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Britain's Hawker Hurricane fighter^1,2,3,4

Hawker Hurricane fighter, prototype:

Hawker Hurricane fighter, 1936:

Hawker Hurricane fighter, 1937:

Design

Sydney Camm designed the Hawker Hurricane.^2,3 The Hurricane's frame was fabric covered.¹ The Hurricane was the first Royal Air Force (RAF) fighter to go over 300 mph / 483 kph.³ The Hurricane was also the RAFs first monoplane fighter.⁴

Prototype

The Hurricane prototype first flew on November 6, 1935.^2,3,4

Production

In June 1936 an order for 600 was placed.⁴

The Hurricane Mk I first flew in October 1937.⁴

The Hurricane Mk II prototype (converted from a Mk I) first flew in June 1940.⁴

The Hurricane Mk IV prototype first flew in March 1943.⁴ It had a Rolls-Royce Merlin 32 engine with four blade propeller.⁴

Production licenses were awarded to Avions Fairey in Belgium and the Yugoslavian government.⁴

• Prototype: 1⁴
• Hurricane Mk I: 3,857⁴
  • Hawker: 1,924⁴
  • Gloster: 1,850⁴
  • Canadian Car & Foundry: 60⁴
  • Fairey: 3⁴
  • Yugoslavia: 20⁴
• Hurricane Mk IIA: 451⁴
  • Hawker: 418⁴
  • Gloster: 33⁴
• Hurricane Mk IIB: 2,948⁴
  • Hawker: 1,781⁴
  • Gloster: 867⁴
  • Austin: 300⁴
• Hurricane Mk IIC: 4,711⁴
  • Hawker: all⁴
• Hurricane Mk IID: 296⁴
  • Hawker: all⁴
• Hurricane Mk IV: 794⁴
  • Hawker: all⁴
• Hurricane Mk V: 3⁴
• Hurricane Mk X, Hurricane Mk XI, Hurricane Mk XII: 1,391⁴, 1,451^2,3
  • Canadian Car & Foundry^2,3,4
• Sea Hurricanes: ~800 conversions.¹
• Total: over 14,000², 14,231³, 14,449⁴

Variants

• Hawker F.36/34: Prototype.⁴
• Hurricane Mk I:
• Hurricane Mk II:
• Hurricane Mk IIA:
• Hurricane Mk IIB:
• Hurricane Mk IIC:
• Hurricane Mk IID:
• Hurricane Mk III: Was to have a Packard Merlin engine but wasn't produced.¹
• Hurricane Mk IV:
• Hurricane Mk V: Was similar to the Hurricane Mk IV but wasn't put into production.⁴

Usage

First Assignment

The Hurricane first joined the Royal Air Force (RAF) in December 1937.^2,3

Start of World War II

By September 1939 there were under 500 Hurricanes equipping 18 squadrons.⁴

Battle of Britain

Was the main fighter used by the Royal Air Force against the Germans.^2,3 The Hurricane shot down more enemy planes than all the other defenses combined.^2,3

There were 659 Hurricane Mk Is in 29 squadrons.¹

Between August and October 1940 there were 688 Hurricanes lost.¹

Europe

The Hurricanes were used until 1943.²

Pacific

The Hurricanes were used until the end of the war.²

United Kingdom

Five RAF squadrons were equipped with the Mk IICs and were used in raids in north western Europe.¹

Hurricanes were in service with No. 6 Squadron until 1946.¹

Canada

In 1938 20 Hurricane Mk Is were ordered by Canada and delivered from February to August 1939.⁴

With the war coming, Britain wanted to assure their supply of Hurricanes so asked the Canadians to start producing them in Canada.⁴ A contract for 40 Hurricane Mk Is was placed with the Canadian Car & Foundry (CCF) in March 1939.⁴

The first CCF built Hurricane Mk I was flown in January 1940.⁴

The Mk XII was built by Canada.¹ It was a Mk II with different armament and a Packard Merlin engine.¹

Other Countries

Egypt, India, Ireland, Soviet Union, and Turkey used the Hurricane.¹

Sources:

1. Aircraft of WWII, General Editor: Jim Winchester, 2004
2. Fighting Aircraft of World War II, Editor: Karen Leverington, 1995
3. The Encyclopedia of Weapons of World War II, General Editor Chris Bishop, 1998
4. Aircraft of WWII, Stewart Wilson, 1998

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