Information AboutHawker Hunter |
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The Hawker Hunter was a British Jet Fighter Aircraft of the 1950s / 1960s . 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 Hunters were produced by Hawker Siddeley and under license. DEVELOPMENT The Hunter was developed 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 superior handling ability, and in mature versions is a versatile, robust, and extremely reliable aircraft. The Hunter F.6 was retired from the fighter role in the RAF in 1963 , with ground-attack versions serving until 1970 . Some remained in use for training and secondary roles up to the early 1990s . Hunter users included Abu Dhabi , Belgium , Chile , Denmark , Iraq , India , 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 it from 1958 to 1994 , improving it in service and often choosing to retain it in lieu of newer aircraft. COMBAT HISTORY Chile 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. Somalia The Regime of Siad Barre used Hunters for indiscriminate bombings during the civil war in the late 1980s . Rhodesia 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 Zimbabwe used its Hunters to support Laurent Kabila during the Second Congo War , and they were supposedly also involved in the fighting in Mozambique . Indo-Pakistan Wars 1965 During the Second Kashmir War Hunters attacked Pakistani armoured units destroying many Patton Tank s. The aircraft also shot down as many as 6 F-86 Sabre s and other aircraft. 1971 Four Hunters of the Indian Air Force destroyed dozens of Pakistan i T-59 and Sherman Tank s in the Battle Of Longewala . The hunters destroyed nearly 100 different vehicles belonging to the Pakistan Army in the same battle. Hunters also attacked oil installations at Karachi , and engaged PAF aircraft over Dhaka . Aided by other aircraft of the IAF, the Hunters soon destroyed the eastern wing of PAF and gained Air Superiority in The 71 War . UNITS USING THE HUNTER Royal Air Force
Indian Air Force
SPECIFICATIONS (HAWKER HUNTER FGA.9)
TRIVIA The project number should have been the P.1066, but as it would have undoubtedly been called the "Hawker Hastings" & Handley-Page already had an aircraft with this name, Sidney Camm decided to retire the 1066 project number without ever being used. RELATED CONTENT
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