Hawker Hunter FGA9 – XF456 R, 43 Sqn RAF The Fighting Cocks 1964

Corgi Aviation Archive 1/72 scale AA32704: Hawker Hunter FGA9 XF456 “R” in the famous black and white chequerboard markings of 43 squadron “The Fighting Cocks” It is also the rarest of the RAF Hunter models, being a limited edition of only 2,400 pieces. Now hard to find.

Length 7.75 inches Wingspan 5.75 inches

The Hawker Hunter is a subsonic British jet aircraft developed in the 1950s. The single-seat Hunter entered service as a manoeuvrable fighter aircraft, and later operated in fighter-bomber and reconnaissance roles in numerous conflicts. Two-seat variants remained in use for training and secondary roles with the Royal Air Force (RAF) and Royal Navy until the early 1990s. The Hunter was also widely exported, serving with 21 other air forces; 50 years after its original introduction it is still used in active military training roles as an aggressor.

On 7 September 1953, the modified first prototype broke the world air speed record, achieving 727.63 mph (1,171.01 km/h). Overall, 1,972 Hunters were produced by Hawker Siddeley and under licence. In British service, the aircraft was replaced by the English Electric Lightning, the Hawker Siddeley Harrier and the McDonnell Douglas Phantom.