Tuesday, April 7, 2020

Republic of Singapore Air Force RSAF Hawker Hunters

Special Hunter: This Hawker Hunter was one of the specially modified birds flown by the Republic of Singapore Air Force 141 Squadron. Note the blanked off 30mm Aden gun ports and the unusual attachment protruding from the gun bay. The attachment is believed to be a recce sensor. This RSAF Hunter also has what appears to be a ventral chaff/flare pack just before the air brake.

From now till the end of Singapore's "circuit breaker" interlude (7 April to 4 May 2020) that attempts to break local transmission of the COVID-19 virus, Senang Diri will post a selection of pictures from our collection. Hope the pictures will help you fight boredom.

We start off with the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) Hawker Hunter as Singapore marks Fighter 50 this year - 50 years of fighter aircraft operations (1970-2020).

Take care. Stay strong. Stay at home.

Hunters roll past the crowd line at Paya Lebar Air Base in the early 1980s during an RSAF Open House. This was the first time I photographed the Hunter. The camera was a simple Yashica point-and-shoot autofocus film camera.

The Hunters carried the heaviest gun armament among all the RSAF fighters, with four 30mm cannon. In the 1970s and 80s, the RSAF Hunter force represented a formidable ground attack strike force, backed by A-4 Skyhawk fighter-bombers and F-5 Tigers IIs providing top cover. The Rolls-Royce Avon engine that powered the Hunter emitted a rather distinctive howling sound, especially when the fighter dashed past at high speed and at low level. If you've heard it before you're unlikely to forget it. Aviation enthusiasts call it the "Blue Note".

1 comment:

IAF said...

Thank you CJ - good time for nostalgia!