Specialty Press

The Hawker Hunter

by  Tim McLelland

Reviewed By  Jack Kennedy, IPMS# 12511

MSRP: $49.95 ISBN: 9780859791236 Website: www.specialtypress.com I believe that the Hawker Hunter is one of the most beautiful aircraft ever built. I have several kits of this plane and also a few books but this book is the most comprehensive I have ever seen. It is not only a great reference but it is also a history of the Hunter going back to the P1040 and the P1052. This book is in hard cover format with 336 pages and includes 250 B/W photos and 20 color drawings. In addition it has cutaway drawings of the complete airframe and all of the complements. Included is the aircrew manual and appendices on service histories, serial numbers and the fate of every Hunter built. Tim McLelland has really done his homework on this book and it shows. It notes the Hunter's varied operational successes with particular emphasis on major foreign users in Switzerland and India and exports to Oman and Chile. The detail photos in this book are wonderful; however I would have preferred them in color. For the modeler, they are invaluable as everything is shown. In appendix 8 are pilots notes that can practically teach you how to fly the Hunter. Some of the chapters are about teething troubles, Into service: Marks 1 to 5, Mark 6, unscheduled exits, civilian operators, overseas buyers and export sales by country.

Overall I found that this book gives you everything you ever wanted to know about the Hawker Hunter and even some stuff you didn't care about. I would highly recommend this to anyone that has even a passing interest in this terrific aircraft. Specialty Press donated the review sample and has it for sale at $49.95. Specialty Press may be reached at www.specialtypress.com and I wish to thank them and IPMS for the chance to review this wonderful book.