The Hawker Hunter, or just the Hunter, was the most advanced first-generation jet fighter.
So, it might be more accurate to say this aircraft was a 1+ generation.
The Hunter had continuously adapted to new requirements during its 60 years of service.
It fought over Africa and Asia.
Today, we are investigating the Hunter, the best of the first-generation.
The Hunter is undoubtedly one of the most successful fighters in British aviation history,
commercially and with its combat career.
Even though it was one of the latest examples of the first-generation jet, this aircraft
had long-service life and went head to head with its more technologically superior rivals
in the market for a long time.
The war-weary U.K. was optimistic about world peace after the Second World War and not keen
to spend money on a new jet fighter development programme.
But the Frist Cold War quickly arose, and the Royal Air Force, shortly RAF, realized
the need for a new jet interceptor with swept wings, which offered better handling at high
speeds.
Also, the rising popularity of the U.S. combat aircraft was threatening the traditional markets
of the British aviation industry.
In 1947, the U.K. ordered two experimental aircraft called P.1052 from the Hawker Aviation
Company.
They were nothing but the Sea Hawks outfitted with a 35-degree swept wing.
Later, the company converted the second P.1052 prototype into the Hawker P.1081 as a private
venture, which had a revised fuselage, a single jet exhaust at the rear and swept tailplanes.
While trials of the P.1081 continued, Hawker Aviation had already begun to work on the
P.1067, which would become the Hunter later.
The initial design of the aircraft had a single air intake in the nose and a T-tail.
Yet, using P.1081 experience, the company engineers reshaped the P.1067 with the intakes
moved to the wing roots, which made room for weapons and radar in the nose.
Besides, they chose a more conventional tail arrangement, which provided better stability.
The outbreak of the Korean War in 1950 accelerated the programme.
The RAF had to acquire the licence-built F-86s from Canada, as it had no jet fighter that
could cope with the MiG-15.
So, the U.K. ordered the Hunter from Hawker and the Swift from Supermarine in 1950.
It was a kind of insurance policy.
Even if one of these programmes failed, the RAF would still have a new jet fighter without
losing time.
The Hunter made its maiden flight on July 20, 1951, and entered service with the Royal
Air Force as an interceptor in 1954 to replace the Gloster Meteor, the Canadair Sabre, and
the de Havilland Venom.
Belgium and the Netherlands also produced the aircraft under licence in a joint programme
sponsored by the U.S.A.
Likewise, Washington funded the Hunters of the Royal Danish Air Force.
With its superior climbing feature, manoeuvrability and acceleration capability, the Hunter quickly
became the favourite of pilots.
Also, it was an easy-to-handle aircraft, which forgave the mistakes of inexperienced pilots.
The Hunter's removable gun pack and pressurised fuelling system made re-arming and maintenance
easy.
The aircraft had six interchangeable major sections; the forward fuselage, centre fuselage,
rear fuselage, tail unit assembly, and two individually produced wings.
This design allowed for the division of production, which reduced vulnerability to attack the
manufacturing sites in a possible war.
The Hunter was an all-metal aircraft.
The fuselage was of monocoque construction.
Yet, the rear section was removable for engine maintenance.
The Hunter had a nose-mounted Ekco ARI.5820 ranging radar, providing range input to the
gyro gunsight for air-to-air gunnery only.
Despite these good qualities, the early Hunters also experienced many setbacks.
So, Hawker had to update aircraft constantly.
For example, the powerful 30mm ADEN cannons caused the nose up during the fire due to
high recoil force.
Later, the guns were fitted with recoil buffers looking upwards to solve this problem.
Of course, it was a minor change.
For more crucial problems, new variants were developed.
The early production variant, the Hunter F.1, had one 28.91 kiloNewton Rolls-Royce Avon
103 turbojet engine, which proved to have poor surge margins and worryingly suffered
compressor stalls during the cannon fire, sometimes resulting in flameouts.
The only difference in the F.2 version was to have the 35.59 kiloNewton Armstrong Siddeley
Sapphire 101.
This engine had better fuel economy but some reliability issues.
A modified variant called Hunter Mk 3 broke the world air speed record for jet-powered
aircraft, attaining a speed of 1,171.01 kilometres per hour on September 7, 1953.
The early variant of the aircraft had a critically short range.
For example, because a thick fog did not allow landing, eight Hunter F.1s diverted to a second
airfield 19 kilometres away.
But, it caused the loss of six aircraft due to running out of fuel.
So, the new variant, the Hunter F.4, was fitted with bag-type fuel tanks in the wings instead
of the rear fuselage tanks of the F.1.
This change slightly increased internal fuel capacity.
Besides, the F.4s had provision for 100-gallon underwing fuel tanks.
This variant also had the 35.6 kiloNewton Avon 115 engine.
Another problem for the early Hunters was that the ejected cannon ammunition links tended
to strike and damage the underside of the fuselage.
So, the F.4s were fitted with blisters under the nose.
The Brits called these blisters Sabrinas.
Sabrina was a famous British starlet of the time.
The Hunter F.5 was an F.4 with the Sapphire 101 engine.
The Hunter Mk 50, Mk 51 and Mk 52 were the export variants of the F.4 for Sweden, Denmark
and Peru, respectively.
The Swedish Air Force designated its Hunters as J 34.
Like the Dutch F.4s, the J34s could carry two AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles.
One Swedish aircraft was fitted with a locally-designed afterburner in 1958.
But, the result was far from satisfactory, and the project was cancelled.
Despite all these corrections, the RAF was still unhappy with the thrust power of the
Avon 100 series engine.
So, Rolls-Royce developed the 44.48 kiloNewton Avon 203, which would be fitted to the Hunter
F.6 variant.
This version also had revised wings with a leading edge "dogtooth" and four hard points.
The Hunter now reached maturity.
The Brits also tested reverse thrust on this variant to reduce landing distance, but they
preferred a less complex and less expensive brake parachute.
The Hunter F.6 version with brake parachute and 230-gallon inboard drop tanks was the
F.6A.
The Hunter Mk 56, Mk 58 and F.60 were the export variants of the F.6 for India, Switzerland
and Saudi Arabia, respectively.
The Hunter was a first-generation jet fighter.
However, in the late 1950s, the second-generation ones began to be tasked with front-line service
in all major air forces.
So, The RAF retired the Hunter F.6 from its day fighter role.
Now, it was time for the English Electric Lightning on this mission.
But, it was not the end for the Hunters.
The existing aircraft were converted to ground attack and close support roles and redesignated
as the Hunter FGA.9.
This variant had 230-gallon inboard drop tanks, a tail chute, increased oxygen capacity, and
strengthened wings.
The Hunter FGA.56A, FGA.57, Mk 58A, FGA.59, FGA.70, FGA.71, FGA.73, FGA.74, FGA.76, FGA.78
and FGA.80 were the export versions of the FGA.9 for India, Kuwait, Switzerland, Iraq,
Lebanon, Chile, Jordan, Singapore, Abu Dhabi, Qatar and Kenya, respectively.
The Swiss Hunter Mk 58A could carry AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air and AGM-65 Maverick
air-to-surface missiles.
In the late 1970s, Singapore upgraded its Hunter fleet by equipping them with three
additional hardpoints.
The modernized FGA.74s were redesignated as F.74S.
The Hunter T.7s and T.8s were two-seat training variants of the aircraft.
These variants with a side-by-side seating arrangement carried one or two 30mm ADEN cannons.
The Hunter T.8B was designed for the Blackburn Buccaneer conversion training role.
Similarly, the Hunter T.8M with the Blue Fox radar was used by the Royal Navy for the training
of the Sea Harrier pilots.
The Hunter GA.11 was a single-seat weapons training version for the Royal Navy.
The Hunter FR.10 and PR.11 were single-seat reconnaissance variants.
The two-seat Hunter Mk 12 was avionic development trial aircraft for the Royal Aircraft Establishment.
Abu Dhabi / the United Arab Emirates, Belgium, Chile, Denmark, India, Iraq, Jordan, Kenya,
Kuwait, Lebanon, the Netherlands, Oman, Peru, Qatar, Rhodesia / Zimbabwe, Saudi Arabia,
Singapore, Somalia, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom were users of the aircraft.
The Hunter F.6 variant had a length of 13.98 metres, a wingspan of 10.26 metres, and a
height of 4.01 metres.
Its wing area was 32.4 square metres.
The aircraft's empty weight was about 6,400 kilograms, while its maximum takeoff weight
was about 11,150 kilograms.
One 45.13 kiloNewton Rolls-Royce Avon 207 turbojet engine provided a top speed of 1,151
kilometres per hour.
Its service ceiling was 15,000 metres, in other words, 50,000 feet.
The aircraft's range was 3,100 kilometres.
The Hunter F.6 had four 30mm ADEN cannons.
It had four hardpoints and could carry 3,400 kilograms of bombs and rockets.
The Hunters of the RAF fought over Egypt, Brunei and Yemen in 1956, 1962 and 1964, respectively,
where they proved themselves in ground attack and close-air support roles, especially.
But, the Indian Hunters had a more intense career.
During the Sino-Indian War in 1962, they gave India a strategic advantage in the air against
the Chinese MiGs.
This superiority deterred the Il-4 bombers of the PLAAF.
During the Indo-Pakistani War in 1965, the Indian Hunters encountered the Pakistani F-86s.
In air combats between these two aircraft, they shot down six Sabres in exchange for
eight losses.
Six years after, Indian Hunters bombed the Attock oil refinery to limit Pakistani fuel
supplies.
Also, six of them stationed at Jaisalmer Air Force Base halted the Pakistani advance at
Longewala by conducting non-stop bombing raids.
The Pakistan Air Force claimed it shot down 32 Hunters during the Indo-Pakistani War of
1971.
Yet, we should add that India has denied many of these Pakistani claims.
Surprisingly, the Hunters achieved relative success in the hands of the Arab pilots, who
are generally considered inferior to their Israeli counterparts.
A Lebanese Hunter shot down an Israeli jet in the early 1960s.
During the 1967 Six-Day War, five Iraqi Hunters raided the Israeli airfield in Kfar Sirkin
and destroyed one Noratlas and one Piper Super Cub on the ground.
During the War of Attrition, another Iraqi Hunter piloted by Saiful Azam, who was a Bangladeshi
pilot from the Pakistani Air Force, shot down three Israeli jets, including a Vautour and
a Mirage IIICJ.
The Jordanian Hunters shot down two Mirage IIICJs in 1964 and 1966, respectively.
During the 1973 Yom-Kippur War, the Iraqi Hunters destroyed at least three SPHs of the
Israeli 329th Battalion.
But also, many Arab Hunters fell victim to the Israeli Air Force.
On October 15, 1980, the Iraqi Hunters halted the attack of the 291st tank battalion of
Iran.
During the Iran-Iraq War, a Hunter shot down an Iranian F-5E.
In exchange, two of them fell victim to the F-4s.
During Operation Gatling in 1978, eight Rhodesian Hunters forced the whole Zambian Air Force
to wait on the ground.
The polite but threatening conversation of Squadron Leader Chris Dixon with Lusaka Airport
tower, whose call-sign Green Leader, was one of the unforgettable events in military aviation
history.
After Rhodesia became Zimbabwe, the South African saboteurs destroyed nine of 13 Hunters
of the Air Force of Zimbabwe in 1982.
The remaining aircraft fought during the Second Congo War.
According to Egyptian sources, the Saudi Hunters shot down two Il-28s of the Egyptian Air Force
near Sanaa in 1966.
These aircraft also fought in the civil wars in Lebanon and Somalia.
Jordan used them to halt the Syrian tanks during the Black September Crisis.
The British Black Arrows and the Blue Diamonds, the Swedish Acro Hunters, the Swiss Patrouille
Suisse and the Singaporean Black Knights aerobatic teams used the Hunters for many dazzling manoeuvres.
In 2014, the Lebanese Air Force, the aircraft's last user, retired the Hunters.
After 60 years of proud military service, the Hunters are still flying with civil registration.
It was the last and the most successful example of the first-generation fighter jet.
This old-timer bird fearlessly defied its second-generation rivals for many years.
The Hunter, the pride of the British aviation industry, is indisputably a true legend.
Thanks for watching our video.
And please don't forget to subscribe to our channel and click the bell button to be notified
of our new videos.
Also, you can now click the join button to support our channel.
And as always, we would greatly appreciate all of your likes, comments, and shares.