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Illustrated with over 450 black and white photographs, many of which are previously unpublished.The Hawker Hunter was Britain's first swept-wing jet fighter capable of exceeding the speed of sound. It was a simple, rugged design that was easy to maintain in service. Once the limited initial range was improved, it became a versatile combat aircraft as a day fighter, ground-attack fighter, and fighter reconnaissance platform. In addition to worldwide service with the RAF, the Hunter was an export success, becoming a standard fighter with NATO and air forces in the Middle East, Asia, Africa, and South America. Its modular construction made it easy to build, and earlier models were ideal for refurbishing and updating for sale to overseas customers. Today, seventy years since the author watched Neville Duke first demonstrate the aircraft at the Farnborough Air Show, Hunters are still active as low-cost platforms for aggressor training and systems development.
Hawker Hunter: A Classic Jet Fighter documents the aircraft's extensive and fascinating history, covering development and operational service across the world. The book is illustrated with over 450 black and white photographs, many of which are previously unpublished.
About the author
Philip Birtles joined the de Havilland Aeronautical School as an engineering apprentice in September 1957. Following training, he joined John Cunningham-- the chief test pilot as PA. Philip was then appointed deputy PR Manager at Hawker Siddeley Aviation, before moving to BAe Dynamics Group at Stevenage as PR Manager. A return was made to Hatfield with responsibility for customer acceptances for the BAe.146 airliner, until the factory closed in early 1994. Philip has written some 40 books on aerospace, his first one being published in 1980 and has been involved with the de Havilland Aircraft Museum for over 40 years.
Summary
This is a detailed history of the Hawker Hunter jet fighter, covering development and operational service across the world, illustrated by many previously unpublished images in both colour and black and white.
