Hawker Hunter Jet returns to Scotland
 

A Hawker Hunter jet's engine that was used in Pinochet's Chilean coup in the 1970s has made its way back to Scotland. After the coup, a set of engines were sent to the Rolls-Royce factory in East Kilbride for repairs, where the workers blacked it in protest. At some point, it was stolen from Rolls-Royce and returned to Chile, and now these filmmakers have located and returned it to be displayed in 2018.

There's a documentary called Nae Pasaran about the workers and their story, as well as what happened in Chile.

Have any of you heard about this story? There's a Kickstarter to finish the film and one of the rewards is a blade from the jet used in the film.

I can't post a link but it's Nae Pasaran dot com and it's on Facebook, too.

Yup, usual bunch of 'useful idiot' 'International Socialists' led by Marxists.

Strikes during wartime were not uncommon.

Strikes during wartime

Have had the same in Oz during WWII, Korea and Vietnam - unions blocking supplies to troops.

Er, no it hasn't.

It's the Avon engine from a Chilean Hunter, not the aircraft itself, that has been returned.


https://ksr-ugc.imgix.net/assets/019...o=format&q=92&

Should we charitably assume that you've never heard of Pinochet or what he did to seize and maintain power in Chile ?

I've heard of him and his doings but he's hardly unique in Latin America.

Ah - this must have been one of those rare multi-engined hunters that were originally built for the attack on the unobtanium ore mines in south Somewhereistan...

PDR

Ah so that makes his conduct all right then...:ugh:

I seem to remember you've got form for some fairly outrageous statements on other topics on this forum...

The OP got that part right - a total of 4 Avon engines were involved, all spirited back to Chile after four years at the factory, though it's not clear whether they went back into service. One has now been returned to Scotland with a view to eventually putting it on display as a memorial:

https://ksr-ugc.imgix.net/assets/019...o=format&q=92&http://www.avgen.com/Avon.jpg

The film is worth seeing - non-Scots viewers may regret the lack of sub-titles. :O

My mistake, it should've read "jet's engine" not just "jet" – just a typo. Apparently, the feature will be subtitled throughout! The Kickstarter project ends next Wednesday.

In 1965 RR was ordered to embargo 14 Rhodesian Avons that were in the UK for servicing. I never did hear what happened to them and whether they too eventually 'escaped'

I guess if HMG tell you to refuse to service them then you've little option :(

Doubtful, given that RR were implementing Government policy, unlike the situation with the Chilean engines where the authorities were clearly complicit in the operation to retrieve them.

There's a story, which could well be apochryphal (though it was reported in Flight) that the Rhodesians organised a clandestine mission to Sharjah, where the RAF had apparently abandoned a bunch of Hunters when they withdrew. The engines were supposedly removed from the aircraft and flown back to Rhodesia.

Sounds a bit fishy to me.

DaveReidUK

Maybe not so fishy. The Omani government supplied spares to the Rhodesians.
Civilian cargo aircraft were flown in to a desert strip empty and flew out laden with aircraft spares. Whether from Omani stocks or just trans-shipped I don't know.

DR - I will ask my former QFI, a Rhodesian who flew in their Air Force

Yes, it's well known that the RhAF/AFZ made use of spares sourced from Oman.

It's the bit about the RAF leaving a bunch of Hunters behind when they left Sharjah that I'm having trouble believing.

"It's the bit about the RAF leaving a bunch of Hunters behind when they left Sharjah that I'm having trouble believing."

Neither do I. All RAF Hunter Mk.9s and 10s that flew out of Sharjah are accounted for.

Does anyone know otherwise?

Kieron.

Really? Where?