Hunter XL603 serial numbers help.

Hawkers classed the build number of the centre section
as being it’s construction number so for
XL603 its 41H 695514.

Owner mistakenly usually use the forward fuselage build number as the construction number so for
XL603 its 41H 695926

Both these have been read by me many years ago

Alan

Taking what Dr.John Smith posted as read,but on the FAA site it states-

N603XL 41H-695926-TM Status expired, 08/14/2000-06/30/2012.Hex code-A7D47C, Oct code- 51752174.Owners Flight Ventures Inc. of Wilmington,Del.

N419ZS 41H-694514 Status valid, 06/30/2010-09/30/2014.Hex code-A4F7DF, Oct code- 51173737.Owners Camelot Aviation LLC of Wilmington,Del.

Now both owners are in the same city,the expired/valid dates coincide,but if ownership was transferred, the registry details going thru the FAA,would surely be checked ie-c/n,hex codes do change but only if the a/c goes abroad,and the oct code I think stays with the a/c.

I stand to be corrected on the hex/oct codes,but with official files being recorded the c/n should stand…but…

regards
jack…

Hawker Hunter XL603 was constructed by Hawker Aircraft Ltd at it Kingston-upon-Thames factory. It was flown on its first flight by David Lockspeiser on 6th December 1958, and was handed over to the Fleet Air Arm at RNAS Lossiemouth the following month. Following preparation for service, it was issued to RNAS Yeovilton’s Heron Flight on 12th February 1959 and coded ‘950’ with a VL shore code applied on the tail fin. It remained at Somerset for the next three years, until it was moved to RNAS Belfast for extensive maintenance in March 1962. Re-introduced to service in May 1963 with 764 NAS (Navy Air Squadron) at RNAS Lossiemouth, XL603 was soon on the move to 759 NAS at Brawdy, where it was assigned the fleet number ‘659’. In November 1964, it was moved to RAF Kemble for storage with 5 MU (Maintenance Unit), but its stay was brief, as it was returned to Heron Flight at Yeovilton in May 1965 as ‘949’ originally but was later re-coded ‘738’. Four years of service with the Unit, interrupted by the occasional re-finish or downtime for maintenance was ended in August 1969 when it was re-issued to 764 NAS as ‘677’.

On 21st July 1972, XL603 was moved back to Kemble for maintenance and subsequent long-term store.

XL603 was transferred to MoD(PE) (Ministry of Defence Procurement Executive) charge at British Aerospace’s (BAe) Brough plant on 30th June 1975. It was to be converted to T.8M specification for the Fleet Air Arm, where it was fitted with the Blue Fox radar as used in the Sea Harrier FRS.1, and also had half of its cockpit modified to that of a Sea Harrier. The aeroplane was operated on radar trials at RAE (Royal Aircraft Establishment) Bedford between October 1978 and April 1981, moving on to BAe’s Holme-upon-Spalding Moor airfield the following month.

Its trials work complete, XL603 was issued to 899 NAS at Yeovilton, the Sea Harrier training squadron on 8th March 1983. Assigned the fleet number ‘718’, the aeroplane received the 899 NAS winged fist emblem on the tail fin by the end of the following summer. It was re-coded during 1984 as ‘720’ and then again during 1988 as ‘724’, and continued in 899 NAS service until it was ferried to Hurn for a comprehensive overhaul in 1990. It subsequently retired to Yeovilton in the new dark sea grey colour scheme. It flew for the last time with 899NAS on 25th June 1993, and was placed in open store shortly after, acting as a spares ship for the active FRADU aeroplanes. It was offered for disposal at the November 1994 Sothebys auction

The aeroplane was hammered down for £2,600 to Clive Forshaw, and it was moved by road to Bruntingthorpe airfield in Leicestershire. The aeroplane was placed on static display and was a popular attraction at the airfield’s regular open days given its unusual appearance.

During 1999, XL603 was sold to Global Aviation Inc, based at Tulsa in the USA and was dismantled at Bruntingthorpe and shipped over to its new home by sea during March 2000. A restoration programme was begun to bring the aeroplane back to flying condition, but little progress was heard and the aeroplane was placed in open store, alongside Hunter GA.11 WV267.

During 2010, ownership of XL603 passed to Jaime Pinto and the aeroplane is currently for sale. Although not in flying condition, the airframe is complete and has an engine fitted. It is registered on the FAA registry as N419ZS.

Source Mark Russell at http://www.fradu-hunters.co.uk/fraduhnt/724xl603.html

By the way, the highly regarded UK serials website at http://ukserials.com/ gives the c/no of XL603 as “41H/694514”

but http://www.airfighters.com/photo/26310/L/UK-Navy/Hawker-Hunter-T8C/XL603/ gives the c/no as “41H-695926” (!)

My point beintg that XL603 has been rebuilt extensively – and more than once – over the past 54 years; due to the “modular” construction of the aircraft, then, as described above, this aircraft has more than a touch of “my grandma’s broom” – which is totally original (except that it has had four new broom heads, and two replacement handles…).

In other words, the various quoted c/nos are correct for that wing or fuselage section, but not a lot of XL603 today is what was there when it left the factory in 1958…

Thanks.

Thank’s pagan01 it all helps

Just for claritys’ sake (and I’m sure you know!) all the T.8Ms were Blue Fox equiped, and indeed is what made them so.
The two seat Harrier trainer couldn’t be fitted with radar so 899 and FRADU used these Hunters for the radar training.

Best looking Hunter IMHO, shame a two seat radar interceptor version wasn’t considered for service much earlier!

I have the log books

David, XL603 is indeed for sale at the moment. It is being sold by a gent in Florida, who now ownes the airframe. I have the log books here, but need to conclusivly tie them to the airframe, so that they can be re-united with each other.

I have found the serial numbers for the mainplanes in the form 700’s but can find no referance to the fuselage serial number that I have been sent. The form 700’s only carry the RAF serial number (XL603).

I seem to recall seeing ‘603’ for sale recently -probably on Barnstormers.

Thanks Pagen01

Thank’s Pagen01, that sounds right to me, I just found referance to the Blue Fox being installed in the form 700 whilst it was with FRADU.

My understanding is that XL602 (now with HFL) was the T.8M and Blue Fox prototype/development machine, T.8Ms being the radar pilot trainer for the Sea Harrier FRS.1.

the plot thickens!

Hi

Matt, yes, it was a Blue Fox radar development airframe for the Sea Harrier I think. This is actualy a job that Nev Martin has asked me to do.

Jack, thanks for that info, the plot thickens!!

hi,
XL603 is registered in the US as N603XL,and on the FAA website its c/n is given as 41H-695926 TM,hope this helps…

regards
jack…

that was the pointy nose one that nev had for a while that went to the us and is in the desert over there