Hunter Aircraft - ex 2017 Election Thread

Cameron - as part of the Chipping Norton Set - was/is an enthusiastic hunter.

 

I must admit to being extremely enthusiastic about hunters, particularly the 2-seater variants. Sadly never got to have a trip in one.
I was once a member of the Chipping Norton set, but it was No 136 Chipping Norton Sqn Air Cadets.

 

Go to the top of the class. A 92 Sqd Hunter in full Blue Diamonds colours. Doesn't get any better than this and has right made my day. .

 

Thanks, this aircraft (XL572) is at the Yorkshire Air Museum, Elvington. I photographed it in 1991 when it had just been repainted by personnel at nearby RAF Linton on Ouse.

Last bit of thread drift: Hunter F6 XF515 in 43 Sqn colours in its element in 2004. Probably the most elegant post-war UK military jet.

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Not quite. XL572 was never with 92 but her sister XL571 was and that's the colour scheme chosen. Incidentally, 92 were based at Linton on Ouse for a while in the 1950s. Called in at Elvington a couple of years ago and the Hunter was outside in the sunshine. Nice.

 

Looked at my notes; you are absolutely spot on. 92 Sqn was, I believe, one of only 2 RAF sqns based in the UK with Canadair Sabres (at Linton) in the 1950s; all others were based in RAF Germany. (Sorry about thread drift again - back to the election!)

 

I spent a week at RAF Chivenor with the CCF in 1973.
Rammed full of Hunters on advanced fast jet training and three Meteors for target towing.

Fantastic memories and Happy days!

 

Cheers but you seemed to have brought one of Enterprise's political comments with it.

 

Yes, 92 and 66 were the only Sabre units in Fighter Command, the rest were with 2ATAF in Germany.

 

Was the Hunter the most exported jet fighter/ trainer built by Hawker? didnt the RAF keep a couple of Trainers on strength at The joint flying school until recently? and i can remember when i used to have to deliver classified Drawings to Dunsfold , seeing a trainer parked up on the apron ,often with the firms pet 2 seater harrier, i was the only person where i worked then, who had clearance to go on site, because i was still a part time reservist at the time, and still covered by the official secrets act. i asked the security person who escorted me , about it, he thought it was used to keep some test pilots up to standard before they converted onto the firms harrier.

 

The Hunter finished on RAF/RN/RAE strength some years ago but there is a company based at Scampton who fly Hunters on a military contract. There's talk of an ex Luftwaffe F-4F joining the fleet.

 

It's been allocated serial no ZK848 (ex-Luftwaffe serial 38+48).

Back to Hunters - definitely the best "looker".

 

I take it the 'knee-jerk' flying ban on Hunters after Shoreham didn't last long?

The Scampton based aircraft are, I believe, used for 'aggressor' training - is that correct and is it for the RAF and the Royal Navy?

Thanks

Steven

 

In it's report on the Shoreham accident, the CAA announced the grounding of all UK civilian Hunter aircraft. The Hunters at Scampton are on the military register - ZZ190, ZZ191 AND ZZ194 - so I suspect the grounding order doesn't apply to those aircraft. I might be wrong though.

 

The ban only applies to civilian registered Hunters. Those on the military contract are on the military register and are thus exempt from the ban.
Here's lots of info regarding what the Hunters do. https://www.hunterteam.com