Developed in the late 1940s and early 1950s, the Hawker Hunter is a transonic British jet aircraft and is a story of numerous trials and developments, many abandoned before reaching anywhere near production.
After the Second World War, Hawker Aircraft recognised that jet propulsion was the future of military aircraft development and Chief Designer Sydney Camm initially proposed the P.1040 to the RAF. Unfortunately, the RAF took little interest in this design, seeking better performance and capability, so Camm turned his attention to transforming the Hawker Fury / Sea Fury into a jet-powered, carrier-based fighter for the Fleet Air Arm, which resulted in the P.1035 Hawk (also known as the Jet Fury).
When the Air Ministry issued Specification E.38/46, Camm set about developing the Sea Hawk, replacing the straight wing with a 35 degree swept-wing and designating the new aircraft as the Hawker P.1052.
On its first flight from Boscombe Down on 19th November 1948, with Hawker Aircraft Chief Test Pilot Trevor 'Wimpy' Wade at the controls, the first prototype P.1052 demonstrated good performance but despite later carrying out several successful carrier trials, it was agreed that it did not warrant further development into a production aircraft.
Undeterred, Hawker converted the second P.1052 prototype as a ‘private venture’, and redesignated it the Hawker P.1081. Its redesign included a swept tailplane, revised fuselage, and a single jet exhaust at the rear.
'Wimpey' Wade was again at the controls for this first flight, which took place from Farnborough on 19th June 1950, and the modified second prototype Hawker P.1081 (VX279) was considered a great success, drawing interest from the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). Despite this initial success, further development was stalled by difficulties with engine reheat and the project was abandoned when the sole prototype was lost in a fatal crash near Lewes, Sussex on 3rd April 1951. The loss was even more tragic as it took the life of Trevor ‘Wimpy’ Wade.
In March 1948, the Air Ministry issued a revised Specification F.3/48, which called for a speed of 629 mph at 45,000 ft and a high rate of climb while carrying substantial armaments. Hawker responded with the P.1067 (WB188), which Neville Duke first flew from Boscombe Down on 20th July 1951. It was an immediate success, with the Air Ministry ordering the Hawker P.1067 Hunter (as it was then known) into production in March 1950.
On 7th September 1953, the sole Hawker P.1067 Hunter Mk3 (the modified first prototype, WB188) broke the world air speed record for jet-powered aircraft, achieving 727.63 mph (1,171.01 km/h) when flown by Neville Duke along the Sussex coast.
Production Hunters entered RAF service as a manoeuvrable fighter aircraft and were later operated in fighter-bomber and reconnaissance roles in numerous conflicts. Two-seat variants were used for training and in secondary roles with the Royal Air Force (RAF) and Royal Navy (RN) until the early 1990s.
The Hunter was widely exported, serving with 21 other air forces including significant numbers in Denmark, India, Sweden, Switzerland, and Singapore and - sixty years after its original introduction - the type was still in service with the Lebanese Air Force until 2014.
Hawker Hunters were also used by RAF display teams including ‘The Blue Diamonds’ (who flew 16 aircraft) and ‘The Black Arrows’ (who looped a record-breaking 22 examples in formation during the 1958 Farnborough Airshow).
The type was eventually replaced in the UK by the English Electric Lightning, Hawker Siddeley Harrier and McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II.