FRADU HUNTER PHOTO GALLERY
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T.8C HUNTERS ['876' to '877']
T.8C XF985 T.8C XE665 T.8C WT702 T.7 WV372

'876/VL' = Hunter T.8C XF985
 

[© Ray Down]

[© John Smith]
 
Hawker Hunter XF985 had a seven year career with the RAF, as a Hunter F.4, from its delivery in 1956.
It served with one frontline squadron, RAF 71(F) and was then placed in storage until being bought back by Hawker-Siddeley in 1963. 

It was converted to a T.8B for the Royal Navy and handed over to the Fleet Air Arm at RNAS Lossiemouth.
It went into service with RN 759 Sqn, based at RNAS Brawdy as '811/BY'. It remained in service until the Squadron disbanded in 1969, and then it went into store. 

It's next posting was to RNAS Yeovilton, where it was used by the Air Direction Training Unit as aircraft '746'.
In 1973 the aircraft was absorbed into the new FRADU fleet, and by the end of the following year it had adopted its new call-sign '876'. It remained in service at Yeovilton, apart from the odd 'rest' at Kemble and Shawbury, for the remainder of its service career. From 1984 it was aircraft '873', a change that may have caused by one such period of storage at Kemble. 

The aircraft was lost on 10th April 1990 when the pilot, Rick Lea, experienced a severe control restriction whilst returning from a FRADU sortie, The pilot could not regain control so he ejected from the aircraft, which crashed harmlessly into open countryside.


'876/VL' = Hunter T.8C XE665
 

[© Peter R. March]

[© Philip Shean]

[via CJAC]

[© Peter R. March]

[© Peter R. March]

[© Jeff Middleton]
 
Hunter XE665 only had a two-year RAF career as a Hunter F.4, after delivery on 24th May 1955.
It served with just one front-line Squadron, RAF 118(F) Sqn based at Jever, Germany as aircraft 'A', and it was used by the bases' Station Flight. Hawkers re-purchased the aircraft in 1957 for refurbishment and resale. 

It was converted to a two seat T.8 trainer for the Royal Navy, being handed over to the Fleet Air Arm on 20th April 1959.
It went into service with RN 764 Sqn at Lossiemouth and remained on strength for at least four years.
In 1965 it was noted in service with the RNAS Yeovilton Station Flight/Flag Officer Flying Training (FOFT).
For this role XE665 was painted up by Hawkers at Dunsfold in blue and white colour scheme with an Admirals Flag on the nose, hence it became the second of three 'Admirals Barges', succeeding XL580 in the role, and then making way for the third jet, XL584

It's next confirmed posting was to RN 759 Sqn at RNAS Brawdy, where it became a part of the Naval Advanced Flying Training School as '802/BY'. It's service history between 1969 and 1974 is uncertain at the time of writing, one possible theory is that it remained in service in 759 Sqn until 1969 and was placed in store. 

It was transferred to the FRADU in 1974/5 and was repainted in day-glo colours and assigned with the call-sign '878' and VL tail code. It stayed in service for at least three years until it went into store at RAF Kemble.
In May 1980 XE665 was transferred to the RAF where it served with 237OCU, helping the RAF Buccaneer crews to keep their flying hours up, as the entire Buccaneer fleet was grounded during this time.
It returned to the FRADU in late 1983, and was given the new call-sign '876'. It served with the FRADU until 1994 when it was retired from service and flown to Shawbury for storage prior to its disposal. 

In July 1995 the aircraft was sold at auction to Barry Pearson, and it was flown down to the Classic Jet Aircraft Company's facilities at Exeter in February 1996. Placed on the civil register as G-BWGM, XE665 was operated on the European Airshow circuit between 1996 and 1998.

During 2006, the aeroplane was moved by road to Kemble, where it is currently being assessed for restoration back to flying condition.


'877/VL' = Hunter T.8C WT702
 

[©Peter R. March]

[unknown]
 
Hawker Hunter WT702 was the second Hunter F.4 built, taking its first flight on 9th December 1954 piloted by Hugh Merewether.
It did not enter RAF service, instead it was retained by the Ministry of Supply and used by Hawkers and the A&AEE for various radio trials. Once the trials were over the aircraft was placed in store at Dunsfold.

WT702 was converted to a T.8C for the Royal Navy in 1959, and was delivered to RNAS Lossiemouth ready for Squadron service.
The aircraft's first posting was to RN 703 Sqn, and it later went to 759 Sqn based at RNAS Brawdy as '806/BY'.
It's possible that it remained in service at Brawdy until the Squadron disbanded in 1969, but by 1970 it was in service at Yeovilton with the Air Direction Training Unit as aircraft '737'.
During 1974 WT702, now a part of the FRADU fleet gained its new call-sign '877' with 'VL' shore code.
In 1980, possibly as a result if a period of storage at Kemble, WT702 was re-coded '874' and was on show during Yeovilton's Air Day that year. 

It continued to serve with the FRADU until December 1982, when the aircraft crashed into the sea tragically killing its pilot John Mullins.


'877/VL' = Hunter T.7 WV372
 

[© Geoff Wakeham]

[© Glen Moreman/Delta Jets]
 
Hawker Hunter WV372 was built for the Royal Air Force and it first entered service with RAF 222(F) Sqn based at RAF Leuchars as aircraft 'H'. The aircraft was damaged by a fire in the air when the jet-pipe became detached from the engine in November 1956 and it is believed that WV372 was grounded, and subsequently bought back by Hawkers for resale.

It was converted to a T.7 and handed over to the RAF's 5MU on 7th Mat 1959.
It spent time in RAF Germany, with the RAF Jever and Gutersloh Station Flights, and with RAF 2 Squadron also at Gutersloh in 1968 as aircraft 'R'. Back in the UK it spent time with the RAE, 4 FTS at RAF Valley, No 208 Squadron and then latterly with 237OCU at RAF Lossiemouth for use as Buccaneer crew trainer.

The Royal Navy acquired the airframe in October 1984 and was originally assigned the call-sign '879' with a 'VL'.
It was overhauled by Airwork at Bournemouth in the spring of 1986 and returned for further service as '877/VL' until being placed in storage at Shawbury in 1988. It returned for a third spell in 1990 and was active until its final withdrawal in 1993.
It was ferried to RNAS Culdrose for use by the School of Aircraft Handling (SAH), later renamed the School of Flight Deck Operations (SFDO) in March 1993, where it remained in use until 1996. 

Auctioned off in 1997 it was sold to Tom Moloney and flown to North Weald where it was due to be overhauled by Gosh That's Aviation. Following a change of ownership it was duly flown from North Weald to Bournemouth on 11 August 1997 by Jet Heritage's Chief Pilot, Jonathon Whaley where a restoration programme began. It was re-united with its 2 Sqn colours and flew again in 1998.

Since then the aircraft has changed home base and now lives at Kemble Airfield, and is looked after by Delta Jets and owned by the 'Fox-One consortium', a syndicate of eight pilots.

 

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