There are a lot of Hawker Hunters owned by civilians worldwide. I have a long association and keen interest in the Hunter, and taken note of these aircraft. I have seen some restored to pristine condition, either to fly again or for static display. In order for like minded aviation enthusiasts to keep track of these splendid machines, I decided to construct this non-commercial web site. It will be continually added to, and also updated with improved information from all sources. I would really appreciate contributions for the site. I am particularly interested in 'before' (before overhaul) and 'after' photographs of surviving Hunters; and also a brief history of its rebuild and current usage. Please advise me via my website e-mail:- scamurray737@gmail.com I have a lot of books and articles published on the Hunter and because of all the photographs they contain, I may be able to include some aircraft in their service livery. I also have access to a brief service history of most Hunters built, which I could include on the site. Anyone wishing to use any material from this web site, in a non-commercial manner, is more than welcome to do so. However, if anyone viewing this site has any objection to the information presented, either written or photographic, please advise me via my website e-mail. I have bought Hunter (WV331), an ex-Singapore Air Force F74B (543). Restoration could begin in the next couple of years. This project has been more than a fulfillment of a dream for me. In 1963, at the age of fifteen I was a young aviation enthusiast whose ambition it was to fly the newly arrived Hunter FGA 9s in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), Africa. I joined the Air Force as an Instrument Technician. After completing my technical training I only ever worked on the Hunter and in the Hunter Simulator (we had no two seaters). I was then accepted for pilot training, and when I had passed, my first posting was to the Hunter squadron. I then flew them for eighteen fantastic months. The following seven years I spent on Mirages (seconded), helicopters and instruction. I returned to the Hunter squadron as ‘A’ Flight Commander and Instructor for my last six months in the Air Force. It was during this period that we acquired five more Hunters from Kenya, including our first two seater. I helped ferry them down to Zimbabwe and became our first ‘real’ instructor on the Hunter. I joined Air Zimbabwe in 1981, and as a First Officer on the Boeing 707, thought my Hunter days were over. Then out of the blue came an offer to join in a four ship birthday Flypast for the President of Somalia in 1983. They were ex-Abu Dhabi Hunters and, externally, not in very good condition. I flew 703(WV389) after it had had just enough maintenance to get it airborne. We then flew three exciting sorties, including the Flypast, without a single fault. What an amazing aircraft. That should have satisfied me, but here I am in Australia,having retired from Qantas where I was a Captain/ Training Captain on the Boeing 737, and I own a Hunter. I already have both the single seat (T74) and two seat (T75) Hunters endorsed on my Australian Air Transport Pilots License and flew Dave Currie's T75 (XF970) in 2003/2004. It sat on static display at "RAN Aviation Museum", Nowra, NSW, Australia. It is an impressive Museum that re-assembled my Hunter and allowed me to put it into the markings of the 1972 Rhodesian Air Force Hunter I flew. The RAN acquired an ex-RAN helicopter and had no room for my Air Force Hunter and returned it to me. The RAAFA Perth Aviation Museam at Bull Creek, Western Australia were delighted to take it on, and I donated it to them. They have been doing a very comprehensive restoration for display in their fine museum since 2020 and should be on display by the end of 2023. In setting up this web site I am hoping to enhance this wonderful aircraft’s already wide recognition, and provide Hunter enthusiasts with a source of information of surviving Hunters. An example of a classic Hunter Reborn: |
