Hawker Hunter
The Hawker Hunter was Britain's primary frontline jet fighter through much of the 1950s and remained popular as a trainer and light attack aircraft with air forces worldwide for decades after. Its swept wing and clean, elegant lines made it renowned among pilots for exceptionally pleasant, forgiving handling, a reputation that kept it in demand as a trainer long after it stopped being competitive as a frontline fighter. Switzerland, among many export operators, flew Hunters until the 1990s, an unusually long service life for a 1950s-designed fighter. A dedicated community of civilian owners keeps a number flying today at airshows, prized specifically for that renowned handling.
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Did you know?
The Hunter's swept wing gave it such forgiving handling that air forces kept flying it as a trainer decades after retiring it as a fighter.
Specifications
| Length | 14.9 m (49 ft) |
|---|---|
| Wingspan | 10.3 m (34 ft) |
| Height | 4 m (13 ft) |
| Persons on board | 2 |
| Crew | 1 |
| Maximum take-off weight | 10.8 t |
| Range | 380 NM (704 km) |
| Maximum speed | 620 kt (1,148 km/h) |
| Service ceiling | 51,500 ft (15,697 m) |
| Rate of climb | 17,200 ft/min (87.4 m/s) |
| Engines | 1x Rolls-Royce Avon |
| Units built | 1,972 |
Curated by CatchFlights from manufacturer documents, ICAO Doc 8643 and reference works; values are left out where no source could confirm them. Sources are listed on our credits page.
In CatchFlights
In CatchFlights the Hawker Hunter starts as a Very rare catch. The tier is an editorial judgement of how special a sighting of this type is. The more often you catch it, the closer it moves to Common for you.
A catch counts for the manufacturer Hawker, the Hunter family and the model in your collection, and the daily Type Rating quiz asks about the types of each family.
Catch it yourself.CatchFlights shows the aircraft flying near you on a radar, so a type like this one is only a catch away when it passes overhead. Explore CatchFlights.
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