Belgian Hunters in Chilean Colors By Julio Arróspide

The Chilean Air Force in the middle of the 1960’s began to look a replacement for de Havilland

Vampire aircraft, in attention to these aircrafts were reaching the limit of their flying hours and were

also under performance comparing with combat jets of the Chile’s neighboring countries, Argentina

and Peru. Due to the refusal of the Department of Defense of United States to sell its supersonic

aircraft Northrop F-5A Freedom Fighter, the Chilean Air Force High Command looked for an

alternative with Great Britain. So, Chile purchased the first batch of Hawker Hunters in 1967,

completing a total of 53 aircrafts in additional batches. Hunters served for almost 28 years, being

deactivated on April 1995.

All the 53 Hunters acquired previously operated in different air forces of the world before being

purchased by Hawker Aviation Limited (HAL) to then be modified to the standards required by the

Chilean Air Force. The first batch of aircraft was composed of Hunters that had operated in the

Belgium Air Force, the Royal Netherlands Air Force and the Royal Air Force. Hunters from Belgium

were model F.6 and they were converted to the model Mk.71 by HAL:

Serial BAF

Builder c/n Serial ChAF

Destination in the Chilean Air Force

IF-44 Fokker 8789 J-703 Assigned to 7th in 1968, then to 8th Group in 1973, deactivated in 1994.

IF-106 Sabca 8876/T175 J-701 Assigned to 7th Group in 1968, then to 9th Group in 1970. Destroyed in a training accident in Colina, dying his pilot, Lieutenant Renato Palma Monje.

IF-108 Fokker 8879 J-702 Assigned to 7th Group in 1968, then to 9th Group and finally to 8th Group in 1981. Deactivated in 1995, now is a monument at the entrance of the Logistic Command of Chilean Air Force.

IF-141 Fokker 8949 J-700

Assigned to 7th Group in 1968, accidented in April of 1977 and some of its components are used next to those of the aircraft J-707, to build the Hunter Mk.71 X-001, base for the “Aguila” project. Later it is registered with the N ° 740 and it was deactivated in 1994.

A particular fact is related with Belgian Hunters F.6 IF-19 and IF-67, both struck of charge by

separated accidents and whose main components were acquired by HAL in 1958 to build one of the

first Hunter trainer, model T.66A with the registration G-APUX, used as a demonstrator around the

World. This aircraft was subsequently leased to the Iraqi Air Force and sub-leased to the Jordan and

Lebanon Air Forces, before being returned to HAL and converted to Mk.72 to be sold later to the

Chilean Air Force with serial J-718. This Hunter was the first to flight over Chile and the first to pass

the sound barrier at the end of 1967. It also participated in the last flight of the Hunters in Chile, on

April 1995.

It is more, the Hunter IF-141 or rather parts of that aircraft, survived in the form of the Hunter Mk.71

N ° 740, the only Hunter built in Chile for the Maintenance Wing. The Hunter J-700 (Former IF-141)

suffered a crash landing in April 1977. The same fate ran the Hunter J-707 and its main components,

along with the J-700 (wings mainly) allowed the birth of a new Hunter. It was registered as X-001

and it was exhibited at Air International Fair (FIDA) in 1980, being used for tests of the “Aguila”

project. It was later registered as 740 and it was assigned to the 8th Group, remaining operational

until 1994. This Hunter raise to 54 the number of these aircraft operated by the Chilean Air Force.

From IF-108 to J-702

Hunter F.6 IF-108 of the Belgium Air Force, 1961. Photograph from Daniel Brackx collection.

The Hunter IF-108 was built by Belgian manufacturer Fokker as model F.6 and was delivered to the

Belgium Air Force in May 1958. It was assigned to the 7th wing at Chièvres, operating until May

1963, when was deactivated and preserved at the Koksigde Air Base. On October 21, 1964 is

acquired by HAL as G-9-105 and was converted to the FGA.9 standard and delivered to the Chilean

Air Force on the November, First 1967 as a Mk.71 model, with serial J-702.

Hunter F.6 IF-108, Belgium Air Force, 1961. Profile: Aviation Art & History by Julio Arróspide.

The Hunter J-702 was transported from England by sea, disassembled in containers. After its

assembly by Chilean Air Force mechanics and supported by HAL technicians, it was in flight status in

mid-February 1968, with the Hunters J-700, J-701 and J-703, all former Belgium Hunters, and

assigned to the 7th Aviation Group, based at “Los Cerrillos” Air Base, in Santiago. It used the RAF

standard color scheme with gray and green camouflage colors for the upper surfaces and a metallic

color to the bottom surfaces. The stencils were in English and their serial numbers had large

proportions using the J prefix for “Jet”. Like the rest of the Chilean Air Force planes, the rudder was

painted in blue with a white star. On the left wing and under the right was painted the coat of arms

of the Chilean Air Force. Finally, as the most of the Hunters of the 7th Group, used the coat of arms

of the Group on both sides of the nose section.

Hunter Mk.71 J-702, Chilean Air Force, 7th Group, Los Cerrillos Air Base, 1968. Profile: Aviation Art & History by Julio

Arróspide.

On May 8, 1970, a part of the 7th Group fleet is assigned to the 9th Aviation Group, named "Black

Panthers", for operating at the “El Tepual” Air Base, in Puerto Montt, southern zone of Chile and

replacing the fleet of Lockheed F-80C/T-33A. The Hunter J-702 was included in this new designation.

It kept its original camouflage scheme, but it was applied a white roundel with a head of a black

panther in the nose section and in the vertical stabilizer. On March 20, 1975, the 9th Group is

transferred to the North of the country, to the “Cerro Moreno” Air Base in Antofagasta. Contrasting

the paint scheme gray of aircraft, with the characteristics of the desert terrain, High Command

decides to apply a scheme ad-hoc to the new area, painting a sand base color and brown spots,

keeping the original RAF shapes. Serial numbers were reduced in size and the use of the traditional

Panthers remained.

Hunter Mk.71 J-702, Chilean Air Force, 9th Group, Cerro Moreno Air Base, 1979. Source: FACH

Hunter Mk.71 J-702, Chilean Air Force, 9th Group, Cerro Moreno Air Base, 1978. Profile: Aviation Art & History by Julio

Arróspide.

During its operation in 9th Group, the Hunter J-702 participated in the deploy to the South of Chile in 1978, as a result of the bordering problems with Argentina, meaning a deterrent factor during that crisis, which had its climax in the month of December. Some of the Hunters of the 9th Group had already been wired to operate the Shafrir 2 missile and had participation in such operations, conducting combat air patrols, while the rest of the Hunters were dispersed in different airstrips and highways loaded with bombs and rockets, ready for attack Argentine targets. Fortunately for both countries, the Vatican mediated in the conflict and the crisis has been exceeded.

On December 2, 1981 the Group N ° 9 is deactivated and its Hunters were assigned to the 8th Aviation Group. The Hunter J-702 was re-serialized as 702 in October of that same year and during that decade was included in “Aguila” program (Eagle project), carried out locally in the Chilean Air Force Maintenance Wing (later become ENAER) at the “El Bosque” Air Base. This project was procured due to embargoes of armament and technical assistance from Britain and United States. Modifications consisted of improvements in the cabin layout, new communication and navigation instruments, RWR capacity and ability to operate the Shafrir 2 missile. It also incorporated a dispenser of chaff and flares, part of the “Eclipse” project.

Photographs of the Hunter J-702 during its operation in 8th Group in the late 90's. Source: Jets magazine - Patrick Laureau.

Hunter Mk.71 702, Chilean Air Force, 8th Group, Cerro Moreno Air Base, 1991. Profile: Aviation Art & History by Julio

Arróspide.

Beginning of the 1990 the situation of the fleet of Hunters becomes critical due to the lack of spares and material fatigue, so most of the fleet was deactivated on January 1995, including the Hunter 702. Last known operations of this aircraft were made on December 1994, in a joint exercise with F-5E and A-36 of the Chilean Air Force and F-16A from the National Guard of Puerto Rico. Finally, four aircraft remained operating to prepare pilots that would make the last flight of the Hunters on April 19, 1995 in "Los Cerrillos" Air Base. The Hunters involved were 718, 734, 735 and 736 and one of its pilots, the General of Staff Jaime Estay took command of the controls of one of the planes, becoming one of the last Chilean pilots to fly a Hunter in Chile and closing a chapter after almost 28 years, having been the first pilot of the Chilean Air Force in flying a Hunter on the Chilean skies on December 11, 1967.

Hunter Mk.71 702 of Chilean Air Force as a monument at Los Cerrillos Air Base. Photograph by Aeroprints.com

Sources:

Belgian Wings (http://www.belgian-wings.be)

Editorial Manutara (http://editorialmanutara.blogspot.com.br/2011/09/el-primer-vuelo-de-un-hawker-hunter-en.html) –

Danilo Villarroel.

Jets magazine – Le Hunter au Chili – Patrick Laureau.

Hawker Hunter 1951 to 2007 – David J. Griffin.

Collaborators:

Daniel Brackx – Belgian Wings.

Raúl Zamora Martínez – Aviation Art & History.