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Percival Jet Provost T3 in flight in 1960
The Hunting Percival Jet Provost was initially developed as a jet engine modification of the piston-engine Percival P.56 Provost, retaining to original wing structure mated to a new fuselage. It was built as a private venture by Hunting Percival Aircraft Limited at Luton Airport.
The P.84 Jet Provost prototype (XD674) first flew at Luton on 26th June 1954, with Dick Wheldon at the controls.
The aircraft was developed in liaison with the RAF Flying Training Command to ensure that it incorporated many of their desired characteristics required, such as easy instructional processes and a low cost of maintenance.
Later flight testing at Boscombe Down refined some of the designs and in February 1955, the first of 10 pre-production aircraft took to the air. Just 3 months later, three aircraft were assigned to the Central Flying School for assessment as an 'Ab-Initio' ('from the beginning') training role.
A number of design changes and refinements were made by Hunting Percival and the Jet Provost T2 made its maiden flight on 1st September 1955. The Jet Provost T2 was purely a development variant and a number visited Scandinavia for 'winterization trials' during the latter part of the year.
In 1957, Hunting Percival received their first tangible success for Jet Provost when a production order was received for forty Jet Provost T3 aircraft. The requirement called for the increased-power Armstrong Siddeley Viper engine, as well as ejector seats and a revised undercarriage arrangement.
In total, 201 Jet Provost T3's were built at Luton between 1958 and 1962, although the Jet Provost T4 variant was already underway by mid-1960. The T4 carried an improved Armstrong Siddeley Viper ASV.11 power unit which was quickly adopted by the key RAF training facilities at Cranwell, Little Rissington, Linton-on-Ouse, as well as RAF Leeming and RAF Ackington.
198 Jet Provost T4's were built ahead of a further engine upgrade and the addition of pressurisation, seen in the arrival of the Jet Provost T.5, which first flew on 28th February 1967.
BAC Jet Provost T5s in formation (XW291, XW288, XW293 & XW289)
Numerous militarised export versions of the Jet Provost T5, known as the Jet Provost T51, served with Air Forces in Ceylon (Sri Lanka), Kuwait and the Sudan, as well as Jet Provost T52's in Iraq, South Yemen, Sudan and Venezuela.
In October 1967, the new BAC Strikemaster took to the skies and so dawned a new era for this iconic design which had started out as a private venture for Hunting Percival Aircraft over 15 years earlier.
Hunting Jet Provosts remain in service into the 1990's and due to its easy, inexpensive maintenance, a number still remain in flying and taxiable condition in private hands today.
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Hunting Jet Provost T Mk1 assembly at Hunting Percival in Luton
Hunting Jet Provost T Mk5 RAF (XS231) air to air
Hunting Jet Provost T Mk4 RAF (XS231) low level flypast 16th March 1965
Specification
| Jet Provost Mk 4 | Jet Provost Mk 5 | |
| Powerplant | 2,500 lbst Viper 202 | 2,500 lbst Viper 202 |
| Span | 36 ft 11 in | 35 ft 4 in |
| Maximum Weight | 7,400 lb | 6,989 lb |
| Capacity | Instructor / student | Instructor / student |
| Armament | Normally unarmed but capable of underwing stores carriage | Normally unarmed but capable of underwing stores carriage |
| Maximum Speed | 410 mph | 440 mph |
| Cruise Speed | 390 mph | |
| Maximum range | 700 miles | 900 miles |
Survivors
Airworthy
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Jet Provost T3A
(XM424)
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Was at Classic Air Force, Coventry - Now defunct
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Jet Provost T5A
(XW433/G-JPRO)
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Was at Classic Air Force, Coventry - Now defunct |
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Jet Provost T4
(XR673/G-BXLO)
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Century Aviation, Church Fenton, North Yorkshire
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Jet Provost T5A
(XW355/G-JPTV)
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Century Aviation, Church Fenton, North Yorkshire
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Jet Provost T5A
(XW422/G-BWEB)
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Delta Jets, Kemble Airfield, Gloucestershire
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Jet Provost T3A
(XM479/G-BVEZ)
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Newcastle Jet Provost Co, Newcastle
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Jet Provost T5
(XW291/G-BWOF)
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Privately owned, Bournemouth Airport, Dorset |
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Jet Provost T5
(XW325/G-BWGF)
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Privately owned, Carlisle |
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Jet Provost T5
(XW324/G-BWSG)
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Jeff Bell - Jet Aerobatics, East Midlands Airport. |
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Jet Provost T5A
(XW333/G-BVTC)
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Privately owned, Humberside |
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Jet Provost T3A
(XN459/B-BWOT)
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Privately owned, North Weald, Essex |
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Jet Provost T4
(XN637/G-BKOU)
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Jet Provost Display Team, North Weald, Essex
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Jet Provost T5A
(XW289/G-JPVA)
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Privately owned, RNAS Yeovilton, Somerset |
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Jet Provost T4/T52
(XS228/G-PROV)
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Swords Aviation, North Weald, Essex
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Jet Provost T5P
(XS230/G-VIVM)
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Swords Aviation, North Weald, Essex
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Jet Provost T5A
(XW310/G-BWGS)
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Where Eagles Share, North Weald, Essex |
Display or storage
| Jet Provost T3A (XM350) | Aeroventure Museum, Doncaster, South Yorkshire | |
| Jet Provost T4 (XR650) | Boscombe Down Aviation Collection, Wiltshire | |
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Jet Provost T4 (XR662)
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Boulton & Paul Association, Wolverhampton | |
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Jet Provost T3A (XN586)
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Brooklands Museum, Weybridge, Surrey | |
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Jet Provost T3A (XN586)
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Brooklands Technical College, Weybridge | |
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Jet Provost T3 (XM362)
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Defence College of Aeronautical Eng, RAF Cosford, Shropshire | |
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Jet Provost T3 (XM410)
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Defence Explosives Disposal School, Chattenden, Kent | |
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Jet Provost T4 (XP688)
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Delph Training Centre, Eccelston, Lancashire | |
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Jet Provost T4 (XP557)
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Dumfries and Galloway Aviation Museum, Dumfries, Scotland | |
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Jet Provost T4 (XP568)
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East Midlands Aeropark, East Midlands Airport, Derbyshire | |
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Jet Provost T3 (XM404)
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Fire Training College, Moreton-in-Marsh, Gloucestershire | |
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Jet Provost T3A (XN462)
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Fleet Air Arm Museum, RNAS Yeovilton, Somerset | |
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Jet Provost T3A (XN589)
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Gate Guard, RAF Linton-on-Ouse, North Yorkshire | |
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Jet Provost T3A (XN494)
|
Cornwall College, Newquay Airport | |
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Jet Provost T5
(XW293/G-WBWCS)
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Jet Provost Club, Bournemouth Airport, Dorset | |
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Jet Provost T4 (XS179)
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Musueum of Science and Industry, Greater Manchester | |
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Jet Provost T3A (XM383)
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Newark Air Museum, Nottinghamshire | |
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Jet Provost T3A (XM419)
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Newcastle College, Newcastle upon Tyne | |
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Jet Provost T3 (XM355)
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Newcastle College, Newcastle upon Tyne. | |
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Jet Provost T3A (XN500)
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Norfolk and Suffolk Aviation Museum, Flixton, Suffolk | |
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Jet Provost T4 (XP627)
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North East Aircraft Museum, Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, England | |
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Jet Provost T5A (XW363)
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North West Heritage Group, BAE-Systems Warton, Lancashire | |
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Jet Provost T4 (XS181)
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Privately owned, Bruntingthorpe, Leicestershire | |
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Jet Provost T3A (XN584)
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Privately owned, Bruntingthorpe, Leicestershire | |
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Jet Provost T4 (XS177)
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Metheringham Airfield Visitor Centre, Lincolnshire | |
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Jet Provost T4 (XS186)
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Metheringham Airfield Visitor Centre, Lincolnshire | |
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Jet Provost T4 (XP627)
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Privately owned, North East Aircraft Museum, Sunderland | |
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Jet Provost T3 (XM369)
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Privately owned, Rossendale, Lancashire | |
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Jet Provost T3 (XM402)
|
Privately owned, West Walton Highway, Norfolk | |
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Jet Provost T4 (XP638)
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Privately owned, Ystrad Myrach, Mid-Glamorgan, Wales | |
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Jet Provost T4 (XP556)
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RAF Cranwell Aviation Heritage Centre, Lincolnshire | |
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Jet Provost T5A (XW353)
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RAF Cranwell, Lincolnshir | |
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Jet Provost T3 (XM351)
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Royal Air Force Museum, Cosford, Shifnal, Shropshire, UK www.rafmuseum.org.uk/cosford | |
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Jet Provost T5 (XW323)
|
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Jet Provost T4
(8409M/XS209)
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Solway Aviation Museum, Carlisle Lake District Airport, Cumbria | |
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Jet Provost T3A (XM414)
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Ulster Aviation Society, Long Kesh, County Antrim, N. Ireland | |
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Jet Provost T3A
(XM405/G-TORE)
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University of London, Northampton Square, London | |
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Jet Provost T4 (XP640)
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Yorkshire Air Museum, Elvington, North Yorkshire, UK https://yorkshireairmuseum.org/ |