Page 143 - Demo

143an account of the Hunter%u2019s first three years with No 8 Sqn at Khormaksarduring which the Boss somehow managed to survive the loss of nine ofhis aircraft while still retaining command!Sadly, the excellent quality and variety of the photographs is notmatched by the narrative where numerous errors reveal that the writerhas failed to research and edit his material adequately. Major mistakesinclude his assertion that Hawker%u2019s P.1052, a Nene-engined swept wingprototype, went on to become the Sea Hawk and that later productionHunters had a %u2018fully flying%u2019 tail. Both of these statements are untrue asthe Sea Hawk emerged from the P.1040, via specification N.7/46 and theHunter F.6 and later models had a selectable electrically-driven followup tailplane (using the tailplane trim motor) to vary the tailplaneincidence automatically with fore and aft control column position.Although this feature did improve handling at high Mach numbers it wasa poor compromise when compared to the F-86 Sabre%u2019s %u2018slab tail%u2019.Other inaccuracies include the description of DFCS as the DayFighters%u2019 Conversion Squadron, an error probably copied from FrancisMason%u2019s book. This elite unit was in fact the Day Fighter Combat Schoolwhich operated within the Central Fighter Establishment at WestRaynham between 1958 and 1961. Staffed by some of the RAF%u2019s bestHunter pilots and a USAF exchange officer it ran twelve separateadvanced tactical leadership courses for experienced pilots without anaccident, despite the very demanding nature of the syllabus whichinvolved all aspects of Hunter day fighter and ground attack operations,including very low altitude air combat training. Minor inaccuraciesabound including the assertion on page 50 that No 118 Sqn disbanded in1962 whereas it had actually ceased to exist some three years earlier andthe House of Commons quotation at the heading to Chapter 6 whichprobably should read %u20181957%u2019, although the sentiments were equally trueten years later! Gun blast deflectors were introduced as a modification tothe F.6 in 1958 but were removed within a few years, so it was not adistinguishing feature between the FGA 9 and F.6.This book was an opportunity to produce the definitive album of theHunter in squadron service with the RAF and RN but the reader is leftwith a feeling of frustration because it does not do justice to such a greataeroplane and the squadrons which operated it in its prime. Nevertheless,despite my reservations about the numerous mistakes, poor editing andthe lack of completeness this splendid collection of new photographs and