Arguably the most successful post-WWII British aircraft, the Hawker Hunter was not only used for decades by the RAF and FAA, but also exported to nearly 20 nations. A design of the late 40's, the Hunter was used briefly as a fighter, but soon was developed into a ground attack and reconnaissance aircraft. Built in both single and twin seat versions, a great number of airframes were updated to FGA.9 standard.

Nearly 2,000 airframes were built, including several hundred in Belgium and the Netherlands for use by their forces. It was a near standard for ex-British colonial nations in Africa and in the Middle East and India. Incredibly, the aircraft is either still being used or has just left service with Rhodesia and India. When the Swiss Air Force sold off a number of Mk.58 versions in the early 1990s, many were eagerly snapped up by warbird enthusiasts and are even now plying the skies in civilian guise.

Revell's 1/32 Hunter is a true tour de force when it comes to large scale jet kits. Originally released in Europe in Revell AG boxes, this Korean-developed kit came in RAF and Swiss versions. When it reached the shores of the US, the bits and pieces for the Swiss version were deleted from the kit, much to the dismay of modelers here in the States. Once again (as with the F-86D), the preferred version of a kit was issued in Europe. While it may have been a great seller in Europe, it has not had that kind of reception on this side of the pond. The models are not difficult to find, even four years after its release and are often found at a considerable discount.

Detailing is excellent, as one would expect from a modern kit of this size. There cockpit is well detailed as are other areas of the kit; wheel wells, speed brake well, intake. The modular design of the kit leads me to believe that other versions were in the works such as a two seat trainer and earlier variants such as the F.6 and F.4.  You can see this in the separate nose section, wing leading edges and tail cone. Options on the US version are limited to drop tanks and rocket pods for things under wings. The canopy can be displayed open should one desire. The kit can also be built wheels up, but you'll have to build a hefty display stand for it.

Instructions are excellent, giving proper color references and multiple construction steps, each denoting areas of interest where applicable. There is a note that nose weight is needed, but it doesn't tell how much. I'd put in plenty! Markings are provided for two RAF planes. One of 208 Squadron in Kuwait, cira 1961 (that's probably supposed to be Aden), and the other at Wittering in the UK from around 1975. Both are in RAF Dark Green and Dark Sea Grey uppers. The 208 Sq plane has aluminum lacquer undersides while the 45 Squadron plane has Light Aircraft Grey in that area. The 208 Squadron plane is undoubtedly in gloss paints as it was typical of the time and has the full color roundels. The later years these colors went matte along with the semi low visibility insignia. The decal sheet is huge and wouldn't entirely fit on my flatbed scanner. Decals appear to be very well done and should not give any problems in application. Applying the data markings will keep the modeler busy for quite some time! It seems as if this kit was originally destined to be a ProModeler offering. If you don't like the kit markings, there are several aftermarket ones available as well as other resin and etched metal bits for you to spend your money on.

I've only seen one of these kits built up and that was a few months back. It is really quite impressive and other than having a lot of parts, shouldn't be that difficult to build. However, applying markings will be time consuming. If you have the room, I'd recommend one of these, especially since they can be found for at least $10 off retail at on-line auctions and other places.

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