Hawker Hunter

Hawker Aircraft · United Kingdom · first flew 1951 · fighter

The Hawker Hunter is an elegant British single-engine swept-wing jet fighter regarded as one of the finest and best-handling aircraft of its era.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Mid-mounted, swept
E — Engines	1 × turbojet, fuselage-mounted
F — Fuselage	13.98 m fuselage
T — Tail	Conventional

WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.

Spot it by:

Graceful single swept wing
Wing-root intakes
Gun pack and four cannon ports under nose

Identify the smoothly swept wing and tail, the rounded nose with four cannon ports and the detachable gun pack belly, plus intakes set in the wing roots.

Specifications

The Hawker Hunter has a length of 13.98 m (46 ft).
It has a wingspan of 10.26 m (34 ft).
Its maximum speed is 1150 km/h (715 mph).
Typical crew: 1.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

The P.1067 prototype first flew in July 1951 and the Hunter entered RAF service in 1954, powered by the Rolls-Royce Avon. A 1953 prototype set a world air speed record, and the type became a mainstay day fighter before moving into the ground-attack role.

Variants

Early F1 to F6 day fighters were followed by the ground-attack FGA9 and the FR10 fighter-reconnaissance aircraft, plus widely used two-seat T7 trainers. Hunters were exported and rebuilt for many air forces around the world.

Where you'll see it

The Hunter served the RAF at home and overseas and equipped the celebrated Black Arrows aerobatic team, which famously looped 22 in formation. Preserved and airworthy Hunters appear at Duxford, RAF Cosford and on the UK display circuit, with examples regularly seen at RIAT Fairford.

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