Hawker Hunter

Hawker Hunter
A privately-owned Hawker Hunter, photographed in England in 2003.
Description
Role	multi-role fighter (FGA.9)
Crew	one
First Flight	20 July 1951
Entered Service	July 1954
Manufacturer	Hawker
Dimensions
Length	45 ft 11 in	14.00 m
Wingspan	33 ft 8 in	10.26 m
Height	13 ft 2 in	4.01 m
Wing Area	349 ft²	32.42 m²
Weights
Empty	13,010 lb	5,902 kg
Loaded	18,000 lb	8,165 kg
Maximum Takeoff	24,600 lb	11,158 kg
Powerplant
Engines	Rolls-Royce Avon 207
Thrust	10,150 lb	45.15 kN
Performance
Maximum Speed	710 mph	1,144 km/h
Combat Radius	443 miles	713 km
Ferry Range	1,840 miles	2,961 km
Service Ceiling	50,000 ft	15,240 m
Rate of Climb	8,000 ft/min	2,438 m/min
Wing Loading	51.6 lb/ft²	251.9 kg/m²
Thrust/Weight	0.56:1
Avionics
Avionics	ranging radar
Armament
Guns	4x 30mm ADEN cannon, 135 rpg
Bombs	7,400 lb (3,357 kg)
Missiles	AIM-9 Sidewinder, AGM-65 Maverick
Rockets	SNEB 70mm rockets in 18-round pods

The Hawker Hunter was a British jet fighter aircraft of the 1950s. Considered by many to be the finest transonic fighter, 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 was produced by Hawker Siddley and under license.

Development

The Hunter began in response to an Air Ministry specification issued in 1948. The P.1067 first flew on 17 July 1951, entering service as the Hunter F.1 in 1954. Extensive teething problems led to a succession of variants, leading to the definitive F.6' with a much more powerful Rolls-Royce Avon engine and revised wing. The F.6 and the subsequent FGA.9 fighter bomber were the basis for most exports.

The Hunter had a swept wing with a 35° sweep, a single turbojet engine with intakes in the wing roots, and a high-mounted tailplane. It was armed with four 30mm ADEN cannon in a detachable pack in the nose, with underwing fittings for bombs and rockets. Later variants had improved wing design and more powerful engines. A trainer version with side-by-side seating for instructor and pupil was also produced. The Hunter is prized for its handling ability, and in mature versions is a versatile, robust, and reliable aircraft.

The Hunter F.6 was retired from the fighter role in the RAF in 1963, with ground-attack versions serving through 1970. Some remained in use for training and secondary roles through the early 1990s.

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

Perhaps the most enthusiastic Hunter user was Switzerland, which used the type from 1958 through 1994, upgrading it repeatedly in service and often choosing to retain it in lieu of newer aircraft.

Units Using the Hunter

Royal Air Force

• No. 1 Squadron
• No. 2 Squadron
• No. 3 Squadron
• No. 4 Squadron
• No. 8 Squadron
• No. 14 Squadron
• No. 19 Squadron
• No. 20 Squadron
• No. 26 Squadron
• No. 28 Squadron
• No. 34 Squadron
• No. 41 Squadron
• No. 43 Squadron
• No. 45 Squadron
• No. 54 Squadron
• No. 58 Squadron
• No. 56 Squadron
• No. 63 Squadron
• No. 65 Squadron
• No. 66 Squadron
• No. 67 Squadron
• No. 71 Squadron
• No. 74 Squadron
• No. 79 Squadron
• No. 92 Squadron
• No. 93 Squadron
• No. 98 Squadron
• No. 111 Squadron
• No. 112 Squadron
• No. 118 Squadron
• No. 130 Squadron
• No. 208 Squadron
• No. 222 Squadron
• No. 234 Squadron
• No. 245 Squadron
• No. 247 Squadron
• No. 257 Squadron
• No. 263 Squadron

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