FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1957
1957 - 0660.PDF
664 FLIGHT "Flight" photograph HANDLING THE HUNTER . . . Normally, fuel sequencing and balancing is automatic, but when thevalves are switched for direct transfer control, the gauges show the fuel quantity of the tank being transferred at any one time. I noted that totalinternal capacity was 1,600 lb on each side. The air-conditioning system has three controls. A rheostat is used toselect a given temperature. A lever allows selection of increasing heat or cold; and a switch is marked for "auto" or "flood flow." The lattersetting brings a great torrent of hot air through the demisting system to cope with heavy misting during rapid descents into warm, damp con-ditions. The whole system worked really well. Though not specially dressed I was never too hot or cold. The fuel low-pressure cock is well out of the way and is generally leftin the on position, while the high-pressure cock is incorporated in the first few inches of power lever movement and protected by a safetycatch. A small console extending down between the pilot's feet, and carrying a few gauges and the starting controls, is not duplicated in theinstructor's position. In most fighters, several services—such as pitot- head heater, gun camera, instruments and compass system—are normallyswitched on by the pilot when starting up. In the Hunter, these switches are grouped together and covered with a bar, a single movement of whichturns them all on at once. Next to them is the starter button. The starting drill is, therefore, to take the power lever out of the h.p. cocksection into the power section, move the switch-bar, press the starter, wait for about 15 seconds while everything spins up, and taxi away. Thetotal time required in practice is something like 20 sec. Pilots already strapped in can leave the ground about half a minute after getting ascramble order. All modern gyro instruments are set to spin-up in this time, so that an instrument take-off can be made immediately. The large canopy of the Hunter Two Seater is power-operated. It isalso quite a hefty structure and could do considerable damage to a human arm which got in the way when it slammed down. A horntherefore blows rather alarmingly all the time the hood is closing and only stops when a small green light comes on to indicate that it islocked. In accordance with modern practice, all switches in the Hunter are arranged to be "up" for the "on" position. Powered controls are engaged by switching on the aileron system andthrowing the stick hard over to each side, and then by switching on the elevator system and again firmly exercising the stick. Doll's-eyeindicators turn black when engagement is effected, but it can also be posi- tively felt when moving the stick. With present wiring systems it isimpossible to engage or disengage one aileron only. Lights indicate a drop in hydraulic pressure and two buttons are provided for emergencydisconnection of the two power systems. Power can also be switched off normally and turned on again forpractising flying in manual control. Forces are then very heavy, since none of the control surfaces is balanced for manual operation. To easethe ailerons, the gearing is automatically halved in manual, making full stick-movement apply only half aileron-travel. This is sufficient forcontrol and makes the very heavy loads rather easier to apply. In the manual-elevator case the tailplane follow-up is retained and the trimmingfacility is always available. If this too fails (so far, apparently, there have been no such cases) the task would be very hard, but not impossible. All this background has taken a great deal longer to describe than Ihad to take it in. We got under way very quickly after strapping in, steering with the brakes along the taxiway to the westerly runway. ThereBill Bedford called for take-off clearance and lined up. He opened the throttle against the brakes and I waited expectantly for the shove. Whenit came it was sudden and urgently powerful. I have never known such ruthless acceleration. After soaring up several thousand feet, we levelledout for a moment to build up our 530 kt climbing speed and then headed on past a few cumulus clouds into the bright upper sunlight. Thenosewheel rumbled for a while after take-off till it slowed down, and then all was gentle hissing and deceptive calm. I took over and started watching the climbing speed, since precisionis the key to climbing performance in the Hunter—even more so than in the Meteor. The ailerons were extremely light and I progressedupwards with a pronounced lateral rocking which I found it very diffi- cult to check. This was partly because I was not accustomed to poweredailerons and partly because it is a characteristic of some individual Hunters. Even when I did get the wings steady, the rocking was inclinedto start again quite soon. Though the climb looked little steeper than that of the Meteor, wewere really going up. The V.S.I. was jammed against the stop until over 30,000ft and was still registering 3,OO6ft/min at 38.000ft. Less than fullpower was set. We passed 42,000ft just seven minutes after releasing Two groundcrewmen help the pilots strap in. Two access ladders attach to the cockpit flanks and the canopy is power-operated. the brakes, still rocking a good deal laterally and beginning to notice thata slight increase in Mach number resulted in a marked reduction in rate of climb. Very precise control was required at 47,000ft, which was thehighest I went. By this time we were level with Poole Harbour and could see the Isle of Wight, tiny below us in a shimmering sea. Thecoast stretched away towards Dungeness under a patchy cloud layer, and another cloud-edge marked the French coast clearly from Cherbourgalmost to Calais. At 0.9 Mach the V.S.I, now showed that we were descending slowly.Speed built up with surprising rapidity to 0.95 Mach, at which point a nose-up trim change occurred. It was very easily held, for only thespring feel had to be overcome in moving the stick to its new forward position. It was a comfortable push—not the two-handed heave requiredin the Meteor at 0.77 Mach. I applied 30 deg of bank and obtained a Rate one-third turn. Main-taining it, we turned very slowly towards the Isle of Wight while I tried to keep a constant Mach number and fluctuated between 44,000 and46,000ft. Very precise control was needed. I steepened the bank to 60 deg, pulled lg and obtained a Rate three-quarter turn, but gained2,000ft with a slight decrease in speed. Bedford took over and showed that, maintaining 0.9 Mach in a gentledescent, it was possible to pull something like 2g. We decided it was time to "plant one" (make a sonic boom) out to sea. Heading for theChannel east of the island I eased the nose down and watched the Machmeter. I wondered what would happen, but nothing did. TheMachmeter simply went up to Mach 1 (Mach 0.98 indicated is Mach 1 true), and that was all. I moved the stick about and obtained preciseresponse laterally and longitudinally, feeling that the aircraft would make a good gun-platform at this difficult speed. At about 30,000ft, Ipulled about 4g before any buffeting occurred. There was no pitch-up. We then sailed effortlessly back to 40,000ft and Bill turned the TwoSeater smartly on to its back, pulled down into a steep dive and rolled level again. The speed built up rapidly and we were very soon up toMach 1.03 indicated—not the maximum available. Pulling out above 20,000ft, we were below Mach 1 again by the time the nose passed thehorizon. At no time was there any special noise or other indication of high speed other than the forward movement of the stick at 0.95 Mach.The follow-up tailplane makes handling at these speeds straightforward. At the top of the initial climb we had had 1,050 lb of fuel left on eachside and we now had 700 lb each side. Time was getting a little short, and Bill demonstrated the stall. At 0.9 Mach he extended the air brake,then the flaps at 330 kt I.A.S.; and we reached 200 kt after 32 sec. He continued to slow down until, with the aircraft clean again at 140 kt, agentle buffeting began. Just before the stall the nose came firmly up, but could be held, and the stall followed at 110 kt. The nose droppedgently and straight, and recovery was quick and straightforward. We had now been airborne for 23 minutes. A steep dive from about 20,000ft brought us into a level high-speedrun 100ft up off the south coast. The speed built up steadily to over 600 kt indicated. The ground was really tearing by and the small resortswest of Brighton passed like a travelogue run wild. A 3g pull-up to 5,000ft was followed by a series of maximum-rate rolls at 350 kt. Theywere so fast that I was very giddy after four of them and felt that we were flying sideways when they were over—apparently a common reaction.They were so fast that through the roof I could watch an object on the ground almost continuously. Bill then executed a smooth, gentle loop,starting at 380 kt and getting over the top at 160 kt on half power. Docility in the Circuit We returned to Dunsfold and landed, touching down at a very sedate110 kt. with 800 1b fuel left. At the end of the runway we turned lound and Bill let me do a circuit. I lined up and opened the throttle till Icould feel the Hunter creep forward despite full brake. I let the brakes off and was slammed back in the seat by the fantastic acceleration. Quickjabs of brake kept us straight (the Hunter was weathercocking in a cross-wind) as the scenery began to tear towards us. At about 80 kt therecame a distinct feeling of aerodynamic control and I eased the nose up. Almost straight away the machine was off and soaring upwards. Untilone grows accustomed to it, the take-off really is a brief spasm of despeiate concentration between rest and flying. We left the wheels down and throttled back straight away to stop thespeed building up and thus save fuel, which was now becoming a little precious. At 1,000ft I flew the down-wind leg, reducing speed andasking for the flaps to be lowered at 230 kt. I noticed virtually no trim changes. Just after passing the end of the runway I started the curvedapproach and called for full flap. We came "round the corner" at 170 kt, with 6,000 r.p.m. giving us a comfortable (jet) rate of descent of2,000ft/min. It was very much like the Meteor's approach, except that there was no control-sensation of decreasing speed. From a few hundredyards out I aimed a glancing blow at the runway, reducing speed and counteracting the cross-wind. The Hunter touched down perfectly com-fortably, though I made it a little too fast. I raised the nose to get aerodynamic braking, but to little effect, and finally I put the nosewheeldown and braked fairly firmly to stay within the allotted 2,000 yd of concrete. A much more normal landing run is 1,400 yd. I should have landed rather more slowly, but the brakes coped withthe excess speed without any signs of torture. The Hunter, once down, derives a great deal less drag from frontal area and wheels than does theMeteor, but the brakes are very powerful and respond far more quickly and firmly. Taxying back to dispersal, I found the Hunter exactly likethe Meteor to manage, but much more sensitive on the brakes. In summing-up the Hunter Two Seater one might well quote theAmerican who described a new aircraft as being "a bird in which the pilot can really get with it." The tremendous urge, effortless climb andremarkably even handling characteristics, coupled with so moderate a landing performance, will imediately appeal to pupils, just as they arealready satisfying the Hunter 6 fighter pilots.
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
