Hunting Percival Jet Provost T.2
Advances to the initial T.1 were made by HP in 4 aircraft built as Jet Provost T.2 development aircraft.
The first T.2 was modified from the final T.1 during construction. To counter instabilty on the ground the landing gear was shortened and retained short for all subsequent marques. To ease maintenance of the engine jet pipe, the rear fuselage was modified, and to improve handling the dorsal fin was extended. After the initial test flying programme, the first T.2 was operated by No.2 FTS alongside the T.1's.
The second T.2 was retained by HP and fitted with the lager Viper11 engine to become the sole T.2B. Later, stripped back to bare metal but retaining its civil registration and having wingtip fuel tanks fitted, it embarked on a sales tour of South American air forces, before joining the RAAF on contract. No sales were made to Australia, and the aircraft was decommissioned and placed in storage. This aircraft is now an Australian museum piece and is the only T.2 remaining.
The third aircraft was also originally kept as a civil registered company aircraft. However in 1959 it was also fitted with tip tanks and sent to Portugal for testing. Again no sales were generated, and the aircraft returned to the UK, where it eventually became the prototype Jet Provost T.4.
The final T.2 adopted the tip tanks during construction, and these were then standardised for all subsequent marques. The aircraft was eventually used by the RAF for munitions testing in Aden in 1958, before travelling to Pakistan and India on a sales tour. On return to the UK this aircraft became the prototype T.3.
Love to see this plane. A warbird collector friend owned an ex-RAF JP in Florida and it was a popular sight at air shows. I did an article on flying in it and he even let me handle it for a few minutes (don't tell the FAA). He also had two L-29s and was restoring the lone Peruvian Hunter T.62 and a Peruvian F.52. All since sold off or, in the case of the L-29s, donated to a local tech school.