Hawker Hunter - Your thoughts needed...

[garyscott]

it must be remembered that the Hunter was entering service as the US was introducing the F-102 Delta Dagger - (retired 1979 - Hunter still going!), when it entered service after a much delayed and problematic development programme (which is why the UK had to take over 400 F-86 Sabres as stopgaps) it suffered real problems with engine surging and stalling at height, was not initially able to fire it's guns without the engine stopping, had airbrake positioning problems and suffered from chronic lack of endurance and range. (every aircraft has gestational problems!)
It was replaced as the RAF frontline fighter with undue haste by the Lightning and was gone from the frontline of the RAF as an interceptor by 1962 (yet still used until the '90's!), hardly "the greatest fighter in the world" as someone claims Hawker Siddeley stated it was in 1962!

As for it being "British through and through" the majority of its production was funded by the USA as a part of their off shore procurement funding programme. (Lets say you were born in Britain, but all your money came from your american uncle, are you British, or American then??)

As to it becoming a legend, the actual legend is the fact that it was an outdated design and was a superb replacement for the Spitfire or the Meteor F8 as a short ranged, visual day only, non supersonic, fair weather fighter (That was the Design brief!) in an age where level flight supersonic/allweather performance and capability with radar guided air to air missiles was what was required and needed.

But it was very VERY pretty...

[PR9]

Regardless of how much more "ahead" US/Russian fighters were at the time, the Hunter has seen them all off and is still in front-line use. Not the world's best, but a darn good aircraft. Also a huge export success.

[Jumbojet380]

Thank-you to everyone who has responded. I've been doing the write up of my research over the past few days. I'll post some photos of the finished model of the furniture later on in the year.

[Phartycr0c]

The jet Spitfire!

[SteveS]

Like that reply garyscott. The Hunter held the world air speed record in a time when it was being broken every few months. So there were huge leaps in technology at the time, maybe not the Hunter itself, but the Hunter made the transition from straight to swept wing, as did the Sabre/Super Sabre at around the same time. It was a time when aircraft throughout the globe were evolving hugely and the Hunter arcs back to that period - and it still flying, in air force service.

Chronic lack of endurance - is that how we describe the Spitfire as well?

Steve