Hawker Hunter F.6A Walkaround

We would like to express our thanks to the staff of the Midland Air Museum
at Coventry Airport in Warwickshire, UK for the excellent access to their
Hunter F.6A XF382. This particular Hunter is kept in good condition by an
ex-RAF ground crew member who worked on XF382 when he was in the RAF. The
electrical and hydraulic systems are operational and from time to time
the aircraft is powered up electrically. Sadly though, no engine runs;
the neighbouring airport would no doubt like to keep its fence intact.
Visit the museum's web site and see what other real-life reference material you can go and see.

Gun Camera

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.

These are the port side cannon ports; red boarding ladder in the background.

Nose undercarriage and rear door.

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.

A good view over the port wing. Noteworthy are the ways the pylon ejector fairing is painted to match the roundel and the single trim tab on the port aileron - the starboard aileron does not 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.

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 that this particular one is from another Hunter judging by the difference in the paint demarcation line.

Another view of the port wing. Note the shape of the pylon ejector fairing and the generally smooth finish.

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!)

Looking further aft we find the starboard side is much the same as the portside with a similar arrangement of cooling louvres and intakes, but an offset aerial on a plinth is noteworthy.

Good overall view of the instrument panel and gunsight.

Looking down into the cockpit. The blue straps are leg restraints. Overall colour of the cockpit is scuffed black.

Looking back at the ejection seat top. Note the yellow 'cut here' marks on the canopy frame.

Similar shot, but looking higher up - the canopy frame is quite a substantial affair, as is the bulletproof center panel!

Looking down into the starboard forward corner of the cockpit.

Looking further aft. Some of those controls must have needed contortionist skills to get to!

Another view of the seat top. The oxygen system is down by the side of the seat.

Yet another instrument panel view, but a better view of the gun sight this time.

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 are natural metal - this differed, some machines have had white intake lips.

Something every 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.

Looking back at the rear cockpit bulkhead. The large assembly at the centre-right is the air conditioning valve.

Distorted by the lens used, but still a useful shot for camouflage layout etc.

Closeup of the upper tailcone and brake chute doors. The doors are normally tightly shut, or fully open - not somewhere in between.

Starboard main undercarriage leg and outer doors. General colouration of the undercarriage, bays and doors is dirty, greasy aluminum 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 stenciling, a taste of which can be seen in this small area!

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.

Presumably another aerial, possibly part of the navigational system.

The airbrake fairing isn't as smooth as you'd expect and is basically a triangular wedge.

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.

Further proof that the fuselage sides are pretty much symmetrical.

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 not small gauge to be seen.

Closeup of the fuel dump pope and tail bumper. As you can see this Hunter has a few screws loose! The airbrake is not quite closed which indicates the beginning of hydraulic pressure loss.

Good view of the camouflage demarcation under the tailplane.

the elevator hydraulic accumulator gauge is to be found on the port side of the fin. Also note the fairly large swash plates around the tailplane, to keep the fin innards covered when the tailplane incidence is changed.

A somewhat distorted look under the starboard tailplane. The rear part of the anti-buffet acorn fairing is a navigation light.

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.

The dogtooth fitted from the F.6 onward is, in modelling terms, rather unexciting!

Another view of the port main undercarriage, further showing the gear door arrangement.

Another view of the port mid-fuselage area.

General view underneath the fuselage - sadly a fair bit of corrosion to be found on this otherwise very well preserved example.

A view underneath the port wing - again, a smooth finish, no rivets or rough panels.

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.

Behind this window is an F.95 strike camera similar to those fitted to first generation Harriers.

Much the same story as on the port side of the nose here. Note the big hinge of the gear door - doors rarely hinge precisely along the edge of a bay!

General view of the port side of the aircraft. The access ladder is of quite simple construction and should be easy to make out of plastic rod or even, gasp, stretched sprue.

General view from nose-on, at the very least it shows the access ladder's positioning. Unfortunately the steps on the other side obscure some of the aircraft but without them you wouldn't have had the cockpit shots!

Finally a run around the back to peek into the engine. 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!