The Complete History of XF382
XF382 was supplied to the Royal Air Force under the 'United States Military Aid Programme' in the 1950's. It is displayed at the Midland Air Museum, Coventry under permanent loan from the USAF Museum who are custodians of all such funded aircraft. Built in 1956 at AWA's Baginton factory as part of a licensed production batch for Hawker, as an F6 version.
The following is a full and complete 30 year service history of XF382 to the present day:
DATE FROM DATE TO HISTORY INFORMATION
28/08/1956 Delivery to the RAF from AWA to 5MU RAF Kemble
26/09/1956 To 92 Sqn RAF Linton-on-Ouse
16/11/1956 To 63 Sqn RAF Waterbeach
22/02/1957 To 65 Sqn RAF Duxford (Wearing Tail Code Q)
09/04/1959 To DFCS RAF West Raynham (Wearing Tail Code R)
13/11/1962 To RAF Binbrook
08/02/1966 To 229 OCU RAF Chivenor (Wearing Tail Code 40)
21/10/1969 26/01/1970 To RAF St Athan (For Major Service)
23/02/1972 To 5MU RAF Kemble (For repairs to Port Wing Crack)
12/02/1974 05/07/1974 To RAF St Athan (For Partial Reconditioning)
13/01/1975 To 234 Sqn 1 TWU RAF Brawdy (Wearing Tail Code 15). On same day suffered major damage to starboard intake when liquid starter unit exploded)
19/03/1976 Resumed flying with 234 Sqn 1 TWU RAF Brawdy (After repairs and upgrade to F6A standard)
22/10/1976 Sustained Ricochet damage to nose during weapons firing training. (Resumed flying in 79 Sqn markings)
17/07/1981 To 5MU RAF Kemble (For storage)
01/06/1982 Resumed flying with 79 Sqn 1 TWU RAF Brawdy
10/07/1984 Last ever flight of XF382 (Landed at RAF Brawdy at 15:55 with total flying hours recorded as 3729:40 hrs)
22/08/1986 Placed into Storage at RAF Brawdy pending disposal. (Subsequently removed by road to Midland Air Museum
The following is a full and complete 30 year service history of XF382 to the present day:
DATE FROM DATE TO HISTORY INFORMATION
28/08/1956 Delivery to the RAF from AWA to 5MU RAF Kemble
26/09/1956 To 92 Sqn RAF Linton-on-Ouse
16/11/1956 To 63 Sqn RAF Waterbeach
22/02/1957 To 65 Sqn RAF Duxford (Wearing Tail Code Q)
09/04/1959 To DFCS RAF West Raynham (Wearing Tail Code R)
13/11/1962 To RAF Binbrook
08/02/1966 To 229 OCU RAF Chivenor (Wearing Tail Code 40)
21/10/1969 26/01/1970 To RAF St Athan (For Major Service)
23/02/1972 To 5MU RAF Kemble (For repairs to Port Wing Crack)
12/02/1974 05/07/1974 To RAF St Athan (For Partial Reconditioning)
13/01/1975 To 234 Sqn 1 TWU RAF Brawdy (Wearing Tail Code 15). On same day suffered major damage to starboard intake when liquid starter unit exploded)
19/03/1976 Resumed flying with 234 Sqn 1 TWU RAF Brawdy (After repairs and upgrade to F6A standard)
22/10/1976 Sustained Ricochet damage to nose during weapons firing training. (Resumed flying in 79 Sqn markings)
17/07/1981 To 5MU RAF Kemble (For storage)
01/06/1982 Resumed flying with 79 Sqn 1 TWU RAF Brawdy
10/07/1984 Last ever flight of XF382 (Landed at RAF Brawdy at 15:55 with total flying hours recorded as 3729:40 hrs)
22/08/1986 Placed into Storage at RAF Brawdy pending disposal. (Subsequently removed by road to Midland Air Museum
AWA produced Hunter Survivors
THE AWA (COVENTRY) LINK
Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft at Baginton had a history of taking on licensed production on behalf of the major aircraft manufacturers where demand exceeded supply. This was the case when Hawker approached AWA to produce various batches of their Hunter orders. All the F2 (45 built), and F5 (105 built) Hunters were produced at Baginton. They used the Armstrong Sapphire turbojet engine instead of the Rolls Royce Avon as used in all other Hunter versions. AWA also produced a batch of 100 F6 versions, including XF382. Some of that batch went on to be upgraded to F6A and FGA9 standard during their RAF service life. There were also a small batch of 2 seat Hunters produced by AWA; 6 T7 versions, and 18 T8 Naval versions. The following list shows all known surviving AWA built Hunters, and their current location where known.
Originally researched in 1994, and updated in 2014:
SERIAL NUMBER TYPE CURRENT LOCATION / OWNER
WN904 F2 Sywell Aerodrome Museum
WN890 F5 Boscombe Down Museum - owned by Tony Dyer (Nose Section Only)
WN907 F5 Robertsbridge, East Sussex (Nose Section Only)
WN957 F5 Stockport, Greater Manchester - owned by Michael Rolfe (Nose Section Only)
WP185 F5 Great Dunmow, Essex
WP190 F5 Tangmere Military Aviation Museum
WT722 T8 Classic Air Force. Newquay Airport
WV322 T8 North Weald - owned by Canfield Hunter Ltd
WV396 T8 RAF Valley - Gate Guard (painted to represent an RAF T7)
XE665 T8 Goodwood Aerodrome - owned by Midair Squadron (static only)
XF357 T8 Leeuwarden, Netherlands (painted as N-321) owned by Dutch Hawker Hunter Foundation
XF358 T8 Quebec, Canada - Nose section only fitted to ex-Swiss F58 N325AX owned by Lortie Aviation
XF375 F6 Boscombe Down Museum
XF382 F6 Midland Air Museum, Coventry Airport
XF383 F6 Gloster Aviation Club, Gloucester (Nose Section Only)
XF509 F6 Fort Paull Armoury, East Riding
XF522 F6 2366 Sqn ATC, Bletchley Park (Nose Section Only)
XF527 F6 RAF Halton - Gate Guard
XF967 T8 Cape Town, South Africa - formerly part of Thunder City (painted as ZU-CTN)
XF994 T8 RAF Scampton - owned by Hawker Hunter Aviation
XF995 T8 RAF Scampton - owned by Hawker Hunter Aviation
I would welcome any additional information on any other AWA survivors that may have been overlooked!
Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft at Baginton had a history of taking on licensed production on behalf of the major aircraft manufacturers where demand exceeded supply. This was the case when Hawker approached AWA to produce various batches of their Hunter orders. All the F2 (45 built), and F5 (105 built) Hunters were produced at Baginton. They used the Armstrong Sapphire turbojet engine instead of the Rolls Royce Avon as used in all other Hunter versions. AWA also produced a batch of 100 F6 versions, including XF382. Some of that batch went on to be upgraded to F6A and FGA9 standard during their RAF service life. There were also a small batch of 2 seat Hunters produced by AWA; 6 T7 versions, and 18 T8 Naval versions. The following list shows all known surviving AWA built Hunters, and their current location where known.
Originally researched in 1994, and updated in 2014:
SERIAL NUMBER TYPE CURRENT LOCATION / OWNER
WN904 F2 Sywell Aerodrome Museum
WN890 F5 Boscombe Down Museum - owned by Tony Dyer (Nose Section Only)
WN907 F5 Robertsbridge, East Sussex (Nose Section Only)
WN957 F5 Stockport, Greater Manchester - owned by Michael Rolfe (Nose Section Only)
WP185 F5 Great Dunmow, Essex
WP190 F5 Tangmere Military Aviation Museum
WT722 T8 Classic Air Force. Newquay Airport
WV322 T8 North Weald - owned by Canfield Hunter Ltd
WV396 T8 RAF Valley - Gate Guard (painted to represent an RAF T7)
XE665 T8 Goodwood Aerodrome - owned by Midair Squadron (static only)
XF357 T8 Leeuwarden, Netherlands (painted as N-321) owned by Dutch Hawker Hunter Foundation
XF358 T8 Quebec, Canada - Nose section only fitted to ex-Swiss F58 N325AX owned by Lortie Aviation
XF375 F6 Boscombe Down Museum
XF382 F6 Midland Air Museum, Coventry Airport
XF383 F6 Gloster Aviation Club, Gloucester (Nose Section Only)
XF509 F6 Fort Paull Armoury, East Riding
XF522 F6 2366 Sqn ATC, Bletchley Park (Nose Section Only)
XF527 F6 RAF Halton - Gate Guard
XF967 T8 Cape Town, South Africa - formerly part of Thunder City (painted as ZU-CTN)
XF994 T8 RAF Scampton - owned by Hawker Hunter Aviation
XF995 T8 RAF Scampton - owned by Hawker Hunter Aviation
I would welcome any additional information on any other AWA survivors that may have been overlooked!