Airfix #A09192 1/48 Hawker Hunter FGA.9/FR.10/GA.11

Airfix #A09192 1/48 Hawker Hunter FGA.9/FR.10/GA.11

Arising from a post war specification during a period where the prevailing government thought there wouldn’t be another conflict for a decade or more, the Hunter took some time to develop into the aircraft we know and love due to the rapid development of aviation at the time, and a constant search for better performance.  Eventually, the Hunter F.1 reached prototype during the scramble for capable jet aircraft at the time of the Korean war.  The F.1 morphed into a single F.3 whilst still developing rapidly until the F.4 came along with additional fuel tanks in the wings and a more powerful variant of the Sapphire engine.  Development continued apace with the F.5 following on with another variant of the engine, and so it went on into the F.6, some of which were later converted into the new FGA.9 ground attack Hunters for service with the RAF.  They were given heavier controls to make them easier to fly near the ground, fuel tanks under the wings, and more powerful engines.  The FR.10s were reconnaissance airframes that were again converted from F.6s, adding cameras and the majority of the same upgrades as the FGA.9s apart from the control optimisation because it wasn’t required.  The Royal Navy took on a quantity of converted F.4s as Weapons Training GA.11s, but seemingly contrary to their intended use, the guns were removed along with their troughs, however an arrestor hook was added, with forty taken on charge for this role.

The Hunter was a much beloved aircraft by ground crew, pilots and airshow visitors, remaining in service as a trainer after it was replaced by the Lightning, Phantom and Harrier, which its adherents would cite as a sign of a great aircraft that took three types to take over its role.  Whilst it’s an over-simplified argument, at the time it probably had some legs.  Most of the remaining airframes were retired from the training role once the Hawk T.1s came into service, with a few remaining in specialist roles as development aircraft, the two-seat T.8Ms in Royal Navy service being amongst the last to retire.  We’re lucky enough to still have a few flying examples in the UK, so we can enjoy the distinctive “blue note” of its engine at airshows.