Harrier pilots.
Hunter FGA.9: Single-seat ground-attack fighter version for the RAF.
Hunter FR.10: Single-seat reconnaissance version of the Hunter FGA.9 for the RAF.
Hunter GR.11: Single-seat attack trainer for the Royal Navy.
Hunter PR.11: Single-seat reconnaissance version for the Royal Navy.
Hunter Mk.12: Two-seat test aircraft for the Royal Aircraft Establishment, one built.
Hunter Mk.50: Export version of the Hunter F.4 fighter for Sweden. Swedish designation J34, 120 built.
Hunter Mk.51: Export version of the Hunter F.4 fighter for Denmark, 30 built.
Hunter Mk.52: Export version of the Hunter F.4 fighter for Peru, 16 built.
Huter T.53: Export version of the Hunter T.7 trainer for Denmark, two built.
Hunter Mk.56: Export version of the Hunter F.6 fighter for India, 160 built.
Hunter FGA.56A: Export version of the Hunter FGA.9 ground-attack fighter for India.
Hunter FGA.57: Export version of the Hunter FGA.9 ground-attack fighter for Kuwait.
Hunter Mk.58: Export version of the Hunter F.6 fighter for Switzerland.
Hunter Mk.58A: Export version of the hunter FGA.9 ground-attack fighter for Switzerland
Hunter FGA.59: Export version of the Hunter FGA.9 ground-attack fighter for Iraq.
Hunter FGA.59A: 18 aircraft were sold to Iraq as part of a follow-on order.
Hunter FGA.59B: Four aircraft were sold to Iraq as part of a follow-on order.
Hunter Mk.60: Export version of the Hunter F.6 fighter for Saudi Arabia.
Hunter T.62: Export version of the Hunter T.7 trainer for Peru.
Hunter T.66: Two-seat training version for the Indian Air Force, powered by a Rolls-Royce Avon 200-series turbojet engine.
Hunter T.66A: Only one was built. The Hunter T.66A was the company demonstration aircraft.
Hunter T.66B: Export version of the Hunter T.66 trainer for Jordan.
Hunter T.66C: Export version of the Hunter T.66 trainer for Lebanon.
Hunter T.66D: 12 aircraft sold to India as part of a follow-on order.
Hunter T.66E: Five aircraft sold to India as part of a follow-on order.
Hunter T.67: Export version of the Hunter T.66 trainer for Kuwait.
Hunter T.68: Export version of the Hunter T.66 trainer for Switzerland.
Hunter T.69: Export version of the Hunter T.66 trainer for Iraq.
Hunter FGA.70: Export version of the Hunter FGA.9 gound-attack fighter for Lebanon.
Hunter FGA.70A: Lebanon.
Hunter T.70: This was the unofficially designation given to two ex-RAF Hunter T.7s sold to Saudi Arabia.
Hunter FGA.71: export version of the Hunter FGA.9 ground-attack fighter for Chile.
Hunter FR.71A: Export version of the Hunter FR.10 reconnaissance aircraft for Chile.
Hunter T.72: Export version of the T.66 trainer for Chile.
Hunter FGA.73: Export version of the Hunter FGA.9 ground-attack fighter for Jordan.
Hunter FGA.73A: Four aircraft sold to Jordan as part of a follow-on order.
Hunter FGA.73B: Three aircraft sold to Jordan as part of a follow-on order.
Hunter FGA.74: Export version of the Hunter FGA.9 ground-attack fighter for Singapore.
Hunter FR.74A: Export version of the Hunter FR.10 reconnaissance aircraft for Singapore.
Hunter FR.74B: Eight aircraft sold to Singapore as part of a follow order.
Hunter T.75: Export version of the Hunter T.66 trainer for Singapore
Hunter T.75A: Five aircraft sold to Singapore as part of a follow-on order.
Hunter FGA.76: Export version of the Hunter FGA.9 ground-attack fighter for Abu Dhabi.
Hunter FR.76A: Export version of the Hunter FR.10 reconnaissance aircraft for Abu Dhabi.
Hunter T.77: Export version of the Hunter T.7 trainer for Abu Dhabi.
Hunter FGA.78: Export version of the Hunter FGA.9 ground-attack fighter for Qatar.
Hunter T.79: Export version of the Hunter T.7 trainer for Qatar.
Hunter FGA.80: Export version of the Hunter FGA.9 ground-attack fighter for Kenya.
Hunter T.81: Export version of the Hunter T.66 trainer for Kenya.

Users

Hunter users included Abu Dhabi, Belgium, Chile, Denmark, Iraq, India, Jordan, Kenya, Kuwait, Lebanon, Netherlands, Oman, Peru, Qatar, Rhodesia/Zimbabwe, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Somalia, Sweden, and Switzerland. Belgium and Netherlands produced the Hunter under license.

Perhaps the most enthusiastic Hunter users were Switzerland and Singapore, who used it from 1958 to 1994, both improving it in service and often choosing to retain it in lieu of newer aircraft.

References

Trivia

The project number should have been the P.1066, but as it would have undoubtedly been called the "Hawker Hastings" and Handley-Page already had an aircraft with this name, Sidney Camm decided to retire the 1066 project number without ever being used.

A Hawker Hunter with American markings is used in Fatboy Slim's video Sunset.

A Hunter is used in the films 28 days later and Lord of War.

The main character in the Wingman book series is named Hawk Hunter, and obvious allusion to this aircraft.