Swiss Hunters

[The Wooksta!]

Does anyone know what the blisters on the nose of late Swiss Hunters are for?



There's similar blisters around the bullet fairing aft of the tailplanes.  Note also the revised sabrinas with the chaff dispensers.

I've got the relevant bits in the Revell kit, I just want to know what they are!

[TallEng]

I believe it's part of the AN/APR-39 Radar warning receiver fitted along with the revised Sabrinas, as part of the
Hunter 80 update program.
This link might help with the lumps and bumps; https://fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ac/equip/an-apr-39.htm

Regards
Keith

[The Wooksta!]

Was this a Swiss only programme or did HSA/BAe doe the work?

I ask as I'm doing a Hunter with the revised Sabrinas and wondering if I'll have to fit the lumps and bumps too.  I can explain it as the aircraft had low airframe hours and were purchased back from the Swiss by BAe and issued back to the RAF/RAuxAF.  But if HSA did the work for Swiss Hunters, they could have done similar for the RAF/RAuxAF...

This site has some fantastic info on the Swiss Hunters:
http://www.swisshunters.info/#4208

One photo has me thinking of a retirement scheme display aircraft in the early 1990s.

[TallEng]

I believe that it was a Swiss only program and it also added AGM-65 Maverick capability to the Hunter as well.
Not sure if any of my references would be any help either. Unfortunately I'm no were  near them for the rest of this week.
Still there's nothing stopping you from having HSA/BAe use the idea of extended Sabrinas or come up with something similar?

Regards
Keith

[Knightflyer]

It would certainly be an interesting upgrade set. Is is done as an aftermarket product?

As an aside. Did Sidewinder carrying Hunter's need any particular special modification?

[Weaver]

Can't help feeling that if Hunters in RAF service got upgraded with RWRs then they'd be a Harrier-style setup, with a chisel fairing halfway up the leading edge of the fin, and something similar blended into the back end of the tailplane bullet. However if it was done for the Swiss first and then bought back, then it'd be whatever the Swiss specified.

[The Wooksta!]

It would certainly be an interesting upgrade set. Is is done as an aftermarket product?

As an aside. Did Sidewinder carrying Hunter's need any particular special modification?

The bits are all in the original Revell FGA9.  The current release doesn't have that sprue.

[Knightflyer]

It would certainly be an interesting upgrade set. Is is done as an aftermarket product?

As an aside. Did Sidewinder carrying Hunter's need any particular special modification?

The bits are all in the original Revell FGA9.  The current release doesn't have that sprue.

So taking them from those kits (I have a couple!) they could be used on say the F.6?

I'm only asking because of the Alternative History book "Easy Grace" by Phil Moncur in which following a non-nuclear reaction to a US Cuban invasion the Soviet Union responds with a series of regional wars on the NATO fringes, this leads to the UK facing a Battle of Britain type situation with Soviet attacks from occupied Norway. Lightnings are our main defenders, but Hunters are upgraded to 'F.6A' with Sidewinders.

I do like the idea of a 'Swiss' upgrade to Hunters, and Weavers point about a Harrier style RWR fit, the Hawk 200 had similar didn't it? So would make sense?

[Weaver]

Sidewinders have been fitted to Hunters by a number of air forces in a number of different ways, including by the Rhodesian Air Force, who didn't exactly have huge resources and support to work with, so it can't be that difficult. One of the reasons early Sidewinder was so successful was that it was so easy to integrate.

[The Wooksta!]

Don't see why not, both releases of the FGA9 and the F6 are basically the same base kit with additional sprues for specific variants. The 'winders are in the original release F6 kit for the Dutch option, and you only get a pair.  I'll need two F6 kits plus an FGA9 to do the full weapons fit for my ADV version.

This photo of a Singapore Hunter is one of my current inspirations.



But there's lots more here:
https://plamogeek.wordpress.com/2016/08/24/hawker-hunter-fga-9-walk-around/

I particularly like the centreline bomb rack.

[Gondor]

Don't see why not, both releases of the FGA9 and the F6 are basically the same base kit with additional sprues for specific variants. The 'winders are in the original release F6 kit for the Dutch option, and you only get a pair.  I'll need two F6 kits plus an FGA9 to do the full weapons fit for my ADV version.

This photo of a Singapore Hunter is one of my current inspirations.



But there's lots more here:
https://plamogeek.wordpress.com/2016/08/24/hawker-hunter-fga-9-walk-around/

I particularly like the centreline bomb rack.

Wouldn't mind doing one of them either Lee, it would look so unusual to most folk with that bomb rack and the winders where they are.

Gondor

[Knightflyer]

So the inboard Sidewinder is on an additional pylon (to the two 'usual' pylons)? I'm presuming they could get twin-rail launchers like Sea Harriers got.
A centre-line store is different, I'd not realised that about the Singaporean Hunters.

I'm seeing a FGA.9 further developed with Swiss/Singapore bolt-ons, and a force-multiplier fighter with 4+ Sidewinders similar to how the Hawk T.1A was produced.

What's the possible weapon loaded further out along the wing? Didn't they used to have rockets (a la Typhoon) hung at that point? Or did that replace the outer pylon? Could you square the wing-tips off (a la Hawk this time) for additional Sidewinders?

[Weaver]

There are attachement points for four rocket rails under the outer wings which can be replaced by one outer pylon on most aircraft. The Rhodesians exploited these extra mounting points to put their Sidewinders on an extra pylon located between the standard inner and outer pylons.

The Swiss used Oerlikon rockets on their Hunters which were carried on odd-looking 'Christmas Tree' launch rails. They could be fitted between the main wing pylons (like the Rhodesian Sidewinders) AND in front of the undercarriage bays (like the Singaporean Sidewinders). I don't see any reason in principle why you couldn't have both the Rhodesian AND Singaporean Sidewinder rails, thus giving you four missiles AND four wet pylons for drop tanks and/or ordnance.

In the UK, some trials were done with Sidewinders mounted on the sides of an F.4's gun pack, in an installation analogous to the missile carriage on a Lightning. Nothing came of it of course, and I can see difficulties with missile exhaust going into the intakes. Not sure how far it got: I've got a couple of pics, but no info.

[Knightflyer]

There are attachement points for four rocket rails under the outer wings which can be replaced by one outer pylon on most aircraft. The Rhodesians exploited these extra mounting points to put their Sidewinders on an extra pylon located between the standard inner and outer pylons.

The Swiss used Oerlikon rockets on their Hunters which were carried on odd-looking 'Christmas Tree' launch rails. They could be fitted between the main wing pylons (like the Rhodesian Sidewinders) AND in front of the undercarriage bays (like the Singaporean Sidewinders). I don't see any reason in principle why you couldn't have both the Rhodesian AND Singaporean Sidewinder rails, thus giving you four missiles AND four wet pylons for drop tanks and/or ordnance.

In the UK, some trials were done with Sidewinders mounted on the sides of an F.4's gun pack, in an installation analogous to the missile carriage on a Lightning. Nothing came of it of course, and I can see difficulties with missile exhaust going into the intakes. Not sure how far it got: I've got a couple of pics, but no info.

Talk about loaded for Bear! 

[chrisonord]

Nice find there Lee. That has given me some good ideas for  the hunters I have 
Chris