The Last Swiss Hunter has been grounded
Following the earlier grounding of the Hunter T.68 J-4201/HB-RVR which has now been sold to Canada where it will continue to fly, Switzerland’s last airworthy Hunter F-58 J-4040/HB-RVS ‘Papyrus’ have now also been grounded forever.
On February 12, 2024, the members of the Hunter Association Obersimmental were officially informed via letter that the Hunter F-58 J-4040/HB-RVS ‘Papyrus’ will never fly again.
The aircraft was flown over from St. Stephan to Altenrhein in October 2022 to undergo its annual inspection with hopes of having the Hunter flying for at least one more season. Nobody knew at the time that this would be the last flight.
The aircraft will be taken by road transport from Altenrhein to St. Stephen in mid-March, where it will be on a permanent static display in the future.
Grounding of ‘Papyrus’ may well have brought an end to Hawker Hunters flying on the Swiss civil register.
Hunter F-58 J-4040/HB-RVS ‘Papyrus’
Hunter HB-RVS ‘Papyrus’
This exact Hawker Hunter left the Hawkers Kingston-upon-Thames production plant in 1959 as a Hunter F.58 and was taken on Strength with the Schweizer Luftwaffe (Swiss Air Force) where it received a serial number J-4040.
She initially served with Fliegerstaffel 15 (No 15 Squadron) at the St. Stephan Air Base before being transferred to Mollis Air Base where she served with the Fliegerstaffel 20 (No 20 Squadron). She was retired in 1993 and stored until she was bought by the Hunterverein Obersimmenta who returned it to an airworthy condition in 2001. She received a civilian registration HB-RVS, as well as the symbolic serial J-4015 to mark the disbandment of 15 Squadron and a new paint scheme. The dramatic paint scheme of white with black newspaper lettering is similar to a memorable scheme worn by the real J-4015 and carries the names of various 15 Squadron personnel on her topsides. She was given the symbolic serial J-4015 to mark the disbandment of the 15 Squadron.
Shortly after being returned to flying condition, she visited the UK in 2001, appearing at the Hunter 50th Anniversary airshow at Kemble and also at the Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT), but soon after was grounded for a couple of years while a major rebuild took place. She flew again in 2004 and remained airworthy till her last flight at the end of 2022.
Official Statement on Grounding the ‘Papyrus’
On October 17, 2022, the papyrus was flown over from St. Stephan to Altenrhein in the hope of flying the Hunter back to St. Stephan after the annual inspection in spring 23. In order to secure the future of Hunter aviation, we have decided, together with Amici del Hunter and the operators of De Havilland aircraft, to set up a Europe-wide recognized maintenance operation in Altenrhein. On our part, a lot of energy, nerves and a large amount of money were invested. Shortly before the goal, the project failed miserably, to our great disappointment.
The two options listed in the last report on our homepage then came into play. The dream solution with Altenrhein was delayed for months until we finally had to give up. The second approach with Lortie Aviation from Canada, to make the Papyrus airworthy for another year, also had to be abandoned shortly before implementation.
Now it's certain: our jewelry will never take off again. It was always clear to us at the Hunter Association that the papyrus should remain in Switzerland. We had to make this decision with a heavy heart at the board meeting on January 11, 2024. I had already written the relevant information to you and it was ready for publication. Then events took over. Lortie Aviation from Canada and Hawker Hunter Aviation Ltd in England were prepared to transport the papyrus overland to St. Stephan. In return they should receive the installed engine.
At another board meeting last Thursday we finally decided that the English would win the contract. In mid-March the papyrus will be dismantled in Altenrhein, and a day later it will be taken by road to St. Stephan, where it will be reassembled. The engine is then removed and the engine from the static exhibition in the shelter is reinstalled in its place.
This week we will sign a written agreement. It stipulates that the English will cover all costs. We are all relieved that after more than a year and a half we finally have certainty about what will happen to the papyrus. I'm sure you're just as disappointed as we are. Unfortunately, we have no choice but to face the facts.
Nobody expected that we would be able to fly with the Papyrus for 22 years. It's incredible how everywhere the papyrus was used. It started in England in 2001 when we and four Swiss hunters won first prize for the best performance at the Royal International Air Tattoo in Cottesmore. In addition to the annual Hunter Days in St. Stephan, the papyrus was presented at the two major air shows in Payerne in 2004 and 2014, in Zeltweg, Emmen, Mollis, Sion, etc. The last public appearance of the papyrus took place in August 2022 in St. Stephan. As already mentioned, the papyrus was flown to Altenrhein in October 2022 for an annual inspection. Nobody knew at the time that this would be the last flight.
Despite the great disappointment, we are all very happy and grateful that the entire flight operation with the Papyrus was able to be carried out accident-free and without the slightest incident over all these years. We are all very proud of that. We on the board are now trying to create a worthy place for our papyrus in St. Stephan. A small museum is to be set up in which, in addition to the Hunter, a number of original vehicles as well as many technical exhibits relating to the Hunter's military flight operations will be shown.
You will be constantly informed about progress on the Obersimmental Hunter Club homepage. At the AGM in August you will have the opportunity to gain an impression of our efforts on site. Until then, I will put together an exciting compilation about the creation of the papyrus up to the flying highlights, which will be shown on site.
Dear members. We extremely regret that we were not able to fly over the papyrus to St. Stephan and thus end the chapter “Civil Hunters of Switzerland” in a fitting way. We strive to continue to make our showpiece accessible to the public.
Hunter T.68 J-4201/HB-RVR
Hunter HB-RVR
This exact Hawker Hunter left the Hawkers production plant in 1955 as a Hunter F.4 and was taken on Strength with the Royal Air Force (RAF) with a serial number WV332 later that year. It served with No.67 and No. 234 Squadrons RAF until its retirement in 1957.
After the retirement from the RAF, it was delivered to RAF Halton where it was used as an Instructional Airframe 7673M before being bought back by Hawkers and converted to a Hunter T.68 in 1972.
After the conversion to T.68 was completed in 1974 the aircraft was delivered to the Schweizer Luftwaffe (Swiss Air Force) where it received a serial number J-4201. J-4201 served with the Swiss Air Force up until the mid-1990s when she was retired from active service and sold into private hands.
She was operated by Amici dell'Hunter in Switzerland and flown by a trio of ex-Swiss Air Force pilots performing pleasure flights and flight demonstrations at airshows before being sold to Canada where it will continue to fly.
Official Statement on Grounding the HB-RVR
Further to the retirement of the mechanic approved by the Federal Office of Civil Aviation (FOCA) to maintain and check the Hawker Hunter, and the difficulty for our Swiss maintenance company to quickly find a suitable successor, we tried to find a maintenance solution with a Canadian maintenance company, one of the last entities able to provide this type of service on a Hunter.
After a promising start on the part of the FOCA and the Canadian company, we were faced with a succession of administrative difficulties, and despite our best efforts we ended up stumbling over the ever-increasing red tape and administrative regulations. Furthermore, if we had finally succeeded, it would only have been for one year. From the end of 2024, the FOCA required us to submit to a new control protocol, “Part 145”, leading to maintenance costs that were unaffordable for our non-profit association.
So, with sadness and bitterness, we have decided not to return our Hunter to service.
After 25 years of magnificent, incident-free flights, the adventure has come to an end. Our Hunter has been handed over to the Canadian company, which will be able to continue flying this beautiful machine under other skies, which gives us a little salve to the heart.
We thank all our members, fans and friends who have supported us throughout the years. With our best aeronautical regards.
