FRADU HUNTER PHOTO GALLERY
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[Hunter GA.11's '830' to '838'] [Royal Navy Hunter T.8M's]
[Hunter GA.11's '860' to '868'] [Blue Herons display team]
[Hunter T.8C's '869' to '880'] [Blasts from the past]
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GA.11 HUNTERS ['834' to '838']
GA.11 XF301 GA.11 XE682 GA.11 WV267 GA.11 WT711 GA.11 WT806

'834/VL' = Hunter GA.11 XF301
 

[© Peter R. March]

[© Peter R. March]

[© Peter R. March]

[© Peter R. March]

[© Peter R. March]

[© Nick Challoner]

[© Garrett Moscos]

[© Garrett Moscos]
 
XF301 was delivered to the RAF as a F4 on 30th December 1955, and initially went to 5MU to be prepared for its first RAF posting.
That duly arrived and XF301 was sent to No. 43(F) Sqn, where it remained throughout its relatively short RAF career, before being bought back by Hawkers for possible re-sale.

It was converted to a GA.11 for the Royal Navy and delivered to the FAA on 19th October 1962 at RNAS Lossiemouth.
It joined RN 738 Squadron and moved with the Unit to RNAS Brawdy in 1964. Here it was given the call-sign '791' and shore code 'BY' and during the 1967 season was one of four aircraft used by the Squadron aerobatics team the 'Rough Diamonds.'
During 1970 XF301 moved back to RNAS Lossiemouth and served with RN 764 Sqn as '679/LM' until the Squadron disbanded in 1972. It was then placed in long term storage at Kemble as a reserve aircraft for the FRADU.

It was transferred to the Unit in 1983 after GA.11 XE716/834's accident, and exchanged its Lossiemouth codes for a new call-sign and station code '834/VL.' The aircraft went on to serve the Unit until August 1993 when it was withdrawn and placed in storage at RAF Shawbury probably because of its low airframe and engine hours.
In November 1993 she was put up for disposal and Garrett Moscos secured her at auction.
She was originally moved to Jet Heritage at Bournemouth for modifications. These included an F.6 tail cone and braking parachute added, ejector seat rebuild and the nose cone replaced. She was then crated for the trip across the pond to Corpus Christi, Texas. David Ridsdale, based at Chino CA in 1999 gave the aircraft an overhaul and it is regularly taxied by Garrett today.

Incidentally it was this aircraft that was the last FRADU Hunter to be repainted in the all grey scheme whilst in service, only being repainted in 1991.


'835/VL' = Hunter GA.11 XE682
 

[© Vic Flintham]

[© Ray Down]

[© Mike Hall]
 
Hawker Hunter XE682 was built as an F4 for the RAF and delivered on 5th July 1955.
The aircraft saw service overseas with RAF 118(F) Sqn. based at RAF Jever, Germany before it returned to the UK and acquired by Hawker-Siddeley for refurbishment and potential re-sale.

Her new owner was the Royal Navy, and the aircraft was converted to GA.11 status.
Delivered in her new guise to Lossiemouth on 1st July 1963 she entered service with RN 738 Sqn.
Like XF301 she moved to Brawdy with the Squadron in 1964 and acquired a new call-sign and shore code - '786/BY'.
XE682 was also one of the four 'Rough Diamonds' display aircraft during the 1967 airshow season.

In September 1969 XE682 was delivered to the FRU at Hurn and given the new call-sign '835'.
In 1972 it moved to Yeovilton served out its Royal Navy career with the FRADU, it included several display appearances with the Blue Herons between 1975-80 and a bird strike in 1982. The aircraft was subsequently repaired and put back in service until 1985, when it was withdrawn from service and moved to RAF Shawbury for storage.

On 22nd November 1985 the front fuselage and wings of XE682 arrived at RNAS Culdrose for spares recovery.
Once all useable items were removed the remains were sent to the Culdrose fire dump.
It had expired by December 1991.


'836/VL' = Hunter GA.11 WV267
 

[© Mike Hall]

[© Mike Hall]

[© Mike Hall]

[© Andrew P. March]

[© Nick Prior]

[© Glen Moreman/Delta Jets]
 
Hawker Hunter WV267 was built as a F4 by Hawkers at Kingston and it took its first flight, at the hands of Duncan Simpson, on 5th May 1955. It was delivered to the RAF a few weeks later and went into service with No. 93(F) Sqn. based in Germany at RAF Jever. It later saw service with No.247(F) Sqn and 98(F) Sqn before being retired and bought back by Hawkers for refurbishment.

It was converted to a GA.11 and was accepted by the Navy at Lossiemouth in 1963 and put into service with RN 738 Squadron. It later followed the Squadron to Brawdy in 1964, and it is believed to have remained with them until 1969.
On March 27th that year WV267 became the first Hunter delivered to the Fleet Requirements Unit at Hurn, where the type was due to replace the Sea Hawk. It flew in an extra dark sea grey and white colour scheme for a while before it had the call-sign '836' added onto the side of the nose. In 1972 it was the last FRU Hunter to leave for RNAS Yeovilton where it joined the newly formed FRADU, and it served throughout the 1970s from the Somerset airfield.

It's FRADU career was ended on 29th November 1985 when it suffered a bird-strike, after investigation the aircraft was relegated to ground instructional duties and assigned the Navy maintenance code 'A2650'.
It was transported by road to RNAS Culdrose and assigned to the School of Aircraft Handling on 6th February 1986, and recoded 836/DD by the end of the year. Maintained in taxiable condition until 1993 when WV267 was sold to George Lazik. Plans were put in place for the aircraft to be exported to the USA and on 13th January 1994 the aircraft left by road going to Aces High at North Weald for onward shipment to the USA.

It actually stayed at 'Weald until February 1996 when it moved across the 'pond'.
On arrival it was initially used as spares for George's two airworthy Hunters.
In 1998 a decision was made to restore WV267 to flying condition, a job started by David Ridsdale's European Warbird Organisation based in California and finished at the AeroGroup facility in Tulsa, Oklahoma for its 4-man ownership consortium.
The aircraft first flew after restoration during 2002 in her 1980's colour scheme.

It's current status and location are unknown (CAN YOU HELP WITH INFORMATION??!!)


'837/VL' = Hunter GA.11 WT711
 

[© Nick Challoner]

[© Glen Moreman/Delta Jets]

[© Garry Lakin]
 
Hawker Hunter WT711 was one of the first Hunter F4s built and its first flight took place on 10th February 1955 with Hugh Merewether at the controls. It was delivered to the Air Force on 14th March 1955 and was despatched to 33MU before joining RAF No.54(F) Sqn based at RAF Odiham. It served with one other RAF Squadron, No. 14(F) as aircraft 'A' before being bought back by Hawkers.

It was converted to a GA.11 for the Royal Navy, emerging in November 1962 prior to delivery to RNAS Lossiemouth.
It went into service with RN 738 Sqn and moved with them to RNAS Brawdy in 1964, where it received the call sign '783' and 'BY' airfield code. It is understood that it remained in use with 738 Sqn until it disbanded in 1970 and then went into storage.

On 2nd August 1971 WT711 became the 10th Hunter to be delivered to the FRU at Hurn, shortly after arrival it was given the call-sign '837'. It's stay at the Dorset airfield last just over a year when it moved to RNAS Yeovilton on 20th October 1972 to join the newly formed FRADU. WT711 was uniquely the only FRADU GA.11 Hunter not fitted with a Harley light in her nose-cone, as she retained her solid nose throughout her FRADU career.
The aircraft was retired in 1985 and placed in store at RAF Shawbury.

Assigned the Royal Navy maintenance code A2731 WT711 was assigned to the School of Aircraft Handling at RNAS Culdrose on 18th September 1985, it arrived at its new home by road five days later. Here it was re-coded '833/DD' and maintained in taxiable condition until January 1994 when it was withdrawn and sold to a private owner.
Unfortunately the sale did not proceed and WT711 remained at Culdrose until it was advertised for sale again, this time by tender in June 1995. It was sold to Air Atlantique and was moved by road over the 23rd and 24th November 1995 to its new home at Coventry airport. It is still owned by them today and was on display during the 2003 Coventry Classics Airshow.


'838/VL' = Hunter GA.11 WT806
 

[© Peter R. March]

[© Peter R. March]

[© Peter R. March]

[© Hugh Trevor]

[© Vic Flintham]
 
Last of the 83x series of FRADU Hunters was WT806.
Built as a F4 for the RAF, it took to the air for the first time on 31st March 1955, flown by Duncan Simpson.
It was delivered to the RAF just under a month later on 25th April, and assigned to No.14(F) Sqn. based at RAF Oldenburg.
This proved to be its only posting as the aircraft over-trimmed during a tight turn, jamming the accelerometer at 10G.
The aircraft was returned to Hawkers and completely stripped down and rebuilt from scratch.

It was later brought up to GA.11 standard and delivered to the Royal Navy in 1962.
It's service history is unknown at the time of writing between 1962 and 1972, until it joined the FRADU at Yeovilton in 1972 and given the call-sign '838'. It remained in service until February 1987, when it was acquired by the RAF. It was ferried to Chivenor, where it was repainted in a camouflaged scheme representing the resident flying Units.
It was eventually put in storage at RAF Shawbury before being demobbed in 1994.

Aircraft collector Richard Everett, owner of a large collection based in Ipswich purchased the airframe, and was kept in storage at his home until 2001 when it was offered for sale. In early July 2002, the aircraft was sold to Northlands College, Shoreham Airport, and it was delivered by road to its new home where it will be used as an instructional airframe.

[GA.11 '830'-'838' Gallery Page 1]

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