Originally scheduled for production in September, 1944, the Heinkel 162 was test flown for the first time just three months later. In such a desperate period it took just sixty nine days from the start of design work to its first flight.
The brief for the concept underlying the He 162 came from the Reichskriegsministerium (Ministry of War) who wanted fast, quantity production of a simple and effective jet interceptor as a last ditch air defence of the German homeland. Who originated the idea for what became known as the Volksjager (people’s fighter) is not clear. Albert Speer, the armament minister, is alleged to have been one of the promoters of the project, but Speer himself has said, somewhat evasively, that a proposal to establish an underground plant for the production of jet aircraft came from Fritz Sauckel, the gauleiter of Thuringen. On September 8, 1944, the brief for the Volksjager was issued to the Arado, Blohm und Voss, Fieseler, Focke Wulf, Heinkel, Messerschmitt and Junkers companies. Strong opposition to the project was voiced by aircraft designers Willi Messerschmitt and Kurt Tank and General der Jagdflieger (general of fighters) Adolf Galland. In the opinion of these critics the construction specifications and conditions were unrealistic, but despite the protests the submission date for the draft projects was brought forward by approximately a week. The specification stated that the design “had to make use of existing aircraft components, only the barest essentials to be carried in the way of equipment. The power to be supplied by a BMW 003 turbojet rated at 800 kg (1760 lb) st. Top speed to be 750 km/h (466 mph). Endurance of not less than 20 minutes at sea level. Gross weight not more than 2000 kg (4410 lb). Wing loading not more than 200 kg/sq m (41 lb/sq ft)”. These requirements were to be fulfilled with the use of readily available and, if possible, non essential mate¬rials. Unskilled and semiskilled labour was to be used on the production line. It is some indication of the desperation felt at this stage of the war that Hermann Goring, as commander in chief of the Luftwaffe, considered using Hitlerjugend (Hitler youth) members as pilots for the aircraft. Their initial flying training was to have been carried out on gliders before they converted to the jets.
A conference was held on September 15 to evaluate the submissions made by the aircraft manufacturers. Messerschmitt had refused to make a proposal, and of the others Arado’s was rejected, Focke Wulf’s was considered unrealistic (their participation had been for information purposes only), but the Blohm und Voss project was considered one of the best put forward. The Heinkel proposal was found deficient in five respects: it offered a sea level flight endurance of only 20 minutes; the unusual positioning of the engine would result in maintenance problems; the stipulated takeoff requirement had not been met; dismantling of the aircraft prior to rail transportation would take too long; and the 30 mm (1.18 in) armament specified in the brief had been changed to a 20 mm (0.79 in) cannon. After further conferences and discussions, one of which ended in a fierce quarrel between two of the participants, Heinkel were eventually authorized to produce the Volksjager and received the backing of Otto Saur, head of the war ministry’s Jagerstab (fighter staff), and Hermann Goring. Since the early summer of 1944, Siegfried Gunter and Karl Schwarzler of Heinkel had been working on a project similar to the Volksjdger a small and simple jet fighter nicknamed Spatz (sparrow). Heinkel’s qualifications for producing the He 162, or Projekt 1073 as it was initially called, were further reinforced by their work in 1939 on the He 178 experimental jet and, a little later, on the He 280.
While some of the other companies barely had time to perform basic calculations for their designs, Heinkel had been working roughly along the same lines during the summer of 1944 and had test performance data on the BMW-003, along with a full scale mock-up of their concept. There are allegations that Dr. Karl Frydag, head of the commission for airframe production and also a Heinkel company official, had not only sold the concept to Karl Saur, head of the Fighter Staff, but also may have let Heinkel know ahead of time of the upcoming specification. A curious light is thrown on the situation by a document detailing a POW interview with a Flugbaumeister Halz of the Fl.-E-2 section of the Air Ministry that purports that when the decisive report on the Volksjäger concept was being sold to Göring, certain technical documents required to support their case were lacking and Halz was ordered to have faked photos of the He-162 with the help of a cinema expert, showing an He-162 prototype executing a roll above the clouds before a prototype was even built.
Construction of the He 162 began on September 24, 1944, with parallel work on the detailed drawings taking place. By September 30, Projekt 1073 had been ordered into quantity production with a pro¬posed monthly output of 500 to the Luftwaffe during the first thirty days of production, and eventually 1000 aircraft every month. When the drawings were completed on October 29, the first prototypes had already reached the advanced assembly stage. For the first time in aviation history, development, pre-production and series production of an aircraft occurred simultaneously. The He 162 fuselage was of light metal flush-riveted monocoque construction, and was fitted with a moulded plywood nose cap. The single piece wing was made of wood and had a plywood skin, with detachable metal wing tips. The space between the wooden spars accommodated 40-gallon fuel cells. Four bolts held the wing to the fuselage mainframes. The metal flaps, which extend along the tapered trailing edge from the fuselage to the ailerons, have a maximum depression of 45 degrees with hydraulic motivation. Tailplanes, elevators and rudder were of light metal, but the fins were wooden. The narrow track tricycle landing gear was retracted hydraulically and lowered by springs. The aircraft was powered by a BMW 003 Sturm turbojet which was attached directly to the top of the fuselage immediately behind the cockpit by two vertical bolts at the forward end, and one horizontal bolt at the rear. The cockpit was equipped with an ejection seat designed by Heinkel. The fuselage permits stowage of 168 gallons of fuel in the tail cone. After October 30, 1944, all development and factory testing had to stop and effort was concentrated on full scale production. The first flight of the prototype took place on December 6, 1944. Although a main wheel door was torn off by the slipstream, the flight was in other respects considered successful. However, at an official demonstration four days later, the pilot was killed after the starboard wing broke up in mid air. Defective bonding of the wooden components was revealed as the cause. Nevertheless, pressure was put on the company for work to continue, and up to ten prototypes (He 162A 0s) and about 20 production aircraft were tested during December 1944 February 1945. The new aircraft, which was continually compared with the Me 262, was found deficient in many respects, including bad lateral stability, sluggish controls and a high roll to yaw ratio. Enlarging the fin area alleviated the first and third problems, and although the He 162 continued to suffer from a tendency to stall, this was eventually cured by applying a pronounced anhedral to the wingtips. The facilities available for He 162 production were extraordinary, to say the least, varying from small carpentry workshops and chalk and salt mines to the renowned Sea Grotto near Vienna. There was only one main variant of the original design: the He 162A 2, armed with two 20 mm (0.79 in) MG 151 cannon positioned one on each side of the nosewheel well. The He 162A 3, like the A 1, mounted the heavier 30 mm (1.18 in) Mk 108 cannon originally specified, but this had to be abandoned since it caused too much vibration. Many other schemes included multibarrel projectile launch systems in the SGseries.
Despite the enormous numbers originally ordered, total production did not amount to more than about 275 aircraft and, so far as is known, I/JG1 was the only group to be fully equipped with the He 162 by the time Germany surrendered in 1945. During two weeks of flying ops, JG 1 (the main user of the He-162) were losing an average of one aircraft every two days due to flying accidents, pilot error, mechanical and structural failures. Operational testing had been carried out by Erprobungskorn¬mando (test detachment) 162 based at Rechlin, which after amalgamation with Adolf Galland’s famous Me 262 unit JV 44 in April 1945 was transferred to Salzburg/Maxglarn, where it was captured by the Americans on May 3. Other groups were partially equipped with the He 162 but because of lack of fuel and supplies it is unlikely that they saw any combat. The production rate for the He 162 was to be 135 per day; Rostock Marienehe and Bernburg were each to deliver 1,000 per month and the vast underground Nordhausen Mittelwerke a further 2,000. Giant salt-mines were tooled up to make the BMW 003A turbojet, which was bolted above the light alloy fuselage of streamline profile, while the woodworking industry was harnessed to make the very small high mounted wing, only the down turned tips being metal. Armament was to be two 30 mm MK 108 cannon, but because of vibration these were replaced in production by two 20 mm MG 151s. Development of the Heinkel He 162 led to the He 162C, with wing swept at 38 degrees and a butterfly tail. The He 162D was similar but featured a swept-forward wing. Neither version was built, but a model was found under construction with interchangeable wings when Schwechat was occupied by the Allies. Many variants with different powerplants and equipment were tested by Heinkel in a desperate and futile effort to produce aircraft for the defence of the Third Reich in its last days. One of the most interesting was the Mistel 5 system in which the He 162 mothercraft was to carry a jettisonable Arado ¬powered bomb beneath the fuselage but this, like the others, did not come to fruition. Only 140 had been completed by the end of the war. Only two victories were claimed for the type during its short service life and both were unconfirmed. After the end of the Second World War, He 162s were taken to Britain for study and evaluation, in the course of which another pilot lost his life in a crash landing at Farnborough. Three went to the US, and one to France where it is on display at the Musee de l’Air in Paris.
He 162 Salamander Engine: One 1,760 lb. (800 kg.) thrust BMW 003A turbojet. Wing span: 23 ft 7.75 in (7.2 m) Length: 29 ft 8.5 in (9 m) Height: 8 ft 4.5 in (2.55 m) Max TO wt: 5953 lb (2700 kg) Max level speed: 522 mph (835 kph) at 19,700 ft Ceiling 39,500 ft. (12,000 m.) Climb rate 4,200 fpm at sea level Fully loaded Range 410 miles (660 km.) Endurance: 45 min Armament 2 x 30 mm MK-108 or MG-151 cannon. Take off distance 875 yards Take off distance JATO 415 yards
He 162A 2 Engine: one 800 kg (1,764 1b) thrust BMW 109 003E 1 or E 2 turbojet. Max speed: 835 km/h (519 mph) at 6000 m (19,685 ft) Initial climb rate 1290 m (4,230 ft) per minute Service ceiling about 11000m (36,090ft) Max range 1000 km (621 miles) Empty wt: 1750kg (3,8581b) MTOW: 2700 kg (6, 952 lb) Wing span 7.20 m (23 ft 7.5 in) Length 9,05 m (29 ft 8.5 in) Height 2.55 m (8 ft 43/8 in) Wing area 11.15sq.m (120.0 sq.ft) Armament: two 30 mm MK 108 or two 20 mm MG 151 cannon in nose.
He 162 A-2 Salamander / Volksjäger Engine : BMW 003 E-1, 7848 N Length : 29.659 ft / 9.04 m Height : 8.497 ft / 2.59 m Wingspan : 23.622 ft / 7.2 m Wing area : 120.557 sq.ft / 11.2 sq.m Max take off weight : 5931.5 lb / 2690.0 kg Weight empty : 4520.3 lb / 2050.0 kg Max. speed : 452 kt / 838 km/h Service ceiling : 39370 ft / 12000 m Wing load : 49.2 lb/sq.ft / 240.0 kg/sq.m Range : 526 nm / 975 km Endurance : 1 h Crew : 1 Armament : 2 MG 151 20mm
A pre-production derivative of the P.1127 was built as the Kestrel, and the full production type as the Harrier, with a turbofan of 21,500 pounds nominal thrust. Installed thrust is around 18,000 to 18,900 pounds, but if the Harrier’s weight is kept fractionally below that figure, it will be able to take off and land vertically and hover in between. In practice, however, vertical takeoff is seldom employed, since a forward roll of only a few hundred feet adds several thousand pounds to the permissible weight and payload by the addition of wing lift. Since the Harrier is designed to operate from any reasonably firm and smooth surface away from airfields, STO invariably presents no problems. Having used up most of its 5,000 pounds of internal fuel and dropped up to 7,000 pounds or more of external ordnance, the Harrier can then return for a standard vertical landing into a clearing or onto a pad only a few feet bigger than its 25 foot three inch span and 45 foot six inch fuselage. The first of six development Harriers was flown on 31 August 1966 and the first production aircraft flew in December 1967. The type entered service with the Royal Air Force with 1 Squadron at Wittering in July 1969.
The two seat Harrier is more than 10 feet longer, not only because of the extra cockpit section, which adds 47 inches to the forward fuselage, but also because of the 33 inch rearward extension of the vertical tail for aerodynamic balance. The remaining extra length results from the need to move the tail reaction control valve (RCV) farther aft to maintain its effectiveness without draining the Pegasus of excessive amounts of bleed air. Since the Harrier can go on flying at speeds down to zero, or even backward, its aerodynamic control surfaces have to be supplemented by reaction controls or jet thrusters. Linked to the stick and rudder pedals, these use bleed air from the Pegasus compressor to RCVs at each wingtip and in the nose and tail, producing the correct aircraft response in pitch, roll and yaw. They automatically come into operation when the engine nozzles are deflected downward through 20 degrees or more and are designed to maintain a progressive feel and response from wingborne to jetborne flight without too much of a power loss from the Pegasus.
All Harriers have a sideslip vane just in front of the cockpit that (in addition to providing a visual reminder of the aircraft’s attitude) is linked to the rudder pedals. When critical combinations of sideslip and airspeed (between 30 and 100 knots) are approached, the appropriate rudder pedal starts vibrating as a reminder that it might be a good idea to apply some boot to it if you want to remain right side up. The autostabilizer also helps in this respect. For ground maneuvering, the nosewheel of the Harrier’s bicycle landing gear steers hydraulically via the rudder pedals from a flip of a trigger on the stick. With this system, and with the nozzles at 45 degrees to reduce its high idling thrust, the Harrier will turn almost in its own length, kept steady by its wingtip outrigger legs.
There seems to be no real reason why the Harrier should accidentally spin during combat, since it can go on flying with jet deflection below normal wingborne stalling speeds. It can instantly halve its turning radius by the use of vectoring in forward flight.
First flown on 28 December 1967, the GR.1 is the single-seat close-support and reconnaissance version for the RAF, which has also ordered the two-seat T.2 for operational training. The Harrier GR Mk.1 was the first production model taken from the Kestrel and entered service with the RAF on April 1, 1969. Construction took place at factories in Kingston-upon-Thames in southwest London and at Dunsfold, Surrey. The latter adjoined an airfield used for flight testing; both factories have since closed.
The Harrier’s max low level speed is not greatly reduced by the carriage of external stores, since the main limitation on its speed is the drag from its huge intakes. These are required to enable the engine to obtain the necessary mass flow of air in the hover with no forward speed, or even flying backwards. Normal attack speed is 450 kts or 480 kts depending on configuration. Weapons include 30mm cannon, 1000 lb free-fall or retard bombs, CBU (cluster bomb unit carrying 247 armour-piercing bomblets), SNEB (pod with 19 x 68mm rockets), and laser-guided bombs. The Sea Harrier can also carry anti-shipping missiles of the Harpoon/ Martel type. Sidewinder AAM (9L) may be carried for air combat. The avionics carried includes INAS (Inertial Navigation Attack System), which provides weapon aiming information through the Head-up Display (HUD); navigation via computer and moving-map display; and instrument flying information via HUD. Other equipment includes Laser ranger and marked-target seeker, radar warning receiver, reconnaissance camera, voice recorder, IFF/SSR, Tacan, and, Martin Baker Mk 10 ejection seat. This rocket-assisted seat has a zero-zero capability. The GR.Mk 1A was an upgraded version of the GR.Mk 1, the main difference being the uprated Pegasus Mk 102. 58 GR.Mk 1As entered RAF service, 17 GR.Mk 1As were produced and a further 41 GR.Mk 1s were upgraded. The Harrier GR3 was a development of the Harrier GR1, being fitted with improved attack sensors, electronic countermeasures and a more powerful Pegasus Mk 103 engine over the GR1. The Harrier GR3 was utilised by the Royal Air Force as a ground attack and reconnaissance aircraft in the Close Air Support role (CAS). RAF Harriers were deployed to the Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Hermes, as part of the Task Force sent to recapture the Falklands Islands. The Harrier GR3 performed attack sorties from the aircraft carrier, and later from basic landing strips on the islands, often in conditions that would have grounded conventional aircraft. Ten Harrier GR.3s from this 1 Squadron operated with Royal Navy Sea Harriers in the Falklands Conflict in 1982, flying 150 missions. Three of these aircraft were lost.
In addition to operations with RAF Germany, the Harrier GR3 has also seen service with the Royal Air Force in Norway and Belize. The GR.5 features a new nose shape housing a Hughes angle rate bomb set greatly improving target acquisition and weapon aiming capabilities, a McDonnell-Douglas manufacture carbon fibre wing 20% larger than the GR.3, leading edge root extensions which provide a better turn rate, retractable refueling probes and a new wrap-around front windscreen panel.
Harrier GR.5
The first Harrier GR.7, a converted GR.5, first flew on 26 November 1989.
The Royal Navy version of the Harrier, the Sea Harrier, is basically the same airframe fitted with dif-ferent equipment. British Aerospace handed over XZ451, the Royal Navy’s first Sea Harrier, at BAe Dunsfold on 18 June, 1979. The cockpit has been raised to improve rearward visibility, and to accommodate the Blue Fox radar. The cockpit radar display is a TV-tube conveying flight information as well as air-air and air-surface radar. The navigation system is based on an attitude reference platform with a radar input. The Sea Harrier provides the RN with an air defence, recce and strike/attack capability. As an air defence fighter, it’s effectiveness is partly in its quick reaction time. There is no necessity to turn the carrier into wind as with conventional aircraft, and no need for time-consuming catapult launches. This, plus the Harrier’s built-in starting system, means a scramble take-off within 2 minutes of an alarm. Once airborne the high-altitude intercept radius is 400 nm, with 3 minutes full throttle combat, and vertical landing recovery on the ship. In the reconnaissance role, the Sea Harrier can carry out electronic and visual surveillance, covering approx 20,000 sq miles in one hour at low level.
First Sea Harrier, XV450 on HMS Hermes for preliminary trials November 1978
The ski-jump technique for STOL use by Harriers launched from Royal Navy aircraft carriers was tested at the Royal Navy’s airfield at Yeovilton, Somerset. Their flight decks were designed with an upward curve to the bow following the successful conclusion of those tests. The ski-jump on the carriers provides an improvement in take-off performance. Launched off the end of the ski-jump, with the nozzles deflected to approx 50 degrees at the moment of departure, the Harrier flies a partly ballistic trajectory for some seconds, during which time it is jet-borne while accelerating as the nozzles are gradually moved aft again. This reduces the take-off distance required. Additionally if the ship is pitching in bad weather, it ensures the aircraft never leaves the carrier pointing at the water. The ski-jump enables 1500 lb more load to be carried, or 200 feet less ground roll to be used, than flat-deck equivalents.
HMS Invincible
The Indian Sea Harrier FRS.51s (plus two T.60s) differ from standard RN Sea Harriers only in using gaseous rather than liquid oxygen, modified radar and avionics, and provision for Matra Magic AAMs rather than AIM-9 Sidewinders. The T Mk 60 two-seaters are more extensively modified, with Sea Harrier-type cockpits and most of the Ferranti NAVHARS nav-attack system. Export versions, which have the more powerful Pegasus II engine, are desig¬nated Mk 50 (single seat) and Mk 51 (2 seat). US Marine Corps designation is AV 8A. The first Hawker Siddeley AV 8A Harrier for the Spanish navy was flown at Dunsfold, Surrey, on 18 September 1975. Known as the Matador in Spanish service, these aircraft were shipped to the USA for pilot training before embarkation in the carrier Dedalo. All 11 (plus two two seat TAV 11As) had been handed over by November 1975.
McDonnell Douglas / BAe AV-8 Harrier II The marine corps first Harriers were Hawker Siddeley-built AV-8As delivered between 1970 and 1976. The AV-8A and the RAF’s Harrier GR.I had much in common, including the RAF camouflage colors and pattern. The upper surfaces were a disruptive pattern of RAF Dark Green (641) and Dark Sea Grey (638) with undersurfaces in Light Aircraft Grey (627). For repainting, the Marines chose dark olive green FS 34064 and dark gray FS 36099 for the uppersurface camouflage, with Light Gull Gray FS 36440 underneath.
TAV-8B Harrier II
The prototype AV-8B, converted from an AV-8A, first flew on November 9, 1978, and the first of four full-scale development aircraft followed on November 5, 1981. Production deliveries to the USMC began in October 1983, and the first unit became operational in January 1985. USMC deliveries will continue into the 1990s, against a requirement for 300 AV-8Bs and 28 TAV-8Bs. The No 2 VAV 8B, modified by McDonnell Douglas from a British built AV 8A Harrier, was fitted with leading edge root extensions (LERX) of the type already test¬ flown on a Harrier GR Mk 3 under MoD contract. The LERX serve to increase the turn rates of the AV 8B from a figure of about 14 deg/sec to at least 16 deg/sec. The improved AV-8B Harrier II is a MeDonnell Douglas design, produced in the U.S. Two YAV-8Bs (modified from AV-8A airframes) were painted in red, white, black, and gold high-visibility schemes. The first of four Full-Scale Development airframes came in standard RAF camouflage; the second came in another, high-visibility scheme. The third FSD AV-8B was painted in the RAF pattern, but with Marine Field Green FS 34095 and Blue Gray FS 35237 uppersurface colors with FS 36440 undersides. This color change was evidently an attempt to economize by using standard Navy/ Marine colors. The fourth development Harrier II received a counter-shaded hree-tone gray camouflage similar to the Navy’s other TPS schemes. Its colors were FS 36375 Light Ghost Gray on top, FS 36440 on the sides, and FS 36495 light gray on the bottom. The Marines applied the FS 34064/36099/36440 scheme to the first 25 production Harrier IIs. After reviewing the AV-8B’s tactics, the Corps adopted a wraparound scheme beginning with the 26th airframe, serial number 162081. The camouflage pattern was continued on the undersurfaces, and FS 36440 was eliminated. Spain has ordered 12 EAV-8Bs to supplement its fleet of AV-8A Matadors from late 1987. British Aerospace manufactures some 40 per cent of the AV-8B airframe. Two Harrier GR.5 development aircraft, the first of which flew on April 30, 1985, will be followed by 60 production aircraft. Deliveries to the RAF began in July 1987, and long-lead authorisation has already been approved for up to a further 27 aircraft. British Aerospace manufactures 50 per cent of each GR.5 airframe.
The cockpit of the AV-8B is similar to that of the Harrier GR.5, but has a second multi-function didplay instead of the moving map display.
The decision to put the much improved Harrier II into production was taken in August 1981; initial plans calling for 257 American and 60 British aircraft. Since then the requirements have increa¬sed to 328 and 96 aircraft respectively, the American total including 28 TAV-8B two-seat conversion and proficiency trainers. An initial 27 of these aircraft were ordered in 1984. The first of them flew in October 1986, and the type’s service debut came in March 1987. A two-seat operational trainer version of the Harrier II, designated TAV-8B for the USMC, flew on October 21, 1986, and deliveries began on schedule in March 1987. The TAV-8B has a forward fuselage lengthened by 4 ft (1.22 m) by comparison with that of the AV-8B to allow the incorporation of a second seat in the standard vertically staggered arrangement. This increases structure weight by 1,325 lb (601 kg), but the TAV-8B still possesses full combat capability in the form of an underfuselage cannon and six underwing hardpoints for dispo¬sable ordnance. In 1990 the British decided to procure 10 similar two-seater conversion trainers with the designation Harrier T.Mk 10. The TAV-8B also has a taller fin than the single-seat AV-8B. The development of a night attack capability for USMC AV-8Bs continues, and a prototype flew in June 1987, with deliveries following in 1989. Night attack equipment includes a Flir system, night vision goggles for the pilot, and a modified headup display.
For the 1991 ‘First Flights’ television series, Neil Armstrong flew the Harrier.
GR.1 Engine: One 19,000 lb (8,618 kg) st Rolls Royce Bristol Pegasus Mk 101 vectored thrust turbofan Wing span: 25 ft 3 in (7.70 m) Length: 45 ft 8 in (13.92 m) Height: 11.253 ft / 3.43 m Gross weight: over 22,000 lb (9,979 kg) Max. speed: over 720 mph (1,159 km/h) Service ceiling: 49213 ft / 15000 m Crew: 1 Armament: Two 30 mm Aden gun pods / max 2268kg Max. endurance: over 7 hr with in flight refuelling.
GR-3 Engine: Bristol Siddeley Pegasus II Mk.103, 21,500 lb / 9752 kg thrust. Wing span: 25 ft 3 in / 7.70 m ( 29 ft 8 in / 9.04 m w/ferry tips) Length: 46 ft 10 in / 14.27 m Height: 11 ft 4 in / 3.45 m Wing area: 201.1 sq.ft / 18.68 sq.m (216.0 sq.ft / 20.075 sq.m w/ferry tips) Empty wt: 13,535 lb / 6139 kg MAUW: 25,200+ lb / 11,431+ kg Max speed: M1.2; at low level approx 600 kts. / 737+ mph / 1186+ kph Ceiling: 50,000+ ft / 15,240+ m Time to climb brakes off to 40,000 ft: 2 min 20 sec. Initial ROC: 30,000 fpm. Range: 828 mi / 1316 km External store load 8,000 lb / 3269 kg Armament: 2 x 30mm Aden cannon pods.
GR-5 Armament: 2 x 30 mm cannon
Sea Harrier FRS.51
T.60
British Aerospace Sea Harrier FRS.1 Engine: Rolls-Royce Pegasus II Mk.104, 9752 kg / 21,500 lb Wingspan: 7.7m / 25 ft 3 in Length: 14.5 m / 47 ft 7 in Height: 12 ft 2 in / 3.71 m Wing area: 201.1 sq.ft / 18.68 sq.m Empty weight: 13,100 lb / 5942 kg MTOW: 26,190 lb / 11,880 kg Max speed: 1191 kph / 740 mph Range: 920 mi / 1480 km Ceiling: 50,000+ ft / 15,240+ m Armament: 2 x 30 mm Aden / 150 rds Max external load: 8000 lb / 3630 kg Seats: 1
AV-8A
McDonnell Douglas / Bae AV-8B Harrier II Engine: Rolls-Royce F402-406 (Pegasus 11-21 / Pegasus 105) vectored turbofan, 22,000 lb / 95.8 kN Wingspan: 30 ft 4 in / 9.25 m Length: 46 ft 3 in / 14.12 m Height: 11.483 ft / 3.5 m Wing area: 230.35 sq.ft / 21.4 sq.m MTOW: 29,750 lb / 13,495 kg Weight empty: 13986.3 lb / 6343.0 kg Max. payload weight: 17016.0 lb / 7717.0 kg Wing loading: 134.69 lb/sq.ft / 657.0 kg/sq.m Max speed: 673 mph / 1083 kph Cruising speed: 470 kts / 870 kph Initial climb rate: 14763.78 ft/min / 75.0 m/s Service ceiling: 43307 ft / 13200 m Fuel internal: 4260 lt Range: 961 nm / 1780 km Air refuel: Yes Ferry range: 3310 sm / 5327 km Armament: 1 x 25 mm cannon (300 rds) Hard points: 7 External load: 17,000 lb / 7711 kg Crew: 1
TAV-8B Harrier II Engine: one 21,550-lb (9,775-kg) thrust Rolls-Royce F402-RR-406 (Pegasus 11- 21) vectored-thrust turbofan. Maximum speed 647 mph (1,041 km/h) at sea level Service ceiling 50,000+ ft (15,240+ m) Radius 553 miles (890 km) with no loiter Empty weight 14,075 lb (6,384 kg) Maximum take-off weight about 29,750 lb (13,494 kg) Wing span 30 ft 4 in (9.25 m) Length 50 ft 5 in (15.37 m) Height 13 ft 5 in (4.09 m) Wing area 230.0 sq ft (21.37 sq.m). Armament: one 25-mm multi-barrel cannon, and up to about 15,500 lb (7,031 kg) of disposable stores. Seats: 2
A design by Sir Sydney Camm starting in 1957, the P.1127 incorporated vectored thrust, which enabled one engine to lift and pro¬pel the aircraft by means of rotatable exhaust nozzles. The airframe of the P.1127 was designed round the unique character of its Bristol Pegasus engine, which had four nozz1es (the forward pair exhausting cold air from the engine’s fan stage and the aft pair exhausting hot gases from the engine’s turbine stage) arranged two on each side fore and aft of the centre of gravity.
Hovering trials with the first P.1127 (XP831) began on October 21st, 1960, over a specially prepared hovering platform with the aircraft tethered. Free vertical hovers on the vectored thrust of an 5126kg Pegasus 2 engine were made in November and the first conventional take off was made on March 13th, 1961. For low speed con¬trol, the aircraft has jet reaction nozzles at each wing tip and at the nose and tail.
The second P.1127 (XP836) flew on July 7th, 1961, and continued conventional flight trials while the first reverted to hovering trials in September. This aircraft made the first complete transition from hovering to horizontal flight and back on September 12th, 1961. The third P.1127 (XP972) flew on April 5th, 1962. Such was the promise of the type that a pre-production derivative was built as the Kestrel. The P.1127 was renamed Kestrel after Hawker Siddeley Aviation was created.
Kestrel FGA.Mk.1
Three examples were ordered in 1962 by the U.S. Department of Defense, with the U.S. Army financing 50 per cent of the programme and the USAF and Navy sharing the remainder. Compared with these aircraft and three sub¬sequent prototypes, the three XV 6As have a 9 in longer fuselage, anhedral on the tailplane and more powerful versions of the Bristol Pegasus.
Of the six prototypes built in total, one of which was lost at an air display.
The Kestrel had fully swept wings and a larger tail than the P.1127, and the fuselage was modified to take the larger 15,000 lbf (85 kN) Pegasus 5 engine. The first of these flew on 7 March 1964. Due to interest from the US and Germany the Tri-partite Evaluation Squadron was formed, staffed by military test pilots from Britain, the US and West Germany. A Tripartite Trials Squadron existed from 15 October 1964 until 30 November 1965, after which six of the Kestrels were transferred to the USA where they were designated XV-6As. After testing at RAF West Raynham, the eight surviving Kestrel FGA Mk 1s evaluation aircraft were transferred to the USA for evaluation by the Army, Air Force and Navy (including USMC). After Tri-Service evaluation they were passed to the USAF for further evaluation at Edwards AFB.
The Kestrel featured two wing hardpoints each capable of lifting gun pods or stores of up to 450kg.
The Kestrel FGA Mk 1 ground attack fighter was an operational evaluation derivative of the P.1127 V/STOL. An order for 60 aircraft was received from the RAF in 1966, and the first pre-production Harriers were flying by mid-1967.
Engine: Bristol Siddeley Pegasus, 12,000 lb thrust. Max take-off weight: 5625-7031 kg / 12401 – 15501 lb Empty weight: 4445 kg / 9800 lb Wingspan: 6.96 m / 22 ft 10 in Length: 12.95 m / 42 ft 6 in Height: 3.28 m / 10 ft 9 in Wing area: 17.28 sq.m / 186.00 sq ft Max. speed: 1067 km/h / 663 mph
Hawkers worked on a number of designs for jet fighters after the war and the Hunter would follow on from the Sea Hawk via another design, the P.1052. Basically a swept-wing Sea Hawk, the P.1052 looked promising enough to be considered as a Meteor replacement but other designs looked to be even better. One such was one born from Air Ministry specification F.3/48, the Hawker P.1067. Designed by Sir Sydney Camm, designer of the Hurricane and Sea Hawk, the P.1067 was his attempt to meet the earlier F.43/46 specification, which was then discarded and replaced with F.3/48, which was written to match the P.1067. To be armed with four 30mm cannon and powered by the then-new axial flow turbojet, three prototypes were to be built, two using the Rolls Royce AJ.65 (Avon) and one using the Metrovick F.9 (later known as the Armstrong-Siddeley Sapphire), in case the AJ.65 development ran into problems. The cannon were to be in a single unit complete with ammo, enabling quick re-arming by simply winching the pack down and replacing it with another.
Detailed design began in late 1948 but it was not until early 1950 that Hawkers were ready to proceed with constructing a prototype. Receiving an order for 400, split equally between Sapphire and Avon powered aircraft, construction of the prototype began and by early 1951 the aircraft was ready for ground tests. Neville Duke, Hawker’s chief test pilot, began taxiing trials at Boscombe Down and the first flight of the P.1067, serialled WB188, was on the 20th of July, 1951. After a number of flights out of Boscombe, the prototype returned to Hawker’s home airfield at Dunsfold where development flying began in earnest. September saw the aircraft’s appearance at the 1951 Farnborough SBAC show, and in April 1952 Duke took the aircraft through the much publicised ‘sound barrier’ for the first time.
With two more prototypes joining WB188, the project became a ‘super priority’ one with production accordingly accelerated.
The British Government, said Mr. Jefferson, general manager of Hawker Aircraft (Blackpool), Ltd., ordered the Hunter for the R.A.F. “off the board.” The “instruction to proceed” was placed in October 1950 and the contract followed six months later. The first production aeroplane flew in May 1953. Thus, from the date that Hawker Aircraft first knew they were going to receive an order to the time when the first production Hunter was flying, only two years and seven months elapsed.
The Hunter was a new aircraft and the company had to start from zero and build up a completely new production set-up. A serious aspect was the finding of firms to make large jigs and tools in the numbers required. The Hunter required some 3,250 tool designs, and about 40,000 jigs, tools and fixtures had to be provided for. To break the bottleneck the British Government introduced the “super-priority” scheme. This only partially produced the required results, since priority had to be allocated to so many items that suppliers and sub-contractors were often unable to give any measure of preference. In addition, every effort was being made to maintain exports.
Eventually, tool-making difficulties were overcome by a combination of two methods. The first took care of initial detail and sub-assembly work and involved a compromise – the development and use of “rough tools,” prepared not by the virtually unobtainable toolmakers but by skilled fitters. Although capable of manufacturing several hundred parts these tools were intended as a temporary measure. For major assembly jigs, eventually a large number of jigs were obtained from such Italian firms as Macchi, Breda and Fiat.
To facilitate manufacture, the Hunter was broken down into main assembly units, e.g. front fuselage, centre fuselage, rear fuselage, wings. This was common practice, but with the Hunter it was carried a stage farther. Each major component was not only built as a separate structural unit but was complete in itself, containing all ancillary equipment, services, pipes and runs, as in the finished aircraft. Thus for final assembly it was necessary only to connect the structural members and plug the pipes and leads together.
During the early days the resources of the entire Hawker Siddeley Group were pooled for difficult items. Hawker Aircraft itself was far from being housed all under one roof. Production plans, therefore, called for the detail parts and main assemblies to be made in several places, with Kingston-upon-Thames as headquarters. There were two other factories in the South of England and assemblies were fed to the final-assembly plant and airfield about 50 miles from Kingston. Certain specialized components were sent 250 miles from Hawker Aircraft (Blackpool), Ltd.
The first production F.Mk.1 powered by the 3425-kg (7,550-lb) thrust Avon 113 flew on the 16th of May, 1953, but this and a further 22 early production aircraft were used for development purposes. Like Supermarine’s troublesome Swift, problems began to arise. The use of the flaps as airbrakes turned out to cause a severe nose-down pitching at high speeds, and after much work a simple hinged brake was fitted to the fuselage underside. However even this was troublesome and had to be disabled when the landing gear was down. Cannon firing was restricted to low altitudes because exhaust gas from them could cause the engine to flame out. The Sapphire engined variant, the F.2, did not suffer from this.
Another cannon problem was that of spent links being ejected and tumbling along the lower fuselage causing much damage. Bulbous link collectors were fitted from the F.4 onwards, being added to earlier marks too. These were known as Sabrinas after a well-endowed pin-up girl of the time.
The Hunter F.1 entered RAF service with 43 Squadron in July 1954, replacing their Meteor F.8s. The Armstrong¬ Whitworth built Hunter F.Mk 2, with the 3629-kg (8,000-lb) thrust Sapphire 101 engine, followed in November, equipping 257 Squadron. The F.2 arrived at Dunsfold during the middle of November 1952, bearing the RAF roundels, not painted pale green like the F.1 but finished in its aluminium service colour. On November 29th everything was set to take it up for the first time; directors arrived at Dunsfold and a number of people. But the weather clamped down and snow fell. Everybody had to go away disappointed. The Sapphire-engined F.2 order was cut back, despite it not having the flame-out problem. Both variants were also short on fuel, something Hawkers were looking at with some concern.
The early Hunters were basically employed as short-range day interceptors, radius of action limitations being overcome to some degree by the Hunter F.Mk 4 and Hunter F.Mk 5 variants which benefited from in¬creased internal fuel capacity and the ability to carry two 455-litre (100-Imp gal) external drop tanks. These two models both flew for the first time during October 1952 and were quickly introduced to service, the Hunter F. Mk 4 also becoming the first sub-type to secure export orders when the air arms of Belgium and the Netherlands acquired substantial numbers (most of them built under licences) whilst Sweden, Denmark and Peru also received some as the Hunter F.Mk 50, Hunter F.Mk 51 and Hunter F.Mk 52 respectively.
Hunter F.5
Work on the Hunter for the R.A.F. was proceeding at a satisfactory rate when the U.S.A. off-shore procurement order was placed with the British Government early last summer. So far as Hawker Siddeley were concerned, the new contract called for some 450 Hunters to be delivered by June 1956.
The order was being met from the existing organization by continuing production at the peak rate which had been planned to meet as quickly as possible R.A.F. requirements. Thus the offshore order assured a longer run of peak production and promised a level of capacity not otherwise possible. As the aircraft were completed, the M.o.S. and NATO representatives would decide between themselves which would go to the RA.F. and which to other NATO countries.
Off-shore orders were also placed with Holland and Belgium; thus eventually Hunters would also be built by three companies in Holland-Fokker (who are to undertake the majority of manufacture in that country), Aviolanda and de Schelde-and by two in Belgium-S.A.B.C.A. and Avions Fairey. There were the normal array of sub-contractors to each one company. The Netherlands and Belgium would between them manufacture some 100 off-shore Hunters by the summer of 1956, and thereafter would produce further Hunters for their Governments.
Since the war Holland had made Meteors from raw materials; in Belgium, however, the manufacturing side barely existed, except for Avions Fairey. But the country had an industrial tradition and her machine-tool industry was capable of undertaking any work entrusted to it. A large number of jigs and tools had been ordered through Hawker Aircraft in the United Kingdom for both countries, but Belgium had ordered these items in her own territory as well; S.A.B.C.A. had erected a new factory and were in process of receiving special plant from the U.S.A.
Broadly speaking, each of the companies engaged had certain responsibilities, each making various detail parts and subassemblies. Some factories would then incorporate these into main assemblies and finally the main units would be brought together-by S.A.B.C.A. in Belgium and by Fokker in Holland. In Belgium, Avions Fairey would make only detail parts and subassemblies and would be provided with some finished parts, and with main assemblies, by Hawker Aircraft-and, later, by Holland. Thus the pattern previously worked out of necessity in Great Britain would virtually be reproduced on the Continent. And such was the degree of standardization that components made anywhere in the three countries would be interchangeable.
Hawker teams were constantly going to both countries to advise and assist, and technicians and operatives were continually coming to England to be trained.
Much information and material had been supplied, including complete sets of master aircraft drawings and schedules, pre-production manufacturing information, jig and tool drawings, details of manufacturing processes, and master part schedules.
Hawker Aircraft were sending teams to Holland to install the major jigs. To get work started they were supplying 50 initial sets of raw materials and complete sets of master templates, tooling aids and interchangeability media. Holland and Belgium were being provided with sample components-including two complete aircraft, one for each country, and a whole set of specimen detail parts so that engineers would see the standards which they would be required to work. Sets of all pipe runs were being sent, as the forms of such parts were difficult to visualize accurately from drawings. The complete aircraft would help both countries to get accustomed to all that was involved in the construction of a complicated fighter, and to develop the flying, servicing and ground-handling techniques it would necessitate.
In addition, Hawker Aircraft were providing components, skeleton components and sub-assemblies.
Many special machine tools for the Hunter, both on the Continent and in Britain, had been obtained from the U.S.A. Certain machined components for the wing and fuselage attachments were made from forgings of high-tensile steel. In their manufacture a large amount of profile and contour milling was involved and for this work American duplex milling machines and Hydro-Tels had been found invaluable. The company also used Hufford and Sheridan stretch-forming machines, Onsrud spar-millers, Farnham rolls, Verson brake-presses and, for pipe manipulation, Pines benders. The great deal of formed sheet metal work called for at Hawker Aircraft was done on Cecostamps, employing light-alloy dies, which could be altered easily and economically in the event of modifications.
In an emergency, the long lines of production jigs in the Hawker factories could quickly be dispersed to safe areas. All main jigs were erected on rafts made of a structure of rising steel joists, welded together and provided with jacking points for levelling up. This was useful even in peace, for the jigs could be moved to any part of the country where labour was available. The method would also prove invaluable in setting up production on the Continent.
The F.4 entered service with 54 Squadron in March 1955, replacing their F.1s. The F.4 had more fuel and strengthened wings, enabling carriage of various air to ground stores including bombs and rockets. With the increased fuel load, the pilots of 54 Squadron began competing with each other to see how long a Hunter could stay airborne, and the record got to 1 hour and 25 minutes before the CO stopped the competition – that particular pilot having landed with dry fuel tanks. The previous year a pilot had been killed after running out of fuel in an F.1. Despite the poor fuel load of the Hunter, no inflight refuelling capability was ever added. The F.5 also entered service, a month earlier than the F.4, with 263 Squadron. The F.5 was similar to the F.4 but Sapphire-powered and was the first variant to see active service, being deployed against ground targets in Egypt during the Suez campaign. None were lost on missions but two were destroyed on the ground at Cyprus by EOKA terrorists.
The first Swedish Hunter F.4 was flown from Dunsfold to Stockholm with a refuelling stop at Jever, Germany, on 26 August 1955. The Hunters were designatred J 34 in Swedish Service.
Hunter deployment accelerated, with the aircraft replacing the Sabres, Vampires and Venoms of Fighter Command and RAF Germany. No less than 19 squadrons operated the Hunter in 1957, by which time the F.6 was beginning to replace the F.4s and F.5s.
The last single-seat version to attain quantity production was the Hunter F.Mk 6, first flown in prototype form on 22 January 1954 and incorporating the more powerful Avon 203 turbojet engine, rated at 4559-kg (10,050-lb) thrust. The Hunter was stressed to +7 & -3.75g. One of the problems was a pitch-up at high speeds, not unlike the Swift. This was cured by extending the leading edges of the outer portion of the wing, giving the dog-toothed look of later variants. F.6s could also scramble more quickly as they used an AVPIN starter system, enabling quicker engine spool-up than the cartridge-started early variants.
Hunter 6
Manufacture of this variant was undertaken in the UK, Belgium and the Netherlands, and it eventually became the most widely used Hunter of all, providing the basis for aircraft exported to India Hunter F.Mk 56, Switzerland Hunter F.Mk 58 and Iraq Hunter F.Mk 59 amongst many others.
Swiss AF Hunter F.58
In addition, a substantial number of RAF aircraft were later updated to Hunter FGA.Mk 9 and Hunter FR.Mk 10 configuration for ground-attack and reconnaissance tasks respectively. The specially developed ground attack FGA.Mk 9 was fitted with one 10,000 lb thrust Rolls Royce Avon Mk 207 turbojet engine. Supplied to the air forces of Abu Dhabi, Chile, India, Iraq, Kenya, Oman, Qatar, Rhodesia, Singapore, and the United Kingdom, this ground-attack version carries fuel drop tanks, was provided with a tail parachute to simplify operation into small airfields, and with special underwing attachments for bombs and rockets: they also retain the standard armament of four 30 mm cannon in the nose.
Hunter FGA.9
A two-seat trainer variant, designed as a private venture, was based on the F.4 despite the F.6 with its more powerful engine being available. The first T.7 protoype flew on 8 July 1955 and appeared at the 1955 Farnborough show two months later. While generally similar to the single seaters, these aircraft differed from the fighter by having a lengthened nose and ‘side by side’ seating, and the cannon pack was deleted and replaced with a single 30mm cannon fitted to the starboard side. The T.7 had a troubled gestation, with speed being limited to mach 0.88 until the canopy fairing was redesigned. A brake parachute was first fitted to the T.7, in an extended fairing over the top of the jetpipe. From 1957, a total of 45 Hunter T.7s were built at Kingston for the Royal Air Force. In addition, 6 Hunter F.4 airframes were converted to T.7 specification in 1958 and 1959. The first T.7s entered service with 229 OCU in July 1958. Some twin-seat Hunters entered service with the Fleet Air Arm, being fitted with arrestor hooks (for airfield use only) and designated as T.8s. The T.8B and T.8C followed, with improved navigational equipment, guns deleted and Harley lights added in the nosecone.
Hunter T7
Another variant known as the Hunter GA.Mk 11 was delivered to the Fleet Air Arm for training purposes.
A new version of the Hawker Hunter, the T.Mk.8C (XL604), flew for the first time on Septem¬ber 2, 1963, this differing from previous T.Mk.8s in equipment installed. Two ex Belgian Hun¬ter F.Mk.6s were converted as a private venture by Hawker Siddeley to two seat configuration against possible future orders. By 1970 the FGA.9 and FR.10 were leaving service, being replaced by a mixture of Buccaneers, Phantoms and Harriers. In 1979, the T.8M variant arrived. This was a T.8 given a Sea Harrier’s nose and was used to train pilots for the then-new Sea Harrier FRS.1, particularly the use of the Blue Fox radar. A small number of T.8Cs had transferred to RAF service with the loss of the RN’s carrier-borne Buccaneers in 1978, and these continued in use with RAF Buccaneer squadrons until that aircraft’s retirement in 1994. A T.12 variant had been on the cards, to train TSR.2 crews, but with that aircraft’s cancellation the T.12 was dropped, the single example produced being used for a variety of purposes by the RAE, including fly-by-wire developments and aerial surveys.
A number of aerobatic teams operated the Hunter, most famously 111 Squadron’s ‘Black Arrows’ and 92 Squadron’s ‘Blue Diamonds’. In 1958 by The Black Arrows looped 22 Hunters in formation at Farnborough. In July 1959, several T.7s were entered in the Daily Mail London-Paris race, one of them achieving the fastest time. All Buccaneer pilots were trained in the Hunter T.7 or T.8, one set of pilot’s instruments being removed and replaced with Buccaneer instruments.
The Hunter settled in for the next five years as the RAF’s foremost air defence and ground attack aircraft, and Hawker completed their F.3 variant. This was actually the original prototype with a new sharp nose, canopy, Avon RA.7R with reheat and airbrakes either side of the rear fuselage. Painted in a brilliant red colour scheme, Neville Duke then used the aircraft to set a number of records, including the World Absolute Speed Record on 7th September 1953 – achieving a speed of 727.6 mph off the Sussex coast. No further work was carried out on producing a production version of the F.3.
However, by 1963, the fully supersonic missile-armed Lightning was entering service and the Hunter’s RAF day fighter role was at an end. The Blue Diamonds briefly teamed up with the Lightnings of 74 Squadron to put on a performance at the 1961 Farnborough show. From now on the Hunter’s job would primarily be that of ground attack, and the next variant was the FGA.9.
In 1958 the Royal Air Force held a competition to find a suitable type to replace its Middle East-based Venom ground attack fighters. Hawkers won with a proposal for a modified Hunter F6 and an order was placed for the conversion of a number of airframes. The new version was designated FGA9 to show its new role and the first flew in July 1959.
With further strengthened wings, provision for greater external fuel carriage (first tested by Hawkers back on the F.4 but only now accepted by the Air Staff) and increased oxygen supply, the variant also included the T.7’s brake parachute. The FGA.9 entered service with 8 Squadron in January 1960 and soon equipped a number of squadrons. Further action for the Hunter came in attacks against dissident tribes and rebels in Aden, and attacks against Indonesian terrorists in Borneo.
In 1968 it was the RAF’s 50th birthday, yet the top brass did not se fit to mark this with any flypast, choosing instead for mere parades on the ground. Many RAF personnel were less than impressed and one Flt Lt Alan Pollock of 1(F) Squadron decided to mark the occasion in style – first with toilet-roll bombing missions against rival squadrons, and then on April 5th, while suffering from the beginnings of pneumonia, he flew his Hunter over London and at the last second decided to fly under the top span of Tower Bridge. Knowing of the consequences of his unauthorised trip, he proceeded to beat up several airfields and landed to meet his fate. It would be the end of his RAF career (he went on to run a successful exporting company), with political influences making sure he was thrown out of the RAF with no right to appeal, no court martial at which he could present his case, medical evidence ignored, unable to meet with his superiors, etc. It took until 1982 for his case to be fully heard, and only then was he exonerated. Coincidentally, that same year the Hunter he had flown (XF442, which had been sold to the Chilean Air Force) was written off in an accident.
The last operational Hunter FGA9s were flown by No.8 Squadron which disbanded in December 1971 although the type continued to be used in training units for a little longer.
Some F.6 models were also upgraded by Hawker Siddeley to FR.74As, then FR.74Bs models. The last converted aircraft (for Kuwait) was delivered in 1975.
Hawker Hunter FR.74
The FR.10, a reconnaissance version used largely in RAF Germany, replacing the Swift FR.5s. The FR.10 had also been used in the Far East, using cannon only in many attacks. The Fleet Air Arm extended their use of the Hunter to acquiring a number of single seaters, these being the GA.11 (with Harley light in the nose) and PR.11A (with cameras in the nose), though these were mostly operated by the civilian Fleet Requirements and Air Direction Unit (FRADU). The GA.11s were used for mock attacks against RN warships, the light in the nose being used to initially train gunners in how to track high speed aircraft.
The Dutch operated F.4s, F.6s and T.7s, beginning in 1956 and retiring them in 1968. Belgium also operated F.4s and F.6s from 1956 onward, but had no trainers – instead they used Dutch ones in a cooperative effort. Belgium retired the Hunter in 1963, though many were retired in 1957. Replaced by the F-104 in Dutch and Belgian service, as many of the Belgian examples had retired very early, they were in excellent condition and Hawker bought many back to sell once more. Sweden operated the Sidewinder-equipped F.50 (designated the J-34) from 1955 to 1966, replacing it with the SAAB Draken. Denmark operated the F.51 and a small number of T.53s (similar to the T.7 but with F.4-style wings rather than the F.6 ones) from 1955 to 1974. Switzerland operated their F.58s and T.68s from 1958 until 1995. The F.58 was essentially an FGA.9, but with Sidewinders and enlarged Sabrinas holding chaff and flare dispensers. Most famous of the Swiss Hunters were those of the national aerobatic team, the Patrouille de Suisse.
India made extensive use of the Hunter F.56(A) and T.66(D/E) from 1957 to the early 1980s, being the first export customer of the type, and continued to operate a small number for target towing duty until 2000. Participating in the 1965 and 1971 conflicts with Pakistan, the Hunter took a toll of Pakistani armour. However in combat with Pakistani Sabres, 8 were lost in the 1965 war compared to 6 Sabres being shot down by Hunters.
In the 1971 war six Hunters were lost, eight (possibly nine) Sabres were claimed by Indian Hunters (Pakistani sources accepting fewer losses but not by any great margin). A further three Hunters were lost to MiG-19s and four to Mirages. Singapore employed the Hunter from 1970 – FGA.74s, FR.74A/Bs and T.75(A)s, forming the newly independent island’s Air Defence Command. In the Middle East, Hunters were operated by a number of air forces. Abu Dhabi had the FGA.76, FR.76A and T.77 from 1970, being replaced by Mirage 5s. Qatar had the FGA.79 and T.79 from 1969, being replaced by Alpha Jets in the mid 1980s. Saudi Arabia operated a small number of F.6s and T.7s from 1966 to the mid 1970s as conversion trainers for students transitioning from the Jet Provost to the Lightning. Kuwait had the FGA.57 and T.67 from 1965, initially being replaced by the Lightning but soon coming back into use when the Kuwaitis had problems with the Lightning. By 1977 the FGA.57s had been replaced by A-4KU Skyhawks, but the T.67s continued in service for a few years after that point. Lebanon operated the F.6, FGA.70(A) and T.66C for a short time, all ending up being destroyed, mostly by Israeli strikes. Jordan operated F.6s, FGA.9s, FR.73Bs and T.66Bs from 1958 until 1974, and their Hunters were the first Arab aircraft to attack Israeli territory in the Six Day War. They were outclassed by Israeli Mirages in the air and most were destroyed in airstrikes on their bases. The few survivors of Israeli attacks were finally replaced by F-5s. Oman ended up with around 30 Hunters, ex-RAF, ex-Kuwaiti and ex-Omani examples among those operated from 1975 to the mid 1980s, being replaced by Jaguars. Iraq also operated the Hunter, F.6s, FGA.59(A/B)s and T.69s were used from 1958 to the mid to late 1980s, being replaced by Su-7Bs and Su-20s.
Peru operated F.52 and T.62 Hunters from 1956 to 1980 (replaced by Su-22s) and Chile (FGA.71, FR.71A and T.72) from 1966 to 1996. In Africa the Hunter was operated by Kenya (FGA.9 and T.81) from 1974 to 1979 and Rhodesia/Zimbabwe (FGA.9 and T.80) from 1963, being replaced by F-5s in Kenya and partially replaced by Hawks in Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe’s Air Force’s remaining Hunters were grounded by lack of spares. The Hunter was operated by the UK’s Defence Research Agency and the Empire Test Pilots School until 1999 and India retired hers in 2000. In 2007, the Hunter came back into UK military use when a pair were returned to the military register for defence simulation and trials work.
A total of 1972 were built including 445 manufactured under licence in Belgium and the Netherlands, until production ceased in 1960.
Principle users; Abu Dhabi Chile Denmark Great Britain India Iraq Jordan Kenya Kuwait Lebanon Oman Peru Qatar Singapore Sweden Switzerland Zimbabwe
F.1 Engine: 3425-kg (7,550-lb) thrust Avon 113 Length: 45 ft. 3 in. Seats: 1 Load factor: +7 / -3.75G
F.2 Engine: 3629-kg (8,000-lb) thrust Sapphire 101 Span 33 ft 8 in Length: 45 ft. 9 in. Seats: 1 Load factor: +7 / -3.75G
F.3
F. 4 Engine: 1 x Rolls-Royce AJ65 Avon RA7 Mk.113 or 114 turbojet, later Avon 115. Span: 33 ft 8 in Length: 45 ft 3 in MTOW: 17,100 lbs. Max speed: 715 mph @ SL / M0.95 @ 36,000ft. Service ceiling: 48,500 ft. Time to 45,000 ft: 9.8 min. External fuel: two 455-litre (100-Imp gal) drop tanks Seats: 1 Load factor: +7 / -3.75G Armament: 4 x 30 mm cannon & 2 x 1000 lb bomb.
F.Mk 5 Engine: 3629-kg (8,000-lb) thrust Sapphire 101 Span 33 ft 8 in Length 45 ft 3 in External fuel: two 455-litre (100-Imp gal) drop tanks Seats: 1 Load factor: +7 / -3.75G
F.6 Engine: 1 x Rolls-Royce Avon 207, 10,145 lb. Wing span: 33 ft 8 in (10.26 m). Length: 45 ft 10.5 in (13.98 m). Height: 13 ft 2 in (4.01 m). Max TO wt: 24,000 lb (10,900 kg). Max level speed: 715 mph. Ceiling: 50,000 ft Range: 1,900 miles (ferry) Seats: 1 Armament: 4 x 30mm Aden cannon
F.6A Engine: 1 x Rolls-Royce Avon 203, 10050 lb. Height: 13 ft 4 in / 4.01 m Length: 45 ft 10.5 in / 13.98 m Wing span: 33 ft 8 in / 10.26 m Wing area: 348.969 sq.ft / 32.42 sq.m MTOW: 24,100 lb. Weight empty: 13891.5 lb / 6300.0 kg Max. weight carried: 9834.3 lb / 4460.0 kg Wing loading: 68.06 lb/sq.ft / 332.0 kg/sq.m Max Ldg wt: 17,000 lb. Initial climb rate: 5905.51 ft/min / 30.0 m/s Service ceiling : 51509 ft / 15700 m Max level speed: 620 kt. Range: 540 nm / 1000 km Endurance: 1 h Armament: 4 x 30 mm Aden cannon plus up to 2000 lb bomb. Crew: 1
T.62
T.66B
T.66C
T.66D
T.66E
T.67
T.68
T.69
T.7 Engine: Rolls-Royce Avon 207 turbojet, 10,145 lbf (45.13 kN) Wingspan: 33 ft 8 in (10.26m) Length: 48 ft 10.5 in Maximum speed: 1,900 mph (1150 kph) Maximum range: 808 miles (3,060 km) with external tanks Service Ceiling: 50,000 ft (15,240 m) Seats: 2 Armament: one 30 mm cannon
T.7B
FGA.70A
FGA.71
FR.71A
FR.73B
T.72
FGA.74
FR.74 Engine: Rolls-Royce Avon 207 turbojet, 10,145 lbf (45.13 kN) Wingspan: 33 ft 8 in (10.26m) Length: 45 ft 11 in (14m) Maximum speed: 1,900 mph (1150 kph) Maximum range: 808 miles (3,060 km) with external tanks Service Ceiling: 50,000 ft (15,240 m)
FR.74A
FR.74B Engine: 1 x RR Avon 207, 10,150 lb thrust. Best climb speed: 430 kts. Seats: 1
T.75A
FGA.76
FR.76A
T.77
FGA.78 Engine: Rolls-Royce Avon 207 turbojet, 10,050 lb thrust. Rate of climb: 17,200 fpm Ceiling: 53,400 ft Maximum speed: 710 mph at sea level. Seats: 1 Armament: four 30mm cannon, plus bombs or rockets
FGA.79
T.79
T.8 Seats: 2
T.8B Seats: 2
T.8C Seats: 2
T.8M Seats: 2
T.80
T.81
FGA.Mk 9 Engine: 10,000 lb / 4559-kg thrust Rolls Royce Avon Mk 207 turbojet Wingspan 10.25 m (33 ft 8 in) Length 13.98 m (45 ft 10½ in) Height 4.02 m (13 ft 2 in) Wing area 32.42 sq.m (349 sq ft). Empty wt: 6532 kg (14,400 lb) Maximum take-off 11159 kg (24,600 lb) Maximum speed: 1144 km/h (710 mph) at sea level Initial climb rate 5245 m (17,200 ft) per minute Service ceiling 16275 m (53,400 ft) Range, clean 787 km (489 miles) Ferry range 2965 km (1,840 miles) Armament: four 30-mm Aden cannon, plus four 227-kg (500-lb) or 454-kg (1,000-lb) bombs, or four 455-litre (100-Imp gal) napalm tanks, or 2476-mm (3-in) rockets, or four 51-mm (2-in) rocket pods.
FR.10
GA.11 Seats: 1
PR.11A Seats: 1
T.12
Engine: 1 x Rolls-Royce “Avon” RA 28, 44.1kN Max take-off weight: 10885 kg / 23997 lb Empty weight: 6020 kg / 13272 lb Wingspan: 10.2 m / 33 ft 6 in Length: 14.9 m / 48 ft 11 in Height: 4.3 m / 14 ft 1 in Wing area: 32.4 sq.m / 348.75 sq ft Max. speed: 1150 km/h / 715 mph Ceiling: 16760 m / 55000 ft Range w/max.fuel: 2900 km / 1802 miles Range w/max.payload: 900 km / 559 miles Armament: 4 x 30mm cannons, ext. stores Crew: 1-2
Developed as a result of Australian interest in an operational fighter version of the P.1052 swept-wing research aircraft, the P.1081 was a rebuild of the second P.1052 incorporating a straight-through jet pipe, using a jet pipe adapted from that of the Supermarine Attacker, and a new all-swept tail. Non-availability of the Rolls-Royce Tay turbojet proposed for installation resulted in retention of the original 2268kg Nene R.N.2. With this power plant, the P.1081 was flown on 19 June 1950. Consideration was given to building a second, fully representative prototype with a four 20mm cannon armament and an afterburning Tay engine, but, on 14 November 1950, further work on the Australian project was cancelled. The sole P.1081 was subsequently transferred to the RAE, but was destroyed in an accident on 3 April 1951.
While work was proceeding with the P 1052 and the P1081, Hawker tried out the Snarler rocket on the P1040 which, with this addition, became the P1072. The Snarler was an Armstrong Siddeley rocket installation fitted to the tail of the aircraft, but powered by a Rolls-Royce Nene turbojet exhausting via bifurcated ducts in the wing roots, the idea being to get the rocket airborne for experimental engine development. After a conventional first flight in November 1950, the rocket was successfully used four days later. Six flights were made with the Snarler, taking off normally on the jet engine, and lighting the rocket at a fairly low altitude, putting the aircraft into a climb. With the Nene jet engine working at full power, together with the thrust of the rocket, the aircraft went up not beyond 40,000 feet the, aircraft had no pressurized cabin.
Engines: Rolls-Royce Nene turbojet, 5000 lb (2268 kg) and Armstrong Siddeley Snarler rocket, 2000 lb (907 kg) thrust.
N7/46 P1040 was the swept wing version of the N7, the P1052. Two of these aircraft were built for research purposes, with thirty five degree swept back wings the first used by Hawker’s to investigate the controllability and stability of sweptback wings at low speeds and much the same engine lay out as the P1040. First flown on 19 November 1948. After some development work, one of the P1052’s was converted into the P1081. This was fully swept back on all surfaces, and the engine lay out was changed: instead of the split or bifurcated jet pipe, the engine had a straight through jet pipe, exhausting in a single pipe under the tail. A prototype first flew in November 1948.
Hawker produced their first jet fighter, the P1040, to the specifications of the Air Ministry, designed by the team headed by Sir Sydney Camm. In certain respects the P1040 was an unorthodox aircraft. Although fitted with a single Rolls Royce Nene engine with twin intakes at the wing roots, it had a split jet pipe with two exhausts at the wing root trailing edge on either side of the fuselage; it also had straight wings, a straight tail and a normal fin. It was a beautiful aircraft to fly with spring tab ailerons, and it attracted the attention of the Admiralty. The Royal Navy took it over, converted it for deck landings with the addition of a hook, and gave it folding wings and other nautical refinements. This version of the P1040 became known as the N7/46, and was later produced as the Seahawk for the Fleet Air Arm. After the P1040 came the P1052, with a number of important changes in design.
Arising from the P.1040 single-seat land-based interceptor prototype, the Hawker Sea Hawk first flew in prototype form on 2 September 1947. A novel feature was the tail jet pipe which divided and exhausted in the wing roots. This made it exceptionally manoeuvrable and allowed a large internal fuel capacity giving the fighter a relatively long range. In addition to the fuselage mounted guns, bombs and rockets could be carried under the wings.
A tricycle undercarriage had single wheels on each unit. The main wheels retract inward into the fuselage. The nose wheel retracts forward. The wings fold upward and inward.
It was eventually followed by the Rolls-Royce Nene 101-powered Sea Hawk F.I, 35 of which were built for the Royal Navy by Hawker and 60 by Armstrong Whitworth.
This being a pure fighter variant. It was not until 1953 that it began to enter service with the Fleet Air Arm. Used operationally from the carriers Albion, Bulwark and Eagle in 1956, in support of Anglo French landings in Egypt, the type remained in service until 1960.
Sea Hawk production being entrusted to Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft from the Sea Hawk F.Mk 2 version onwards from 1953. The Mk 2 version was similar to the F.I but had powered ailerons. It was first flown in February 1954 and 40 were delivered. Progressive development of the basic design led to the appearance of rather more versatile variants, the first of these being the 116 Armstrong-Whitworth built Sea Hawk FB.Mk 3, which featured a strengthened wing structure, enabling it to carry bombs, rockets or auxiliary fuel tanks, and plain ailerons without tabs.
These were followed by 97 Sea Hawk FGA.Mk 4 with attachments for underwing stores, in addition to four 20mm built-in guns. The FGA.4 has power assisted ailerons.
In 1955 a Sea Hawk was flying at Britteswell equipped with vortex generators on the tailplane to ascertain the longitudinal stability characteristics at high Mach numbers. The research was aimed at increasing the maximum speed from the 630 mph.
Adoption of the more powerful Nene 103 turbojet engine in 1956 led to the Sea Hawk FB.Mk 5 (about 50 converted from Mk 3) and 86 new (plus some converted) Sea Hawk FGA.Mk 6 derivatives, these basically being re-engined Sea Hawk FB.Mk 3s and Sea Hawk FGA.Mk 4s, although some Sea Hawk FGA.Mk Gs were built as such.
In addition to production for the Fleet Air Arm, the Sea Hawk also operated with the naval air arms of India. Two squadrons of F(GA).6 were acquired by the Indian Navy for service on the aircraft carrier Vikrant; this service subsequently also received 22 ex-RN F(GA).4/6 and 28 ex-German aircraft.
22 Sea Hawk Mk 50 for the Royal Netherlands Navy were similar to Mk 6 but with American radio equipment; modified in 1959 to carry Sidewinder missiles.
34 Sea Hawk Mk 100 close-support strike fighters were produced for the Federal German Navy, and 34 Sea Hawk Mk 101 long-range radar reconnaissance fighters for the Federal German Navy.
Sea Hawk F.Mk 1 Engine: 1 x Rolls-Royce Nene 101 tur¬bojet, 2268-kg (5,000-lb) thrust. Wing span: 39 ft 0 in (11.89 m). Length: 39 ft 8 in (12.09m). Height: 8 ft 8 in (2.64 m). Max TO wt: 16,200 lb (7347 kg). Max level speed: 560 mph (901 kph).
Sea Hawk FGA.4 Engine: RR Nene Wingspan: 39 ft Length: 40 ft
Sea Hawk FGA.Mk 6 Engine: one 2359-kg (5,200-lb) thrust Rolls-Royce Nene 103 turbojet. Wingspan: 11.89 m (39 ft 0 in) Length: 12.09 m (39 ft 8 in) Height 2.64 m (8 ft 8 in) Wing area 25.83 sq.m (278 sq ft) Wheel track: 8 ft 6 in Maximum speed 945 km/h (587 mph) at 6095 m (20,000 ft) Service ceiling 13565 m (44,500 ft) ROC: 5700 fpm Range 1287 km (800 miles) with auxiliary fuel. Empty weight: 4672 kg (10,300 lb) Maximum take-off weight: 6895 kg (15,200 lb) Armament: four MK Hispano Mk V 20-mm cannon, plus two 227-kg (500-lb) bombs or 2076-mm (3-in) rockets. Crew: 1
Development of helicopters continued in 1968 with the first flight of the Harbin Z-6. A development of the Z5 (Mi-4) equipped with turbine engines, it was not a success, only 15 were built.
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