Amidst the stream of payware aircraft for Microsoft Flight Simulator, sometimes we find the odd freeware release that manages to surprise us with its generosity and overall quality. Today we’re bringing you another one of these projects, one that will be of particular interest to our British readers: the iconic Hawker Hunter, one of the earliest jet-powered military fighters, has been released as a nicely detailed freeware package for Microsoft Flight Simulator.
The Hawker Hunter was developed shortly after WWII, when it became clear that jet-propulsion systems would be the future of high-performance military planes. It was the first jet aircraft procured by the Royal Air Force, and even achieved a flight airspeed record on September 7th, 1953, when Neville Duke exceeded 727 mph over West Sussex.
The Hawker Hunter went on to become not only an important aircraft for the RAF, but also a popular choice for many air forces around the world. Nearly 2.000 units were produced and exported to more than 20 different countries, with the Swiss, Sweden, and Danish Air Forces as some of the main operators.
Foxtrot Oscar Simulations Designs is likely to bring their Hawker Hunter Mk.58A to MSFS sometime in the future but, until then, we now have a pretty decent freeware alternative, brought to us by DaveWG. This Hawker Hunter is available at flightsim.to, published just a few days ago, and quickly garnered positive feedback from simmers.
This freeware Hawker Hunter comes with 10 different models, from an early prototype to a few subsequent variants, including the Mk.58, specifically made for the Swiss Air Force according to their required modifications.
The overall 3D model and textures of this Hawker Hunter are quite good for a freeware aircraft, especially in the cockpit. Everything is very functional and there are even a few animations and a custom sound pack, so this is definitely a few notches above the standard freeware releases from third parties!
If you’re a fan of the Hunter, this is currently the best version available for Microsoft Flight Simulator, and it’s well worth a look! It’s now available for free at flightsim.to.
