Hawker Hunter 'blue note'. What is it?

It is only the Hunters with the 200 series Avon engine that produce the blue note. That is why you won’t hear it coming from the GA.11s & T7s.
The Swiss F.58s DO produce a blue note but not as loud as the F6.

Originally posted by airgage
Think I did mention that a few posts ago before the gun port lobby took over……………..

Well OK, but it must be primarily down to the shape of the gun ports otherwise all Hunters would make the sound, which they don’t.

Hunters with blast deflectors don’t, T-birds don’t and GA.11s with no gun ports at all certainly don’t. There are a very specific set of circumstance needed before the actual sound is made.

Yes, induction roar must make A sound, but not THE sound that is the classic Hunter “blue note”.

Sorry I must have missed that – well I was tired and ready for bed at the time so please excuse my only half reading the thread.
I seem to recall the Vulcan produced a quartet version of the song, lovel to hear oh for the chance to hear it again.

“Now to throw a spanner in the works. The ‘blue note’ was only partly due to slipstream over the gun ports. It was also induction roar from the intakes especially when pulling up after a low pass such as a run and break”

Think I did mention that a few posts ago before the gun port lobby took over……………..

Now to throw a spanner in the works. The ‘blue note’ was only partly due to slipstream over the gun ports. It was also induction roar from the intakes especially when pulling up after a low pass such as a run and break

Probably similar to the induction howl on a race bike (e.g. ZX6R). Nice. 😉

Regards,

Paul

Yes, maybe there is more to it. I’ve been listening to Drakens for 25 years (with Swedish built and modified Avon engines) – sadly no more! On a few occasions, once or twice a year, they would make that “sound”. So much that you would take notice and think: “Where did I hear that before?”. Usually going from high speed to low and more or less at idle. Could of course be from other “things”!:confused:

Best regards

Now to throw a spanner in the works. The ‘blue note’ was only partly due to slipstream over the gun ports. It was also induction roar from the intakes especially when pulling up after a low pass such as a run and break

The Hunter lost last year put on an absolutely amazing display at Abingdon Fayre in May.
The arrival watching the exhaust trail appear from the south at low level and at some speed…
Beautiful clear sky, the aircraft wheeling around… SUn glinting off her form.
Very sad when I found out she’d been lost.

Thanks again guys. I’m amazed at the response to this thread. 🙂

Regards,

Paul

“Blue Moon” 1970 – 72.

This was a recurring air defence exercise to test the Danish low level air defence system, mainly non-radar: Observer Corps spread over the country reporting to low level air defence centers with broadcast controllers. “Blue Forces” on “rat patrols”: Hunters and F-104’s. F-100’s and Drakens in their secondary role as day-fighters. (PS. Only 104’s with their own radar!) (But quite a clever system – hard to jam!) 😉

“Red“ – “Enemy aircraft” – were all sorts of other NATO aircraft – and some Danish. A “web” of routes across Denmark with a string of “Reds” 5 minutes apart at 500 feet – 300 feet (-ish) across targets like airfields.

One day in 70, 71 or 72 I stopped my bicycle to watch a big “Manta-ray” Vulcan smoking in from north to south attacking Karup Airstation. As it came into hearing range the howl of four Olympi at high power settings was mixed with the “Blue Note” of an angry Danish Hunter Mk. 51 (Mk. 4) “bee” buzzing around the Vulcan making guns and Sidewinder attacks.

This was seriously good! Don’t see – or hear – much like that anymore. 🙁

Best regards

P.S. As I got on my bike again there was the eerie sound of a couple of mini-tornadoes from the Vulcan whipping trees and bushes in the otherwise still sunny afternoon. 🙂

Originally posted by Yak 11 Fan
Have to see if we can arrange some form of forum gathering on the day (1st August). Chances are I will spend most of Sunday running around like an idiot again, however if I can get away with it I will try to arrange a few hours off to watch at least some of the display this year.

Indeed. It’s a great show, great atmosphere and if anyone hasn’t been yet, go this year! Put it in the diary NOW!
We’ll sort out the details nearer the time, but it will be a good oppertunity for us all to meet up.

Originally posted by Chris Broad
Looking forward to this years Wings and Things, I might actually get to meet you this time Chris, if you can find some free time from playing with the ‘big boys toys’ :p :p 😀

Have to see if we can arrange some form of forum gathering on the day (1st August). Chances are I will spend most of Sunday running around like an idiot again, however if I can get away with it I will try to arrange a few hours off to watch at least some of the display this year.

Originally posted by Yak 11 Fan
It sounded extremely impressive as Phil Shaw carried out his practice display on the Saturday before Wings and Things last year, not normally a jet person myself but this made me put down what I was doing and stand and watch the entire display.

Yes, very impressive last year at Woodchurch! That was one of the best Hunter displays i’ve seen in a long time. And of course an excellent backdrop helped!

Looking forward to this years Wings and Things, I might actually get to meet you this time Chris, if you can find some free time from playing with the ‘big boys toys’ :p :p 😀

Originally posted by MarkG
Beautiful though XF515 is, my favourite flying Hunter by a long way was XF516. The poor old girl is much missed.:(

Got to agree there.

XF515 is now the only F.6 airworthy in Europe, in fact there are now only two flying anywhere in the world 😮 (The other is XE653 in SA).

Yes, the Hunter ‘blue note’ is produced by the airflow over and into the gun blast tubes. You need 2 things – high speed (as airbedane has already mentioned) and you need a Hunter without blast deflectors on it’s gun ports.

As stringbag has pointed out the only Hunter left that can produce the blue note properly (with the very sad crash of Peter Hellier/Hunter Flying Club’s F.6A XF516) is Kennet Aviation’s XF515.

Beautiful though XF515 is, my favourite flying Hunter by a long way was XF516. The poor old girl is much missed.:(

It sounded extremely impressive as Phil Shaw carried out his practice display on the Saturday before Wings and Things last year, not normally a jet person myself but this made me put down what I was doing and stand and watch the entire display.

In the UK there is now only one jet can do a true blue note – Hunter F6A XF515. Fingers crossed I see it this year also 🙂

Brilliant! Thanks airgage :).
That sound is very distinctive, absolutely delightful. I hope I get to hear it for real at an airshow soon!

Regards,

Paul

video-sound clip

I have now found where I had originally stored a clip of the meteor doing it:

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/chris.gage/meatbox.rm

Chris

As an ex-Hunter driver (although never operational) I can confirm that it is the gun ports, the T7 doesn’t, and it happens at around 450kts. It can be ‘felt’ in the cockpit as a light vibration, which builds up to a max at the ideal speed and fades afterwards.