History of the Hunter

The Hawker Hunter is without doubt one of the world’s all time great fighters. Designed by the Hawker team, headed by Sir Sidney Camm, the aircraft was one of the UK’s first sweptwing interceptors. The Hunter broke the world speed record in September 1953 when Neville Duke achieved a speed of 727,63 mph.
Following some early performance disappointments with the Mk1 Hunter, later marques were powered by an uprated Rolls Royce Avon Mk 207 engine with 10,150 lb.st. An innovation that produced the ultimate classic thoroughbred interceptor/ ground attack aircraft of its day. At the time the Hunter was the only swept wing aircraft in the world which could be subjected to a deliberate spin and recover with no problems.
The Hunter T7 is a two seat side-by-side trainer based on the Hunter Mk.4 airframe with an entirely re-designed forward fuselage to accommodate the pupil and instructor. The aircraft is fully operational with a single cannon mounted on the starboard side and a brake parachute.
The Hunter also packed an impressive punch with its highly concentrated battery of four cannon and the air combat capability was greatly enhanced with the addition of AIM-9 Sidewinders in Swiss, Singapore, Omani and Chilean service.
In addition to the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy, Hunters served with some 20 airforces world-wide; In total some 1,970 aircraft of all types were built.

The Aeropark Hunters

T7 - XL569

XL569 first flew on 3rd March 1958. The aircraft had a varied career serving with No’s 12,15, and 216 Squadrons and No’s 237 and 229 Operational Conversion Units.
At the end of its flying days the aircraft was maintained in flying order at the Royal Air Force Technical School at Cosford, at RAF Scampton and finally at RAF Abingdon from where it was purchased by the Aeropark Volunteers Association (AVA).
It was transported to the Aeropark with the generous help of Carlsberg Tetley and Linway Motor Services of Coalville.

GA11 - WV382

WV382 was built in 1955 as a Hunter F4 for the RAF, and first flew in the July of that year. It was formally accepted in to RAF service on 15th August 1955 serving with 67(F) sqn and was then put into store before being transfered to the Fleet Air Arm and converted into a GA11.
WV382 was then test flown on 6th July 1962 at Dunsfold before entering service with 738NAS at Lossemouth in August 1962 and was marked '643'. When the squadron moved to Brawdy during 1966 WV382 also moved and became '784'. April 1968 saw WV382 move to the maintenance unit at RAF Kemble where it was updated and had a Harley Light fitted to the nose. March 1969 WV382 moved to the FRU at Hurn and got its current marking of '830'. In October 1972 WV382 moved to RNAS Yeovilton where it stayed as part of the ADTU until undergoing a second upgrade in 1974 returning to service with FRADU where it stayed until November 1976 when it was placed in to store at RAF Kemble.

FR10 - XJ714

XJ714 is a composite airframe built from unwanted sparesfrom WT684, XF383, XM126, XG226, PH-NLH & ET-272 supplying the tail section.