Introduction If there was ever an aircraft that displays a timeless shape and excellent aerodynamics, then the Hawker Hunter, first flown in 1951 as a result of Sir Sydney Camm’s design for a jet fighter, has to be the one. Its streamlined fuselage and swept wing design, internal Rolls Royce Avon gas turbine within the fuselage and air supply for the engine drawn in through the wing root leading edge lends itself to the design which has never dated, and still flies with grace and beauty today. As a teenager, I thrilled with the prospect while attending the Farnborough Air show, of seeing TWENTY TWO Hawker Hunters in formation, all painted in the colour scheme of the Black Arrows that belonged to 111 squadron of the Royal Air force, and I will never forget the sight and sound of twenty two Avon gas turbines, at full power, in close formation within these black painted aircraft. The crackle of raw power beating about the ears as the sky was filled with Hunters soaring in unison above us all. Oh, aircraft heaven. Little did I know that some time later I would actually get to sit in a Hunter, and during my aviation career actually spend time investigating its systems and controls, internally and externally.
Installation and Documentation With FS9 and FSX including SP1 (service pack 1) SP2 and Acceleration pack compatibility, the Hawker Hunter is easily downloadable via the Alphasim website, and the instructions should be followed carefully to ensure addition to your fleet of aircraft. The cost is £23.50 UK Sterling, and after download and installation, the PDF (Adobe Portable Document File) which is cleverly designed to represent an Air Ministry Pilot handbook of 1951, can be opened to reveal a cockpit and instrument gauge guide in fine detail. Further investigation gives a well laid out checklist for operating the Hunter, which I recommend you thoroughly digest before flying. The paperwork has been carefully prepared and is a great help in setting the aircraft for flight properly. The Hawker Hunter
The package includes 7 model variants and 8 texture sets depicting the following aircraft: F6 -
The Black Arrows aerobatic team Royal Air Force (111 Squadron)
XF506 With bump-mapping, self shadowing and bloom effects, together with a weathered look to some models and all the panels, pitot tubes and external aerials in the right places, including the ability to park the aircraft with all the ground pins and covers in position as well as cockpit access steps, this aircraft looks superb. Complete with display team markings for several display teams, there is an aircraft in the package for every enthusiast. The markings are very accurate, as is the squadron camouflage scheme where applied. Complete with external and internal lighting, but not taxi or landing lights, the Hunter is a very versatile package, and even the canopy can be rolled back on its runners for internal access.
The Cockpit In the usual 2D display or Virtual Cockpit (VC) mode, all the instruments look good and are easily visible. The only downside is that a lot of the switches are “eye candy”. Meaning that they look right but actually do nothing, but that aside, the whole layout is typical of the Hunter cockpit just the way it is in real life. There is even a switchable Radar Scanner, which hunts realistically but doesn’t display in real-time. Pop up displays for electrics and radios etc. are installed neatly, and looking out of the working environment forward, left and right gives good views with the high seat back restricting rearward views just as it would in a real Hunter. The paint finish, panel and interior wise, is typical of the period, dull but functional.
Panel The panel is typical of a 1950’s design. A standard flight instrument layout with all the extras required for single pilot operation. On either side of the cockpit, below the coaming, all the expected controls and switches are readily at hand. In “VC” mode, they are functional for the basic applications, like gear selection, flaps, air brake and throttle etc. Sounds This package includes a very high quality Rolls Royce Avon sound-set, and from start up to shutdown it is all superbly realistic. The usual “gear-in-transit” sounds, flap functions and even the fuel pump effects are audible. Viewing the Hunter externally with the engine turning and burning, especially at close proximity, is very real and it sounds great in the air as well. Sitting in the enclosed cockpit gives some protection from the noise of course, but there is never any doubt after starting up the Avon that it is a powerful gas turbine engine throbbing behind you, even at ground idle speed. Flight I could enthuse for pages here, but realistically, I have to say that the aircraft handles just as Sir Sydney Camm’s design intended, right through the flight envelope. From testing the brakes on taxi-out to applying full thrust at 50,000 feet plus, it is all there, and flies like the thoroughbred that the Hunter is. Emulated perfectly in simulator form, with not one complaint. Even
the speed brake functions correctly. Which means that with the
gear up, the brake will extend below the lower fuselage to slow
the aircraft down. But as soon as the gear is lowered or the aircraft
is sitting on the ground, (situation normal-three greens) the speed
brake is accurately inhibited to prevent ground strike action taking
place. It is a big speed brake after all.
Summary / Closing Remarks The Hawker Hunter is to be thoroughly recommended. Although the cockpit function leaves little for one to do in flight but navigate, clock watch and keep a look out for conflicting traffic, the sheer design accuracy means that this aircraft is a must for any Hawker enthusiast. Especially since it is beautifully painted in display team colours and looks fantastic on the ground or in the air. My only criticism is that because I am an aviation engineer and enthusiast through and through, the total absence of the Hunter T7 trainer is a pity, because it had side by side seating for training purposes, and therefore, a good instrument panel layout. Maybe it could be a later addition. This does not detract from my overall impression, which is that this package displays a nicely modeled aircraft that will allow you to carry out an air display routine with style, or fly long distances within the 1 hour 25 minute fuel range. This means that lots of airfields can be visited easily, or even emulate that daring dash under the top support structure of Tower Bridge in London, if you feel lucky and foolhardy. What can be more spectacular than circumnavigating the Alps at low altitude in a display team Hunter of the Swiss Air force.
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