Discussion
It may be heresy even to ask the question, and it's certainly one of the best looking aircraft ever. But what exactly was so great about the Hunter?
Introduced a few years earlier I can see why it would have been a world beater, but a subsonic single engined single seater fighter introduced after the F86 and Mig 15 had been around for years? I appreciate it carried more armament than a Sabre, but how come it sold round the world and was still flying operationally in 2008?
Introduced a few years earlier I can see why it would have been a world beater, but a subsonic single engined single seater fighter introduced after the F86 and Mig 15 had been around for years? I appreciate it carried more armament than a Sabre, but how come it sold round the world and was still flying operationally in 2008?
It was very versatile too. They were built as fighters, ground attack and recce aircraft. Many ex-RAF Hunters were remanufactured by Hawker Siddeley in the late 1960s and had a second life with many overseas air forces.
A good all rounder and fairly simple and easy to maintain.
A good all rounder and fairly simple and easy to maintain.
Edited by Eric Mc on Thursday 14th July 22:38
Lebanon are still using them.
It's a simple, well armed (4 cannon is pretty beefy) and quite sturdy plane. If you are going to shoot at people on the ground there really isn't any point having a plane that will do Mach 2. TBH the RAF could do with something with a similar concept for today.
It's a simple, well armed (4 cannon is pretty beefy) and quite sturdy plane. If you are going to shoot at people on the ground there really isn't any point having a plane that will do Mach 2. TBH the RAF could do with something with a similar concept for today.
davepoth said:
Lebanon are still using them.
It's a simple, well armed (4 cannon is pretty beefy) and quite sturdy plane. If you are going to shoot at people on the ground there really isn't any point having a plane that will do Mach 2. TBH the RAF could do with something with a similar concept for today.
Straffing targets with guns? That will never catch on.It's a simple, well armed (4 cannon is pretty beefy) and quite sturdy plane. If you are going to shoot at people on the ground there really isn't any point having a plane that will do Mach 2. TBH the RAF could do with something with a similar concept for today.
Eric Mc said:
Two Hunters were brought back into British military service a couple of years ago for Fleet Requirements work down at Hurn.
These might have been the ones that operated with FRA for Exocet attack training with the Navy. They were single seaters with a few mods, one of which was a large light fitted on the nose. I don't know where they ended up but I work with a chap who flew with FRA on these sorties and the Hunters flew fast and low....very, very low. HHA are the company based at Scampton, they were, (may still be) under contract to the Royal Navy. I think two were ex swiss ones and one was ex-RAF. The 3 HHA ones were due for static at RIAT, I believe one may have arrived today.
Team Viper are there (they only have 4 airworthy at the moment, I think the FGA9 is sick at the moment), Jonathan Waley's Miss Demeanour, and Swiss Historic Flight Tiger schemed one will also be taking part in a 60th Flypast at RIAT this weekend.
Team Viper are there (they only have 4 airworthy at the moment, I think the FGA9 is sick at the moment), Jonathan Waley's Miss Demeanour, and Swiss Historic Flight Tiger schemed one will also be taking part in a 60th Flypast at RIAT this weekend.
Apache said:
These might have been the ones that operated with FRA for Exocet attack training with the Navy. They were single seaters with a few mods, one of which was a large light fitted on the nose. I don't know where they ended up but I work with a chap who flew with FRA on these sorties and the Hunters flew fast and low....very, very low.
I don't think the ones under contract have the Harley light in the nose, i.e the GA.11 & T7's which were with FRADU in the early 90's. Their ones are ex Swiss F.58s IIRC and an Ex RAF T7. There is one operating in Switzerland doing passenger rides:
http://www.fly-fighter-jet.com/book-your-fighter-j...
http://www.fly-fighter-jet.com/book-your-fighter-j...
mrloudly said:
My father strapped Chuck Yeager into a Hunter at RAF East Kirby during his national service. On landing my father asked "How was it sir?"
Yeager replied in his broad American accent "That's the neatest little airplane I've had strapped to my arse"
Blimey, did Chuck Yeager do National Service ? Yeager replied in his broad American accent "That's the neatest little airplane I've had strapped to my arse"
I bet he didn't say "arse" either.
Eric Mc said:
mrloudly said:
My father strapped Chuck Yeager into a Hunter at RAF East Kirby during his national service. On landing my father asked "How was it sir?"
Yeager replied in his broad American accent "That's the neatest little airplane I've had strapped to my arse"
Blimey, did Chuck Yeager do National Service ? Yeager replied in his broad American accent "That's the neatest little airplane I've had strapped to my arse"
I bet he didn't say "arse" either.
According to my father who was on "Line Duty" at the time, they were his exact words as he helped him unstrap/unplug after his sortie.
I'm told Yeager only visited the UK once and didn't speak very well of it after
mrloudly said:
Eric Mc said:
mrloudly said:
My father strapped Chuck Yeager into a Hunter at RAF East Kirby during his national service. On landing my father asked "How was it sir?"
Yeager replied in his broad American accent "That's the neatest little airplane I've had strapped to my arse"
Blimey, did Chuck Yeager do National Service ? Yeager replied in his broad American accent "That's the neatest little airplane I've had strapped to my arse"
I bet he didn't say "arse" either.
According to my father who was on "Line Duty" at the time, they were his exact words as he helped him unstrap/unplug after his sortie.
I'm told Yeager only visited the UK once and didn't speak very well of it after
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