Hawker Hunter PR11, G-PRII / 41H/670690, Deep Cleavage Ltd.
This picture is © Martin Laycock and may not be used or published without permission.
Registration: G-PRII
Construction Number: 41H/670690
Code Number: XG194 / N
Model Hawker Hunter PR11
Operator: Deep Cleavage Ltd.
Airport: Exeter (EXT / EGTE), UK - England
Photographer: Martin Laycock
Date Taken: 20/09/2010
Date Submitted: 23/10/2010
Photographed taxying in after arriving at Exeter as the #2 of a three-ship of Hunters from the Sanicole Airshow in Belgium. Currently one of four Hunters flown by Team Viper, she was originally built in 1954 as an F.4 serialled WT723. She made her first flight on the 16th February 1955 and was originally delivered to 5 MU before serving with 54(F) and 14(F) Squadrons as well as 229 OCU. She later returned to Hawkers and was initially converted to GA.11 specification, equipped with an arrestor hook and a "Harley light" in the nose. She was delivered to the Fleet Air Arm on the 17th August 1962 and served with 764 NAS. Around this time she was converted to a PR.11 fitted with cameras in the nose. In 1973 she joined the Fleet Requirements and Air Direction Unit (FRADU) at RNAS Yeovilton spending the next twenty years with that unit before being retired in 1993. She then spent three years as a ground handling airframe at RNAS Culdrose before being sold to a buyer in the USA, registered N723WT, and overhauled by Classic Jets at Exeter. Her American buyer never took delivery, so she became G-PRII on the UK register before being purchased by Belgium based Classic Fighters who briefly operated her on the airshow circuit in Europe. Following the demise of Classsic Fighters in 2002 she remained grounded for several years before being acquired by a new owner, and was returned to airworthiness in 2008 by Hunter Flying Ltd. She was painted in this Black Arrows scheme initially as XG164 / A then shortly afterwards XG194 / N to mark the 50th anniversary of the record breaking 22-Hunter loop, and appeared at the 2008 Farnborough Air Show to mark this event. She remains in this scheme today despite it being inaccurate for this mark of Hunter, the Black Arrows having operated the F.6. She remains the only airworthy PR.11 in the world.
Picture ID:1258210