Duncan Simpson recalls the first Hunter deliveries to the
Royal Air Force..
.
In the past fifty years the RAF has taken delivery of three
completely new aircraft from the Kingston design and
manufacturing organisation. On checking my log book I find
that I have participated in all three of these events; the
Hunter in 1954, the Harrier in 1969 and the Hawk in 1976 -
simply by being in the right place at the right time.
First the Hunter. At the Central Fighter Establishment I was
busy clearing and securing secret papers in the office of my
CO, Wg Cdr Bird-Wilson, late one January evening in 1954 when
the Boss suddenly looked up and said, "Duncan, we should get
the Swift next month and the Hunter in July, provided Hawkers
sort out the air-brake. I propose to divide the Squadron into
two groups, four pilots on the Swift and four on the Hunter.
Which would you prefer to do?" "The Hunter, Sir, and I don't
mind waiting!" (I knew I would fly the Swift Mk 1 anyway).
And so it came to pass. We were told that three Mk 1
Hunters would be ready for the CFE on July 5th. Three pilots
were detailed to collect these eagerly awaited aeroplanes:
Sqn Ldr Tom Seaton, Flt Lt Mike Calvey, and me. We were
conveyed by Anson to Dunsfold and treated to a splendid lunch
in the Mess, prepared by the redoubtable Mrs Reid. After
lunch we collected our flying kit and went out to find the
three gleaming, new Hunters. We had briefed on the conduct of
the flight beforehand and now were given a cockpit check by
Messrs Bedford, Murphy and Bullen. The delightful looking
Hunter was no problem as we were all current on Swift, Sabre,
Venom, Meteor and Vampire.
After take-off we turned starboard on a direct course for
West Raynham. Our first snag was no less that four red
undercarriage up-lock warning lights. (Sir Sydney was right -
microswitches were "the curse of the industry".) This
resolved we went into close formation to cross London at
2,000 ft then onwards to our base. After one or two formation
flypasts, we landed off a break from echelon starboard and
taxied in to be met by the Commandant and various members of
the CFE Staff. Air Commodore Geoffrey Stephenson looked
somewhat stern and held an ominous looking piece of paper in
his hand. This turned out not to be an admonishment for the
2,000 ft overflight, but a congratulatory message from the
Air Ministry, who had observed our overflight, for getting
three Hunters in the air at one time!
The Hunter had at last arrived at the Air Fighting
Development Squadron and we had a few days to get to know the
aircraft before being pitched into Fighter Command's Exercise
Dividend on July 18th. I had only done eight flights before
flying in that summer exercise, in foul weather, as No.2 to
my gallant leader, the CO. We had quite a few problems:
hydraulic failure, canopy misting, radio and electrics, but
at least we had an airbrake!. The FMk1 was fast, strong and
forgiving and it enabled us to intercept the incoming force
of RAF Canberras and USAF B-45s over the North Sea. Nothing,
with a bit more thrust from the big Avon, could prevent the
Hunter becoming one of the truly great fighters in the
RAF...and everybody's favourite. But that is another story.
