Hawker Hunter

The Hawker Hunter was a British fighter and interceptor jet aircraft in service with the Royal Air Force during the Cold War. Fast and maneuverable, it represented a major improvement over the Gloster Meteor and the de Havilland Vampire. As a result, it was popular with the pilots and had almost flawless handling qualities, with few limitations. Its maneuverability had a lot to do with its swept wing design.

The prototype of the Hawker Hunter, the P.1067, took to the air for the first time on July 20, 1951. It was powered by one Rolls Royce Avon 103 axial-flow turbojet engine. After a long period of flight tests and technical corrections, it was officially introduced into service in July 1954, with the delivery of the first batch of 113 aircraft. It would be built in large numbers, with a total of 1,972 units, in several versions; from the F.Mk 1 to the F.Mk 6 variant, as well as two two-seat trainers; the T.7 and T.8.

The Hunter flew combat sorties during the Suez Canal Crisis, in 1956, as escort for the English Electric Canberra bombers. It was also used by the RAF during the 1962 Brunei Revolt, to provide fire support to British ground forces.

Technical Description

The Hawker Hunter was a single-seat, single-engine monoplane, which was built with an all-metal semi-monocoque fuselage. It had swept mid-wing, whose leading edge swept back at 35 degrees. The tail assembly horizontal stabilizer also swept back at the same angle. The F.Mk-5 version was powered by one Armstrong Siddeley Sapphire 101 turbojet engine, which produced 6,500-lb of thrust. The engine had two triangular air intakes, which were located on fuselage sides in wing roots. As any modern jet aircraft, the landing gear was retractable.

Specifications (F.Mk-5)

Type: single-seat fighter/interceptor

Length: 13.98 m (45 feet, 10 inches)

Wing Span: 10.29 m (33 feet, 9 inches)

Wing Area: 33.42 m2 ( 360 sq. feet)

Height: 4 m (13 feet, 2 inches)

Power Plant: one Armstrong Siddeley Sapphire 101 turbojet engine.

Maximum Speed: 1,027 km/h (638 mph)

Range: 689 km (428 miles)

Service Ceiling: 15,240 m (50,000 feet)

Armament: four 30-mm Aden cannons

Below, the Hawker Hunter F.Mk 4 in flight

The F.Mk 1 in 1957.