DUTCH HUNTER GOES TO CANADA
The Dutch Hawker Hunter Foundation (DHHF) has announced that their single-seat Hawker Hunter ‘N-294’ (G-KAXF) has been sold to Lortie Aviation of Canada. Lortie Aviation operates a fleet of hunters and provides combat air training for the armed forces of Canada, France and the United States.
DHHF’s single-seater was built as an F.6 variant at Hawker’s production facility at Coventry in 1956.
She joined RAF’s 247 Squadron in 1957 as XF515 and later that year was assigned to 43 Squadron based at Leuchars, Scotland. In the seventies, XF515 was moved to RAF Brawdy where she was used for training purposes. During this period she was modified to F.6A standard by strengthening the wings and the addition of a brake chute. In 1995 XF515 was retired from RAF service and sold by the Ministry of Defence to private owners. After extensive restoration by Kennet Aviation at North Weald XF515 took to the sky again in 1998 in 43 Squadron markings under the civil registration G-KAXF.
From 1998 to 2004 the aircraft was a regular visitor at various airshows in the UK and abroad. In 2007 the aircraft changed into Dutch hands and was transferred to Hunter Flying at Exeter, where she had Dutch military markings applied. In 2008 DHHF got permission from the Royal Netherlands Air Force to operate a second Hunter from Leeuwarden AB alongside its two-seater T.8C ‘N-321’ to represent a large number of Hunter F.6 fighters once in service with the Dutch airforce. G-KAXF, now as N-294, was flown to Leeuwarden AB in April 2009. DHHF operated N-294 as its principal display aircraft at airshows for nearly 12 years.
Official statement from the Dutch Hawker Hunter Foundation;
DHHF terminates operating Hunter F.6A N-294.
The last few years have seen a sharp decline in the number of both military and civilian airshows in the Netherlands and adjoining countries. Mostly, this is due to the Covid-pandemic but also ever increasing costs of organizing such events and more restrictive regulations are contributing factors. For the foreseeable future these trends will not be reversed, and it means that the demand for displays and other airshow appearances of DHHF’s Hunters will be limited.
Against this background DHHF had to conclude that a two aircraft operation is no longer economically viable, and that we have to return to the initial years when DHHF operated just her dual Hunter N-321. Therefore Hunter F.6A N-294 will not return to the sky this spring. She has been sold to Lortie Aviation, Canada where she will join the existing Hunter fleet to provide battle training for the airforces of Canada and the United States. Hawker Hunter N-294 with her screaming ‘blue note’ has been with us for about 12 years, and she will be sorely missed.
With all Covid-restrictions lifted we are now working hard to bring Hunter Mk.68 N-322 finally out of Switzerland to Leeuwarden Air Base; hopefully this will be realized in Q2. A real ‘stunner’, N-322 will take the place of N-321 for training and currency flights. And fitted with a ‘big’ Avon engine she will be a worthy replacement for our singleseater at future airshows.
N-294 During her last public display at the Sanicole International Airshow
