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Hunting Percival Jet Provost

Used for 'ab initio' jet training for the RAF and saw success on the export market.
 
Jet Provost T Mk1 G-AOBU (XM129) Jet Provost T Mk1 G-AOBU (XM129)

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.

Jet Provost T Mk1 Jet Provost T Mk1 G-AOBU (XM129)

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.

Percival Jet Provost T3 in flight in 1960 Percival Jet Provost T3 in flight in 1960

 

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 (Developed by BAC), which first flew on 28th February 1967.

Numerous militarised export versions of the Jet Provost T3 and T4, known as the Jet Provost T51 and T52 respectively, served with Air Forces in Ceylon / Sri Lanka (12 T51), Kuwait (6 T51) and the Sudan (4 T51), as well as Jet Provost T52's in Iraq (20), South Yemen, Sudan (4) and Venezuela (15).

110 examples of the pressurised BAC 145 Jet Provost T5 were built by BAC at Warton for the RAF, with export aircraft bringing the total number built to 189. As well as a larger, raised cockpit, most T.5s also have large strakes on the lower side of the fuselage nose.  

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. The BAC 167 Strikemaster was an armed development of the BAC 145 Jet Provost T5.

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.

Hunting Jet Provost Image Gallery

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Hunting Jet Provost T1 XD674
Hunting Jet Provost T1 XD674

Hunting Jet Provost T1 XD674

The images on this site are the property of BAE Systems (Copyright © 2022 BAE Systems. All rights reserved)
Hunting Jet Provosts lined up
Hunting Jet Provosts lined up

Hunting Jet Provosts lined up

The images on this site are the property of BAE Systems (Copyright © 2022 BAE Systems. All rights reserved)
Hunting Jet Provost T Mk4 RAF (XS231) low level flypast 16th March 1965
Hunting Jet Provost T Mk4 RAF (XS231) low level flypast 16th March 1965

Hunting Jet Provost T Mk4 RAF (XS231) low level flypast 16th March 1965

The images on this site are the property of BAE Systems (Copyright © 2022 BAE Systems. All rights reserved)

 

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

There are 19 Jet Provost's on the British civil register as of February 2014 with a similar number still flying worldwide.  Below is a list of registrations and possible locations together with static or display aircraft in the UK and gain there are over a hundred airframes worldwide.
 

Airworthy

Hunting Jet Provost T3A
(XM424)
Was at Classic Air Force, Coventry - Now defunct
BAC145 Jet Provost T5A
(XW433/G-JPRO)
 Was at Classic Air Force, Coventry - Now defunct
Hunting Jet Provost T4
(XR673/G-BXLO)
Century Aviation, Church Fenton, North Yorkshire
BAC145 Jet Provost T5A
(XW355/G-JPTV)
Century Aviation, Church Fenton, North Yorkshire
BAC145 Jet Provost T5A
(XW422/G-BWEB)
Delta Jets, Kemble Airfield, Gloucestershire
Hunting Jet Provost T3A
(XM479/G-BVEZ)
Newcastle Hunting Jet Provost Co, Newcastle
BAC145 Jet Provost T5
(XW291/G-BWOF)
 Privately owned, Bournemouth Airport, Dorset
BAC145 Jet Provost T5
(XW325/G-BWGF)
 Privately owned, Carlisle
BAC145 Jet Provost T5
 
 BAC145
BAC145 Jet Provost T5A
(XW333/G-BVTC)
 Privately owned, Humberside 
Hunting Jet Provost T3A
(XN459/B-BWOT)
 Privately owned, North Weald, Essex
Hunting Jet Provost T4
(XN637/G-BKOU)
Hunting Jet Provost Display Team, North Weald, Essex
BAC145 Jet Provost T5A
(XW289/G-JPVA)
 Privately owned, RNAS Yeovilton, Somerset
Hunting Jet Provost T4/T52
(XS228/G-PROV)
Swords Aviation, North Weald, Essex
BAC145 Jet Provost T5P
(XS230/G-VIVM)
Swords Aviation, North Weald, Essex
BAC145 Jet Provost T5A
(XW310/G-BWGS)
 Where Eagles Share, North Weald, Essex
Hunting Jet Provost T.4
(XP672/G-RAFI) 
 South Wales Air Museum, St Athan 
 
Display or storage
Hunting Jet Provost T3A   
(XM350)
 Aeroventure Museum, Doncaster, South Yorkshire
Hunting Jet Provost T4
(XR650)
 Boscombe Down Aviation Collection, Wiltshire
Hunting Jet Provost T4 
(XR662)
 Boulton & Paul Association, Wolverhampton
Hunting Jet Provost T3A
(XN586)
 Brooklands Museum, Weybridge, Surrey
Hunting Jet Provost T3A 
(XN586)
 Brooklands Technical College, Weybridge, Surrey
Hunting Jet Provost T3 
(XM362)
 Defence College of Aeronautical Eng, RAF Cosford, Shropshire
Hunting Jet Provost T3 
(XM410)
 Defence Explosives Disposal School, Chattenden, Kent
Hunting Jet Provost T4 
(XP688)
 Delph Training Centre, Eccelston, Lancashire
Hunting Jet Provost T4
(XP557)
 Dumfries and Galloway Aviation Museum, Dumfries, Scotland
Hunting Jet Provost T4 
(XP568)
 East Midlands Aeropark, East Midlands Airport, Derbyshire
Hunting Jet Provost T3 
(XM404)
 Fire Training College, Moreton-in-Marsh, Gloucestershire
Hunting Jet Provost T3A 
(XN462)
 Fleet Air Arm Museum, RNAS Yeovilton, Somerset
Hunting Jet Provost T3A
(XN589)
 Gate Guard, RAF Linton-on-Ouse, North Yorkshire
Hunting Jet Provost T3A 
(XN494)
 Cornwall College, Newquay Airport
BAC145 Jet Provost T5
(XW293/G-WBWCS)
 Jet Provost Club, Bournemouth Airport, Dorset
Hunting Jet Provost T4 
(XS179)
 Musueum of Science and Industry, Greater Manchester
Hunting Jet Provost T3A
(XM383)
 Newark Air Museum, Nottinghamshire
Hunting Jet Provost T3A 
(XM419)
 Newcastle College, Newcastle upon Tyne
Hunting Jet Provost T3 
(XM355)
 Newcastle College, Newcastle upon Tyne
Hunting Jet Provost T3A 
(XN500)
 Norfolk and Suffolk Aviation Museum, Flixton, Suffolk
Hunting Jet Provost T4 
(XP627)
 North East Aircraft Museum, Sunderland, Tyne and Wear
Hunting Jet Provost T4 
(XS181)
 Privately owned, Bruntingthorpe, Leicestershire
Hunting Jet Provost T3A 
(XN584)
 Privately owned, Bruntingthorpe, Leicestershire
Hunting Jet Provost T4 
(XS177)
 Metheringham Airfield Visitor Centre, Lincolnshire
Hunting Jet Provost T4 
(XS186)
 Metheringham Airfield Visitor Centre, Lincolnshire
Hunting Jet Provost T4 
(XP627)
 Privately owned, North East Aircraft Museum, Sunderland
Hunting Jet Provost T3 
(XM369)
 Privately owned, Rossendale, Lancashire
Hunting Jet Provost T3 
(XM402)
 Privately owned, West Walton Highway, Norfolk
Hunting Jet Provost T4 
(XP638)
 Privately owned, Ystrad Myrach, Mid-Glamorgan, Wales
Hunting Jet Provost T4 
(XP556)
 RAF Cranwell Aviation Heritage Centre, Lincolnshire
BAC145 Jet Provost T5A 
(XW353)
 RAF Cranwell, Lincolnshire
Hunting Jet Provost T3 
(XM351)
Royal Air Force Museum, Cosford, Shifnal, Shropshire, UK
BAC145 Jet Provost T5
(XW323)
 Royal Air Force Museum, Hendon, London
Hunting Jet Provost T4
(8409M/XS209)
 Solway Aviation Museum, Carlisle Lake District Airport, Cumbria
Hunting Jet Provost T3A 
(XM414)
 Ulster Aviation Society, Long Kesh, County Antrim, N. Ireland
Hunting Jet Provost T3A
(XM405/G-TORE)
 University of London, Northampton Square, London
Hunting Jet Provost T4 
(XP640)
Yorkshire Air Museum, Elvington, North Yorkshire, UK
BAC Jet Provost T.5
(XW420)
 South Wales Air Museum, St Athan