DUTCH HAWKER HUNTER FOUNDATION

DHHF’s single seater was built as a F.6 variant at Hawker’s production facility at Coventry in 1956.

She joined RAF’s 247 Squadron in 1957 as XF515 and later that year was assigned to 43 Squadron based at Leuchars, Scotland. In the seventies XF515 was moved to RAF Brawdy where she was used for training purposes. In this period she was modified to F.6A standard by strengthening the wings and the addition of a brake chute. In 1995 XF515 was retired from RAF-service and sold by the Ministry of Defence to private owners. After extensive restauration by Kennet Aviation at North Weald  XF515 took to the sky again in 1998 in 43 Squadron markings under the civil registration G-KAXF.

From 1998 to 2004 the aircraft  was a regular visitor at various airshows in the UK and abroad. In 2007 the aircraft changed into Dutch hands and was transferred to Hunter Flying at  Exeter, where she had Dutch military markings applied.  In 2008 DHHF got permission from RNethAF to operate a second Hunter from Leeuwarden AB alongside its twoseater T.8C ‘N-321’  to represent the large number of Hunter F.6 fighters once in service with the Dutch airforce. G-KAXF, now as N-294, was flown to Leeuwarden AB in April 2009. DHHF operates N-294 as its principal display aircraft at airshows.

DHHF's Hawker Hunter was built at Blackpool for he Royal Air Force in 1956 as a single seat Mk.4 variant with military registration XF357.

She served as such with 130 Squadron at RAF Bruggen in Germany until 1959 when she was bought back by Hawker and converted into a two seat T.8 trainer version and delivered to the Royal Navy at Lossiemouth. She remained in service with the Royal Navy in various roles and assignments, and was retired in 1994. Auctioned up in 1995, XF357 was sold to private owners.

In the period 1995 - 2005 she, under the civil registration G-BWGL, was owned by a number of companies engaged in flying classic military jets, and consequently XF357 was a regular participant in airshows all over the United Kingdom.

Early in 2007, the aircraft was acquired from Elvington Events Ltd based in Yorkshire. At that time she had on her books logged a total of ... flying hours. DHHF has been granted permission by the CAA to fly G-BWGL in full authentic Dutch markings without visibly carrying its British registration. G-BWGL wears now a spurious Dutch serial ‘N-321' .