It was designed to take advantage of the newly developed Rolls-Royce Avon turbojet engine and the swept wing , and was the first jet-powered aircraft produced by Hawker to be procured by the RAF. On 7 September , the modified first prototype broke the world air speed record for aircraft, achieving a speed of The single-seat Hunter was introduced to service in as a manoeuvrable day interceptor aircraft , quickly succeeding first-generation jet fighters in RAF service such as the Gloster Meteor and the de Havilland Venom.
Successively improved variants of the type were produced, adopting increasingly more capable engine models and expanding its fuel capacity amongst other modifications being implemented.
Hunters were also used by two RAF display teams: the " Black Arrows ", who on one occasion looped a record-breaking 22 Hunters in formation, and later the " Blue Diamonds ", who flew 16 aircraft. The Hunter was also widely exported, serving with a total of 21 overseas air forces.
During the s, following the introduction of the supersonic English Electric Lightning in the interceptor role, the Hunter transitioned to being operated as a fighter-bomber and for aerial reconnaissance missions, using dedicated variants for these purposes.
Two-seat variants remained in use for training and secondary roles with the RAF and the Royal Navy until the early s. Sixty years after its original introduction it was still in active service, being operated by the Lebanese Air Force until Overall, 1, Hunters were manufactured by Hawker Aircraft and its successor, Hawker Siddeley , as well as being produced under licence overseas. During , the Second World War came to a close and a new postwar Labour government, headed by Clement Attlee , came to power in Britain.
