Hawker Hunter Mark 52

The Hawker Hunter Mark 52 was the designation given to sixteen Hunter F.Mark 4s sold to Peru during 1955. While Denmark and Sweden had ordered newly-built aircraft, the Peruvian order was for sixteen refurbished ex-RAF Hunters. The selected aircraft were returned to Dunsfold late in 1955 where they were updated to the latest standards, and repainted in their new Peruvian insignia. Some of the early machines were used for conversion training, which also took place at Dunsfold, but all sixteen aircraft had been delivered by the end of 1956. This order was something of a triumph for Hawkers, and was a rare success in the South American market, which at this date was dominated by low-cost American F-80s, F-86s and T-33s, but the only other South American country to receive the Hunter would be Chile, where political problems would cause problems.

The Hunter Mk.52 served in Escuadron Caza 14 at Limatambo, operating alongside a number of North American F-86s. They were joined in 1960 by a single T.Mark 62 two-seat trainer. The Hunters served as front line fighters until the late 1960s, at which point they were replaced by Mirage 5Ps. The Hunters were then moved to No.12 Squadron, where they served as ground attack aircraft, mirroring the Hunter's service career with the RAF. They served in this role until 1976, when they were replaced by Soviet Su 22 Fitters.

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How to cite this article: Rickard, J (30 April 2010), Hawker Hunter Mark 52 , http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_hawker_hunter_52.html

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