This Hawker Hunter F.4 was on display at the Musée royal de l’armée et de l’histoire militaire or Royal Museum of the Armed Forces and Military History in Brussels.
The Hawker Hunter stands as a testament to the golden age of British aviation, a sleek and formidable jet fighter that served with distinction for decades. More than just a machine, it was a symbol of a nation’s engineering prowess, a supersonic icon that dominated the skies during the tense years of the Cold War. From its first flight in 1951, the Hunter captured the imagination with its graceful lines and powerful performance, earning its place in history as one of the most successful and enduring combat aircraft of its era.
The Hunter’s evolution was a continuous process of refinement, and the F.4 variant stands out as a significant step forward. While the F.1 and F.2 had been impressive, the F.4 addressed some of their limitations and expanded the Hunter’s capabilities. A key improvement was the adoption of an improved Rolls-Royce Avon engine with a higher thrust rating. This gave the F.4 a noticeable boost in performance, improving its rate of climb and top speed.
The Hawker Hunter’s operational life was remarkably long. It remained in frontline service with some air forces well into the 1990s, and its final military retirement came in 2014 when the Lebanese Air Force retired its last Hunter. Its longevity is a testament to the soundness of its design and the quality of its construction.