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| Click Here For Full Artist Print Indexes | Aviation History Archive |
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| Text for the above items : |
Take it to the Bridge by Ivan Berryman. As cuts to the RAF and other armed services by the Labour Government were implemented in the late 1960s, Flt Lt Alan R Pollock of No.1 Sqn took it upon himself to stage a very personal protest whilst en route to West Raynham from Tangmere on 5th April 1968. Peeling away from the rest of his flight immediately after take off, Pollock flew low-level to London where he buzzed the Houses of Parliament three times before flying his Hawker Hunter FGA.9 under the upper spans of Tower Bridge. The incident is now part of British aviation folklore, but Pollock was immediately removed from flying duties for his audacity. He will always be recorded in history, however, as the first pilot to fly a jet aircraft through Tower Bridge. |
First Flight by Gerald Coulson. On July 21st 1951 WB188, the Hawker PIO67 Prototype, made its first flight from Boscombe Down, flown by Hawker Chief Test Pilot and WWII fighter ace, Squadron leader Neville Duke DSO, OBE, DFC**, AFC. This historic aircraft went on to become the Hunter, one of Britains most successful fighter aircraft. Created under the guiding hand of famed Hawker designer Sydney Camm, the PI067 Hunter became the RAFs standard single seat fighter from 1954 until 1960. It was also the first British produced swept-wing fighter to serve in large numbers in the RAF. The maiden flight was successful with only minor problems. Due to the undercarriage light staying on Neville Duke took the decision not to exceed 19,000 ft or 350 knots. The P1067 was Hawkers first application of powered controls but British experience of this was very limited at that time. Consequently the elevator hydraulic power boost was disconnected but the ailerons remained in use.This meant that the pilot struggled to maintain control especially on landing. Neville Duke has fond memories of the aircraft, which has become synonymous with his name: Of the multitude of designs from the board of Sydney Camm over a period of 43 years the Hunter is arguably the most graceful of all. The saying if it looks right it will fly right applies to the Hunter and can be illustrated by the fact that within some ten test flights the aircraft was flying in excess of 700mph, as demonstrated at the SBAC Farnborough Show shortly after the first flight. Sydney Camm proclaimed it to be his most beautiful design and I am not alone in claiming it to be a pilots aeroplane, a view expressed amongst the fighter pilots of the 21 nations who flew this aircraft in operational service up until 1995. Our aim was to give the pilots a fighter without limitations and this unique clearance was obtained. Long may we see them in the air as a tribute to the genius of Sydney Camm and his design team. Some 2000 Hunters were produced in the UK, Holland and Belgium and many more refurbished for 14 nations and returned to service through-out the world. The Hunter continues to serve in non-operational roles in various services and establishments as well as in private hands. WB 188 now resides in the Tangmere Military Aviation Museum, West Sussex. This superb release by one of the masters of aviation art, Gerald Coulson, depicts the prototype on its historic first ever flight from Boscombe Down. |
Grace & Pace by Robert Tomlin. Probably the most graceful jet aircraft ever, yet in its time deadly and effective, a Hawker Hunter of the Old Flying Machine Company who are based at Duxford in England, gets airborne for another majestic display in the hands of the late Mark Hanna. |
Hunter Force by Nicolas Trudgian. A pair of Hawker Hunter Mk9 jets from No.58 Squadron R.A.F. based at R.A.F. Wittering are seen climbing over the south coast of England in 1973. |
Hunters F(GA) Mk9 by Barry Price. FG89 Hunters, No.1 Squadron RAF. XE624 leading. |
Auf Wiedersehen by Philip West. This symbolic bouquet break by the Patrouille Suisse with the snow covered peaks of the Swiss Alps below signifies the retirement of the beloved Hawker Hunter from team service in 1994. After thirty years of thrilling displays around Europe, the Hawker Hunters of the Patrouille Suisse performed their last public display at Nancy in France on 25th September 1994. Considered by many to be the most beautiful jet fighter ever to grace the skies the Swiss machines, with their striking paint scheme, enabled the Patrouille Suisse to bring an exceptional element of grace and elegance to the dynamic type of aerobatic display performed by most jet aerobatic display teams. Even more remarkable in their performance is the fact that the team members were all regular pilots with the Surveillance Wing of the Swiss Air Force and as such were able to practice just once per month when normal duties allowed. Their appearances were comparatively rare as they performed only about 6-10 public displays per year but their professionalism was legendary amongst aerobatic teams, one of the most memorable moments being at Fairford, England in 1993 when they flew an outstanding display immediately after the mid-air collision by Russian MiGs. |
Hunter Hawker Hunter F-1 to Fr-10 jet fighter and fighter reconnaissance aircraft first flew with No43 squadron Royal Air Force in July 1954. The Hawker Hunter continued service until 1971. The Hunters were used by two RAF display units, the "Black Arrows" of No. 111 Squadron who set a record by looping and barrel rolling in formation 22 Hunters, and later the "Blue Diamonds" of 92 Squadron that used 16 Hunters. A total of 1,972 Hunters were produced by Hawker Siddeley and under licence. |
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