Thunder & Lightnings

Hawker Hunter - Walkaround Photos

This page will be revamped in due course; rather than remove all these images I have left them in place for the time being, though many are of poor quality these days.

Cockpit

XF382. Something every model kit manufacturer gets wrong - cockpit coamings are never smooth! In fact they're often utterly unlike what you get in the kit. Note how the canopy merges with the fuselage too. XF382. Looking at the instrument panel view, with a fairly decent view of the gun sight. XF382. Looking down into the starboard forward corner of the cockpit. XF832. Looking down at the seat cushion and starboard console. Some of those controls must have needed contortionist skills to get to! XF382. A view of the seat top. The oxygen system is down by the side of the seat on this side. XF382. Looking back at the rear cockpit bulkhead. The large assembly at centre-right is the air conditioning valve. XF382. Round the starboard side now; the canopy frame is quite a substantial affair, as is the bulletproof center panel! XF382. Good overall view of the instrument panel and gun sight. XF382. View of the seat and port console. The blue straps are leg restraints. Overall colour of the cockpit is scuffed black. XF382. Looking back at the ejector seat top. Note the yellow 'cut here' marks on the canopy frame. T.7 ET-272. Not the best of photos I'm afraid. T.7 ET-272. Panning right for a look at the mostly unequipped seats. T.7 ET-272. Rear bulkhead. T.7 ET-272. A better look at the instrument panel. T.7 ET-272. A much better look! Lots of radio gear on the starboard side - not to be found on most T.7s. T.7A WV318. On close examination you'll see lots of differences between the T.7 and the T.7A - this is because this aircraft was heavily modified to represent a Buccaneer cockpit, being used for Buccaneer crew training and familiarisation. T.7A WV318. Now <em>this</em> is what the seats should look like!

Nose

P.1067 WB188 at Tangmere. The prototype, and converted to Mk.3 standard, this is the aircraft that Neville Duke used to set a world speed record in. It retains its paint scheme from that day and has a different canopy to normal single seaters. T.7 XL587 at Duxford. Standard two-seater cockpit canopy, but the grab handles aren't usually there. F.6A XF832 at Coventry. These large fairings, known as Sabrinas after a 1950s pinup who also boasted a pair of curvy objects, collect used links from the cannon's ammunition belts. The two pipes towards the rear are where used cartridge cases are ejected. These are the port side cannon ports; red boarding ladder in the background. In the top of the nose is what at first sight is an intake. In fact it leads to the gun camera, but look more carefully at the starboard side of the tunnel - yes, there's a little intake there, part of a ram air cooling system for the radar. Behind this window is an F.95 strike camera similar to those fitted to first generation Harriers. FGA.9 XG154 at Hendon. RAF Hunters differed from Swiss ones in usually having simple gun ports and different 'Sabrina' cannon link collector fairings; Swiss examples had boxy bits around the guns and chaff/flare dispensers built into the sabrinas. XF382 again; view from the starboard cockpit side looking back. The canopy rail grooves are very obvious as is the white communications aerial and the intake boundary layer dumps (here used to help keep the intake covers on!). T.8M XL603 at Bruntingthorpe. A T.8 modified with a Sea Harrier nose and appropriate changes in the cockpit - the Hunter seems to have a habit of pretending to be other aircraft! The various bits sticking out of the nose are only seen on T.8Ms (and SHARs!). The brighter circle by the '4' is sun glare, not part of the paint scheme.

Fuselage

View of the port mid fuselage area on XF382. General view underneath the fuselage - what looks like corrosion is accumulated hydraulic and engine oil, which is somewhat difficult to shift, I am reliably informed. Closeup of the yellow aerial visible in the previous shot, possibly part of the navigational system. Further proof that the fuselage sides are pretty much symmetrical. XL603 at Bruntingthorpe. The nose might be non-standard, but this bit of the fuselage is pretty similar to normal Hunters. Drooped flaps can be seen at lower right. Back to XF382, looking down onto the starboard mid-fuselage; much the same as the port side with a similar arrangement of cooling louvres and intakes, but an offset aerial on a plinth is noteworthy.

Wings

Looking back over the upper decking and port wing. As you can see, this time the canopy is pulled right back and fills the rail groove completely. The intake edges look natural metal, actually it's dirty white. The intake lips are neoprene and are white when new. The dogtooth fitted from the F.6 onward is, in modelling terms, rather unexciting! Good view over the port wing. Noteworthy are the way the pylon ejector fairing is painted to match the roundel and the single trim tab on the port aileron - the starboard aileron does <strong>not</strong> have this tab. On the fuselage side the various engine cooling louvres and intakes are obvious as is the circular engine bearing cooling air outlet behind the wing. Another view of the port wing, note the shape of the pylon ejector fairing and the generally smooth finish. A view underneath the port wing - again, a smooth finish, no rivets or rough panels. F.6A XK149 at Bruntingthorpe. The dogtooth leading edge was fitted from the F.6 onward, though some early F.6s had the straight wing. This drop tank is the larger 230 gallon one, only ever fitted inboard as here. Note the bracing strut! The drop tank is not round either; there's a flattened section on the top where the pylon meets it. The flaps had to be modified to accomodate the larger 230 gal tanks and accordingly have a round cut-out on their inboard corner. View over the starboard wing - compare with the port wing - no trim tab! The whip aerial on this side is sometimes also present on the port wing.

Undercarriage

Nose undercarriage and rear door of XF382 at Coventry. Nose undercarriage bay - aft portion. The red block is a ground lock to stop accidental retraction. Nose undercarriage bay - forward portion and forward door. Note the curved impression in the door. F.51 'XF314' at Tangmere. This is the forward nose gear door, and is much the same on all variants. XF382 again. Note the big hinge for the gear door - doors rarely hinge precisely along an edge of a bay! T.8M XL603 at Bruntingthorpe. While the gear leg is pretty standard Hunter, the louvres on the rear nose gear door aren't seen on single seaters, instead the door is smooth in this area. P.1067 WB188 at Tangmere. A rather different gear door arrangement for this prototype, and in unloaded condition so the oleo isn't compressed. Now F.6 XK149 at Bruntingthorpe, a good shot of the leg and bay area plus the serial presentation on the wing (different on the other wing of course). F.6A XF382 at Coventry. Port main undercarriage bay - inboard portion, looking up and inboard. Port main undercarriage bay - looking up and slightly aft. Port main undercarriage bay - outboard portion - looking up and outwards. Port main undercarriage leg and outer doors - gives a good idea of the door arrangement. Another view of the port main undercarriage, further showing the gear door arrangement. WB188 again. 'XF314' again, starboard main gear viewed from dead ahead. 'XF314' once more, viewed from inboard and aft a bit... XF314, panning up to look at the bay... XF314, turning around to look at the inboard portion of the bay. As the bay was resprayed and has corroded as well, it looks rather unlike an in-service example. XK149 again, wider angle shot of the starboard wing underside. A few panels missing. Now XF832; starboard main undercarriage leg and outer doors. General colouration of the undercarriage, bays and doors is dirty, greasy aluminium but the legs are light aircraft grey. The red bit is a ground lock to stop accidental retraction. Starboard main undercarriage inner door. RAF Hunters had quite prolific stencilling, a taste of which can be seen in this small area! Starboard main undercarriage bay, inboard portion, looking straight up. Starboard main undercarriage bay, outboard portion, looking up and outward. Starboard main undercarriage bay, inboard portion, looking up and forward. The bay roof is fairly unobstructed, but as you can see the sides are a different story.

Tail

F.51 'XF314' at Tangmere. Early marks of the Hunter had no brake chute, and hence no fairing above the jetpipe to take the parachute pack. A bit weather-worn, this Hunter, but it does show the panel lines off well! Note the red rudder lock. The brake parachute fairing over the engine was added to F.6s as part of the F.6A conversion; it's obvious this particular one is from another Hunter judging by the difference in the paint demarcation line. The elevator hydraulic accumulator gauge is to be found on the port side of the fin (this one belonging to XF382). Also note the fairly large swash plates around the tailplane, to keep the fin innards covered when the tailplane incidence is changed. Good view of the camouflage demarcation under the tailplane. Closeup of the fuel dump pipe and tail bumper. What look like loose screws are actually drains. The airbrake is not quite closed which normally indicates the beginning of hydraulic pressure loss. F.6A XK149 at Bruntingthorpe. Very much a standard Hunter rear fuselage with no arrestor hook. Drooped flaps very obvious, and note the cutout to clear the drop tank. Peering into the tailpipe of F.6A XF382 at Coventry for a look at the Avon's rear face. The eight spikes are temperature probes. As you can see there's quite a distance between the rear face of the engine and the end of the aircraft - no doubt this wasted space contributed to the Hunter's lack of range, even with fuel tanks wrapped around the jetpipe! Another business end shot - looking rather different, because this is WB188 and she has an afterburner! WB188 again, as if you couldn't guess! WB188's nose and canopy weren't the only unusual parts of the aircraft - as you can see here the airbrake isn't on the bottom of the fuselage, instead there are two, one either side of the jetpipe. XF382 once more. Note the airbrake is closed - this is the normal situation for a parked Hunter, unless it's lost hydraulic pressure. This museum Hunter has an iron bar holding the brake closed. Closeup of the upper tailcone and brake chute doors. The doors are normally tightly shut, or fully open - not somewhere in between. Distorted by the lense used, but still a useful shot for camouflage layout etc. Further aft the fuselage is still much the same as the other side. Note the small tail bumper and that on this side of the fin there is no small gauge to be seen. The airbrake fairing isn't as smooth as you'd expect and is basically a triangular wedge. A somewhat distorted look under the starboard tailplane. The rear part of the anti-buffet acorn fairing is a navigation light.

Arrestor Hook & Airbrake

GA.11 WV382 at Long Marston. The GA.11 was used by the Fleet Air Arm (or FRADU to be precise) for simulating attacks on RN warships to train the crews. Fitted with a powerful light in the nose to aid guncrews in tracking fast-moving targets, and also arrestor hooks for that naval feel. WV382 again, looking forward from behind the arrestor hook. A pretty hefty bit of kit unlike the Lightning's arrestor hook, but again used only on real runways, not for carrier landings. T.7 N-315 also at Long Marston. The Hunter's airbrake looks very much like a last-minute addition, and is a very simple affair. A single sheet of curved metal hinging at the fairing at it's forward end, it's braced with some rectangular channels and another sheet sandwiched on top to keep it in shape. T.8M XL603 at Bruntingthorpe. Another naval variant, used to train Sea Harrier pilots, but firmly land-bound.