Review of Fantasy Printshop 1/72nd Scale
Hawker Hunter
Airfile Decals no. FPAF 72-001
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright: 2023
MSRP: GBP £ - Pound Sterling ($24.85)
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright: 2023
MSRP: GBP £ - Pound Sterling ($24.85)
HISTORY:
The Hawker Hunter is a transonic British jet-powered fighter aircraft that was developed by Hawker Aircraft for the Royal Air Force (RAF) during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It was designed to take advantage of the newly developed Rolls-Royce Avon turbojet engine and the swept wing, and was the first jet-powered aircraft produced by Hawker to be procured by the RAF. On 7 September 1953, the modified first prototype broke the world air speed record for aircraft, achieving a speed of 727.63 mph (1,171.01 km/h; 632.29 kn).
The single-seat Hunter was introduced to service in 1954 as a maneuverable day interceptor aircraft, quickly succeeding first-generation jet fighters in RAF service such as the Gloster Meteor and the de Havilland Venom. The all-weather/night fighter role was filled by the Gloster Javelin. Successively improved variants of the type were produced, adopting increasingly more capable engine models and expanding its fuel capacity amongst other modifications being implemented.
Hunters were also used by two RAF display teams: the "Black Arrows", who on one occasion looped a record-breaking 22 Hunters in formation, and later the "Blue Diamonds", who flew 16 aircraft. The Hunter was also widely exported, serving with a total of 21 overseas air forces.
During the 1960s, following the introduction of the supersonic English Electric Lightning in the interceptor role, the Hunter transitioned to being operated as a fighter-bomber and for aerial reconnaissance missions, using dedicated variants for these purposes. Two-seat variants remained in use for training and secondary roles with the RAF and the Royal Navy until the early 1990s. Sixty years after its original introduction it was still in active service, being operated by the Lebanese Air Force until 2014.
The Hunter saw combat service in a range of conflicts with several operators, including the Suez Crisis, the Aden Emergency, the Sino-Indian War, the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965, the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, the Rhodesian Bush War, the Second Congo War, the Six-Day War, the War of Attrition and the Yom Kippur War.
Overall, 1,972 Hunters were manufactured by Hawker Aircraft and its successor, Hawker Siddeley, as well as being produced under licence overseas. In British service, the Hunter was replaced in its principal roles by the Lightning, the Hawker Siddeley Harrier and the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Role: Fighter, Fighter-bomber/Ground attack, Reconnaissance aircraft
National origin: United Kingdom
Manufacturer: Hawker Siddeley
First flight: 20 July 1951
Introduction to service: 1954
Status: In service with the Air Force of Zimbabwe (2022), Active as a warbird and contractor aggressor aircraft
Primary users: Royal Air Force, Indian Air Force, Swedish Air Force, Swiss Air Force
Number built: 1,972
The Hawker Hunter is a transonic British jet-powered fighter aircraft that was developed by Hawker Aircraft for the Royal Air Force (RAF) during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It was designed to take advantage of the newly developed Rolls-Royce Avon turbojet engine and the swept wing, and was the first jet-powered aircraft produced by Hawker to be procured by the RAF. On 7 September 1953, the modified first prototype broke the world air speed record for aircraft, achieving a speed of 727.63 mph (1,171.01 km/h; 632.29 kn).
The single-seat Hunter was introduced to service in 1954 as a maneuverable day interceptor aircraft, quickly succeeding first-generation jet fighters in RAF service such as the Gloster Meteor and the de Havilland Venom. The all-weather/night fighter role was filled by the Gloster Javelin. Successively improved variants of the type were produced, adopting increasingly more capable engine models and expanding its fuel capacity amongst other modifications being implemented.
Hunters were also used by two RAF display teams: the "Black Arrows", who on one occasion looped a record-breaking 22 Hunters in formation, and later the "Blue Diamonds", who flew 16 aircraft. The Hunter was also widely exported, serving with a total of 21 overseas air forces.
During the 1960s, following the introduction of the supersonic English Electric Lightning in the interceptor role, the Hunter transitioned to being operated as a fighter-bomber and for aerial reconnaissance missions, using dedicated variants for these purposes. Two-seat variants remained in use for training and secondary roles with the RAF and the Royal Navy until the early 1990s. Sixty years after its original introduction it was still in active service, being operated by the Lebanese Air Force until 2014.
The Hunter saw combat service in a range of conflicts with several operators, including the Suez Crisis, the Aden Emergency, the Sino-Indian War, the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965, the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, the Rhodesian Bush War, the Second Congo War, the Six-Day War, the War of Attrition and the Yom Kippur War.
Overall, 1,972 Hunters were manufactured by Hawker Aircraft and its successor, Hawker Siddeley, as well as being produced under licence overseas. In British service, the Hunter was replaced in its principal roles by the Lightning, the Hawker Siddeley Harrier and the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Role: Fighter, Fighter-bomber/Ground attack, Reconnaissance aircraft
National origin: United Kingdom
Manufacturer: Hawker Siddeley
First flight: 20 July 1951
Introduction to service: 1954
Status: In service with the Air Force of Zimbabwe (2022), Active as a warbird and contractor aggressor aircraft
Primary users: Royal Air Force, Indian Air Force, Swedish Air Force, Swiss Air Force
Number built: 1,972
THE SET:
Fantasy Printshop – Airfile Decals is based in the UK.
The set comes in a zip-locked clear cello envelope.
It contains an unbound-booklet of 12 pages, in 6” x 8 1/2” format. One page is blank.
The first page of the booklet serves as the cover art for the set. Shown are 9 color profile illustrations of the left sides of Hawker Hunters. These are all repeated again inside the booklet.
Each of the pages have 4 color profile illustrations of the left and right sides a Hawker Hunter. Although it is printed that the book holds 32 of these dual profiles, I count 34..
There are 2 decal sheets in the envelope.
The instructions are included for painting and marking each of the 34 Hawker Hunters, that are shown in profile.
They give the history of each of the Hunters shown, over what colors it wore and there are numbered arrows pointing to the markings, that are the numbers of the decal on the sheets. These are marking and painting guides.
Twenty-seven of the Hunters are in a scheme of dark-green, dark-sea-grey, over high-speed silver undersides.
Two of the Hunters are in the same top covers, over a PRU blue undersides.
One Hunter is in roundel-red, white and light-aircraft-grey. This is livery for a trainer, which this aircraft was said to be.
Fantasy Printshop – Airfile Decals is based in the UK.
The set comes in a zip-locked clear cello envelope.
It contains an unbound-booklet of 12 pages, in 6” x 8 1/2” format. One page is blank.
The first page of the booklet serves as the cover art for the set. Shown are 9 color profile illustrations of the left sides of Hawker Hunters. These are all repeated again inside the booklet.
Each of the pages have 4 color profile illustrations of the left and right sides a Hawker Hunter. Although it is printed that the book holds 32 of these dual profiles, I count 34..
There are 2 decal sheets in the envelope.
The instructions are included for painting and marking each of the 34 Hawker Hunters, that are shown in profile.
They give the history of each of the Hunters shown, over what colors it wore and there are numbered arrows pointing to the markings, that are the numbers of the decal on the sheets. These are marking and painting guides.
Twenty-seven of the Hunters are in a scheme of dark-green, dark-sea-grey, over high-speed silver undersides.
Two of the Hunters are in the same top covers, over a PRU blue undersides.
One Hunter is in roundel-red, white and light-aircraft-grey. This is livery for a trainer, which this aircraft was said to be.
Four Hunter are in the same upper scheme as the 27 ones and they have light-aircraft-grey undersides.
Page 6 has dual profile illustrations for 2 Hunters, above 2 illustrations of the top and bottom of Hunters.
Page 7 continues with 8 more dual profiles-illustrations of the top and bottom of Hunters.
One decal sheet has all the squadron insignias and roundels on it.
I have to say that these marks are too close together. There is barely a human hair’s width between them. Too close to use a scissors to cut them off the sheet. Scissors art too wide and won’t fit into the narrow space. Modelers will have to be very careful cutting out a marking.
The second decal sheet holds all the numbers and lettering for Hunters.
The second decal sheet holds all the numbers and lettering for Hunters.
Marks are further apart on this sheet. Good!
Each decal sheet has a frosted tissue on it’s face to protect it form scratching. Nice touch !
I sincerely wish to thank Fantasy Printshop for this review sample.
They can be reached at:
Each decal sheet has a frosted tissue on it’s face to protect it form scratching. Nice touch !
I sincerely wish to thank Fantasy Printshop for this review sample.
They can be reached at:
Highly recommended.