Hawker Hunter Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Hawker Hunter

RAF's Hawker Hunter in flight.
Role	Fighter jet.
National origin	UK
Manufacturer	Hawker
First flight	1951
Introduction	1954
Status	Out of service
Primary user	Royal Air Force
Number built	1972 examples

The Hawker Hunter is a famous British military jet aircraft. It was first designed and built as a fast fighter aircraft for the Royal Air Force (RAF). But it became so good that many other groups used it too! This included the Fleet Air Arm (the UK Navy's air force) and many other air forces around the world. Countries like Belgium, Iraq, Sweden, and Switzerland were among the many users of this amazing aircraft.

What is the Hawker Hunter?
- Designed for Speed and Agility
- Powerful Engines and Weapons
Who Used the Hunter?
- Royal Air Force (RAF)
- Other Countries and Roles
Hunter's Legacy
Images for kids
See also

What is the Hawker Hunter?

The Hawker Hunter is a type of jet aircraft that was used for fighting in the air. It was built by a British company called Hawker Siddeley. The first Hunter flew in 1951, and it started being used by the RAF in 1954. It was known for being very fast and easy to fly.

Designed for Speed and Agility

The Hunter was made to be a "dogfighter." This means it was great at air battles against other planes. It could fly very fast and turn quickly. This made it a strong plane for its time. It was also one of the first British jets that could fly faster than the speed of sound when diving!

Powerful Engines and Weapons

The Hunter had a powerful jet engine called the Rolls-Royce Avon. This engine gave it the speed it needed. It also carried four big 30 mm cannons. These cannons were very strong and could fire quickly. The plane could also carry rockets and bombs under its wings.

Who Used the Hunter?

The Hawker Hunter was a very popular plane. Over 1,900 of them were built!

Royal Air Force (RAF)

The RAF was the main user of the Hunter. It was their main fighter jet for many years. It helped protect the skies of Britain. The Hunter was also used by famous RAF display teams, like the "Black Arrows." These teams showed off the Hunter's amazing flying skills.

Other Countries and Roles

Many other countries bought and used the Hunter. It was used by air forces in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. Some Hunters were used as fighter-bombers, which means they could attack targets on the ground. Others were used for taking pictures from the sky or for training pilots.

Hunter's Legacy

Even though the Hawker Hunter is no longer used by most air forces, it is still a very important aircraft. It showed how good British aircraft design was. Many Hunters are now in museums, and some are even flown by private owners in airshows! It's a true classic of aviation history.

Images for kids

RAF Hunters of the Black Arrows performing aerobatics at Farnborough Airshow, 1960
The prototype Hunter WB188, modified to Mark 3 standard, displayed in its world speed record colours in 1976
"Miss Demeanour" – a privately owned Hawker Hunter F.58A, 2007
The cockpit of a preserved Hunter
A Hunter's removable weapons pack. In the foreground are the four 30 mm ADEN cannons.
The tail and rear fuselage are detachable, providing maintenance access to the aircraft's single engine
Hunter T7 of the Empire Test Pilots' School, Farnborough Air Show, September 1959
Four Hunters of No. 43 Squadron in flight, c. 1956
Hunter F6A in flight near RAF Abingdon, 1979
Indian Air Force Hawker Hunter in the Indian Air Force Museum, Palam
Swedish Air Force J34 Hunter, 1955
A pair of ex-Swiss Air Force Hunters flying in close formation behind a single Mirage III, 2011
Hunters of the Patrouille Suisse in formation flight, c. 1991
A retired 140 Squadron, Republic of Singapore Air Force Hawker Hunter FGA.74S, serial number 527 (ex-RAF XF458), at the RSAF Museum.
A Hunter F.6A of the Dutch Hawker Hunter Foundation painted to represent a Royal Netherlands Air Force aircraft, 2009
Hunter F.73 of the Royal Jordanian Air Force in 1971
Hunter operators
Hunter T7 restored by Delta Jets now Vintage Flyers at Kemble Airport, England
Gloster Meteor NF11 flies with Hunter Flight Academy's Hawker Hunter T7A G-FFOX at Kemble Air Show 2009
Hunter T7 aerobatics, Shoreham Airshow 2014. This aircraft was destroyed in the 2015 Shoreham Airshow crash.
Mounted above the Hunter's nose (ex-RAF XF458) is the G-10 gun camera port. Note also the two Sidewinder missiles under the starboard wing, a total of four could be carried by the Singaporean FGA/FR.74S variant.