A magnificent photograph by PETER LEWIS of Hawker Hunter J-4040 of Fliegerstaffel 15 in its special "Papyrus” colour scheme, with the Matterhorn as a backdrop, in 1994.

In 1994 Hunter J-4040 of Fliegerstaffel 15 was painted in a special “Papyrus” colour scheme, reflecting the unit’s “paper aeroplane” badge, to mark the type’s retirement from Flugwaffe service. In this stunning photo by the author, J-4040 roars into the Lotschental valley with Sqn Ldr Ueli Leutert at the controls.

With Dayglo orange sections applied to the standard Flugwaffe Hunter camouflage scheme, J-4013 performs a test drop of a BL755 “Tabo". The 147 individual bomblets are seen here being ejected from the main assembly. The Hunter is also carrying Swiss Oerlikon 8cm unguided rocket projectiles and a Carrier Bomb Light Stores (CBLS) mounting.

Hunter J-4103 of Fliegerstaffel 20, based at Mollis in eastern Switzerland, is towed out for a training sortie fitted with CBLS pods with 4kg practice bombs installed to simulate BL755 attack profiles. A total of 14 Flugwaffe units, plus the Patrouille de Suisse formation aerobatic team, operated the Hunter during its 35-year Swiss career.

Whistling in over the “piano keys” on Runway 32 at St Stephan in south-western Switzerland, J-4091 of Fliegerstaffel 15 returns with empty CBLS pods, having flown a practice sortie over the mountain range at Axalp in the Bernese Oberland. This aircraft later went to the USA as N58MX, but sadly was lost in a fatal crash in 2006.

A BL755 “Tabo” test round installed on the starboard outer wing pylon of GRD’s evaluation Hunter J-4013. The BL755 was produced by British firm Hunting and was introduced into service with the RAF in 1973, being fitted to the Harrier GR.3, Jaguar and Buccaneer. It was deployed by the RAF during the Falklands conflict and the Second Gulf War.

LEFT A BL755 training round with the outer housings removed, exposing the seven chambers, each of which accommodates 21 stowed bomblets. RIGHT Once ejected from the BL755 casing, the bomblet’s trigger "feathers”, seen here at the top, deploy, fuzing the round. Note the spring and sensor for impact discharge.

In 1982 Switzerland ordered the Hughes AGM-65B Maverick air-to-surface missile as part of the Hunter upgrade programme. With callsign “Behaki”, J-4099 of Fliegerstaffel 15 is seen here on Runway 14 at St Stephan in 1993 with an AGM-65B training round on its port outer wing pylon; a 200kg inert bomb was used as a counterweight on the starboard outer pylon.

Lined up on the Axalp target range during a simulated cluster-bomb target practice sortie, J-4095 drops two 4kg Dayglo training bombs from its outer wing-mounted CBLS pods. Swiss Hunters almost always flew with external fuel tanks owing to the high fuel consumption of the ageing fighter’s Rolls-Royce Avon turbojet engine.

Eight Hunter T.68 two-seaters were supplied to the Flugwaffe during 1974-75; they would have been called into the fight had the Cold War warmed up. Fitted with two cannon, the T.68 could also drop ordnance, fire rocket projectiles and carry a single AIM-9 on the port outer pylon, but it was never configured for the Maverick.