| H.126 | |
|---|---|
 Hunting H.126 at the RAF Museum Cosford (1976) | |
| General information | |
| Type | research aircraft |
| National origin | United Kingdom |
| Manufacturer | Hunting Aircraft |
| Primary user | Royal Aircraft Establishment |
| Number built | 1 |
| History | |
| First flight | 26 March 1963 |
The Hunting H.126 was an experimental aircraft designed and built by British aviation company Hunting Aircraft.
The aircraft was developed in order to test the performance of blown flaps, which were commonly known in Britain as "jet flaps", At the time, they were a relatively unknown quantity, thus the Ministry of Aviation issued Specification ER.189D for an appropriate research aircraft to be developed. During 1959, Hunting Aircraft was selected, being awarded a contract to construct a pair of aircraft. The first aircraft, serial number XN714, was completed during mid-1962 and initial ground testing commenced during the latter part of the year. This aircraft performed its maiden flight on 26 March 1963.
Only the single aircraft was ever completed, the second being cancelled mid-construction. Following the completion of preliminary flights, XN714 was used to conduct a series of one hundred test flights at the Royal Aircraft Establishment's Aerodynamics Flight at RAE Bedford, the last of which being performed in 1967. XN714 was transported to the United States during 1969, where it underwent wind tunnel testing by NASA; following its return to the UK, the aircraft was officially withdrawn in 1972. Presently, the preserved aircraft is on static display at the Royal Air Force Museum Cosford.