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The Hawker P.1052 was a research aircraft designed by Sir Sydney Camm to investigate the aerodynamic effects of swept wings. This aircraft and a number of other special-purpose aircraft all contributed valuable data to the eventual design of the Hunter. The MK, 1 Hunter ushered in a new era for the RAF and was a far cry from the now obsolete Meteor. However initial problems with engine stalls and the speed brakes slowed the initial entry to operational squadron status.
Profile – Hawker Hunter
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Hawker Hunter
The Story of Britain’s Greatest Post-war Fighter
In 1951 the Royal Australian Air Force was looking for a new fighter type as a replacement for the obsolescent de Havilland Vampires. The reason for this can be directly linked to the appearance of Korea of the swept-wing MiG-15 which came as a rude shock to U.N. airforces operating there. At the time, Britain was Australia’s traditional supplier of military equipment but the British had also been caught napping, they only had the aging Gloster Meteor F. 8 available. A total of 97 Meteors were ordered to re-equip No. 77 Squadron R. A. A. F. for operations in Korea but subsequent Meteor/MiG clashes quickly underlined the machine’s deficiencies. Additionally, a replacement was needed for the Royal Air Force as well!
There were several interesting British aircraft under development but none in production. One of these was the prototype Hawker P. 1081 which caught the Australian eye enough for the RAA. F. to discuss the prospects of licenced production and to issue the designation A86 in anticipation of its use. The P. 1081 had made its maiden flight on June 19, 1950, but there was little RAF. interest in this. machine which tragically crashed in April 1951, killing the test pilot. Australian enthusiasm waned and the search for a new fighter swept elsewhere to eventually culminate in the development of the formidable Avon Sabre. Meanwhile, the P. 1081 proved to be one of the progenitors of the highly successful Hawker Hunter.
Hawker fighters have featured in the forefront of the RAF. since the early 1930s, largely through the talents of the company’s chief designer, and later technical director, Sir Sydney Camm (1895-1966). To his credit go such designs as the Fury biplane, which was the first British military aircraft to exceed 200 mph (320km/hr), the ubiquitous Hurricane of World War 2 and the fast-flying, piston-engined Typhoon, Tempest, Fury and Royal Navy Sea Fury types.
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