Hawker Hurricane

Hurricane
Hurricane Mk I (R4118), a Hurricane from the 1940 Battle of Britain, still flying
Role	Fighter
Manufacturer	Hawker Aircraft Gloster Aircraft Company Canadian Car and Foundry Austin Motor Company
Designed by	Sydney Camm
First flight	6 November 1935
Introduced	1937
Primary user	Royal Air Force
Produced	1937-1944
Number built	14,000

The Hawker Hurricane was a British single-seat fighter aircraft designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd. Some production of the Hurricane was carried out in Canada by the Canada Car and Foundry Co Ltd.

The 1930s design evolved through several versions and adaptations, resulting in a series of aircraft which acted as interceptor-fighters, fighter-bombers (also called "Hurribombers"), and ground support aircraft. Further versions known as the Sea Hurricane had modifications which enabled operation from ships. Some were converted as catapult-launched convoy escorts, known as "Hurricats". Together with the Spitfire, the Hurricane was significant in enabling the Royal Air Force (RAF) to win the Battle of Britain of 1940, accounting for the majority of the RAF's air victories. About 14,000 Hurricanes were built by the end of 1944 (including about 1,200 converted to Sea Hurricanes, and about 1,400 built in Canada), and served in all the major theatres of the Second World War.

Design and development

H is for Hurricane, British children's alphabet book from the Second World War

The Hurricane was developed by Hawker in response to the Air Ministry specification F.36/34 (modified by F.5/34) for a fighter aircraft built around the new Rolls-Royce engine, then only known as the PV-12, later to become famous as the Merlin. At that time, RAF Fighter Command comprised just 13 squadrons, each equipped with either the Hawker Fury, Hawker Hart variant, or Bristol Bulldog – all biplanes with fixed-pitch wooden propellers and non-retractable undercarriages.^[1] The design, started in early 1934, was the work of Sydney Camm.

Sydney Camm's original plans submitted in response to the Air Ministry's specification were at first rejected (apparently "too orthodox," even for the Air Ministry). Camm tore up the proposal and set about designing a fighter as a Hawker private venture. With economy in mind, the Hurricane was designed using as many existing tools and jigs as possible (the aircraft was effectively a monoplane version of the successful Hawker Fury); and it was these factors that were major contributors to the aircraft's success.

Early design stages of the "Fury Monoplane" incorporated a Rolls-Royce Goshawk engine, but this was replaced shortly after by the Merlin, and featured a retractable undercarriage. The design came to be known as the "Interceptor Monoplane," and by May 1934, the plans had been completed in detail. To test the new design, a one-tenth scale model was made and sent to the National Physical Laboratory at Teddington. A series of wind tunnel tests confirmed the aerodynamic qualities of the design were in order, and by December that year, a full size wooden mock-up of the aircraft had been created.^[1]

Planform view of R4118, a preserved Hurricane from the 1940 Battle of Britain

Construction of the first prototype, K5083, began in August 1935 incorporating the PV-12 Merlin engine. The completed sections of the aircraft were taken to Brooklands, where Hawkers had an assembly shed, and re-assembled on 23 October 1935. Ground testing and taxi trials took place over the following two weeks, and on 6 November 1935, the prototype took to the air for the first time, at the hands of Hawker's chief test pilot, Flight Lieutenant (later Group Captain) P.W.S. Bulman.^[2] Flight Lieutenant Bulman was assisted by two other pilots in subsequent flight testing; Philip Lucas flew some of the experimental test flights, while John Hindmarsh conducted the firm's production flight trials.^[3]

One of Camm's priorities with the new fighter was to provide the pilot with good all round visibility. To this end the cockpit was mounted reasonably high in the fuselage, creating a distinctive "hump-backed" silhouette.^[4]Pilot access to the cockpit was aided by a retractable "stirrup" mounted below the trailing edge of the port wing. This was linked to a spring-loaded hinged flap which covered a handhold on the fuselage, just behind the cockpit. When the flap was shut the footstep retracted into the fuselage. In addition, both wingroots were coated with strips of non-slip material.

Though faster and more advanced than the RAF's current frontline biplane fighters, the Hurricane's design was already outdated when introduced. It employed traditional Hawker construction techniques from previous biplane aircraft, with mechanically fastened, rather than welded joints. It had a Warren girder-type fuselage of high-tensile steel tubes, over which sat frames and longerons that carried the doped linen covering. An advantage conferred by the steel-tube structure was that cannon shells could pass right through the wood and fabric covering without exploding. Even if one of the steel tubes were damaged the repair work required was relatively simple and could be done by the groundcrew at the airfield. An all metal structure damaged by an exploding cannon shell required more specialised equipment to repair.^[5]. The old-fashioned structure also permitted the assembly of Hurricanes with relatively basic equipment under field conditions. Crated Hurricanes were assembled in West Africa and flown across the Sahara to the Middle East theatre, and to save space some Royal Navy aircraft carriers carried their reserve Sea Hurricanes dismantled into their major assemblies which were slung up on the hangar bulkheads and deckhead for reassembly when needed.

Initially, the wing structure consisted of two steel spars, and was also fabric-covered. An all-metal, stressed-skin wing of duraluminium (a DERD specification similar to AA2024) was introduced in April 1939 and was used for all of the later marks.^[2] In contrast, the contemporary Spitfire used all-metal monocoque construction and was thus both lighter and stronger, though less tolerant to bullet damage. With its ease of maintenance, widely set landing gear and benign flying characteristics, the Hurricane remained in use in theatres of operations where reliability, easy handling and a stable gun platform were more important than performance, typically in roles like ground attack. One of the design requirements of the original specification was that the Hurricane, as well as the Spitfire, was also to be used as a night-fighter. The Hurricane proved to be a relatively simple aircraft to fly at night^[6] and was to be instrumental in shooting down several German aircraft during the nocturnal hours. From early 1941 the Hurricane would also be used as an "intruder" aircraft, patrolling German airfields in France at night in an attempt to catch night bombers during take-offs or landings.

In March 1940, Hurricanes with the Merlin II and III engines began to receive modifications to allow for an additional 6 lbs of supercharger boost, for five minutes, (although there are accounts of its use for 30 minutes continuously). This modification came about because supplies of 100 Octane fuel from America had become available. The increased supercharger boost, which increased engine output by nearly 250 hp, gave the Hurricane an approximate increase in speed of 25 to 35 mph, under 15,000 ft altitude, and greatly increased the aircraft's climb rate. "Overboost" or "pulling the plug" was an important wartime modification, that allowed the Hurricane to remain more competitive against the Bf 109E and to increase its margin of superiority over the Bf 110C, especially at low altitude. The Supermarine Spitfire also benefited greatly when using overboost.^[7]

The last Hurricane ever built, of 14,533. A Mk IIc version, originally known as "The Last of the Many" and owned by Hawker, this aircraft is now flown by the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight

Production

The Hurricane was ordered into production in June 1936, mainly due to its relatively simple construction and ease of manufacture. As war was looking increasingly likely, and time was of the essence in providing the RAF with an effective fighter aircraft, it was unclear if the more advanced Spitfire would be able to enter production smoothly, while the Hurricane used well-understood manufacturing techniques. This was true for service squadrons as well, who were experienced in working on and repairing aircraft whose construction employed the same principles as the Hurricane, and the simplicity of its design enabled the improvisation of some remarkable repairs in Squadron workshops.

The maiden flight of the first production aircraft, powered by a Merlin II engine, took place on 12 October 1937. The first four aircraft to enter service with the RAF joined 111 Squadron at RAF Northolt the following December. By the outbreak of the Second World War, nearly 500 Hurricanes had been produced, and had equipped 18 squadrons.^[8]

During 1940, Lord Beaverbrook, who was the Minister of Aircraft Production, established an organisation in which a number of manufacturers were seconded to repair and overhaul battle damaged Hurricanes. The "Civilian Repair Organisation". also overhauled battle-weary aircraft, which were later sent to training units or to other air forces; one of the factories involved was the Austin Aero Company's Cofton Hackett plant, which also built 300 Hurricanes. Another was David Rosenfield Ltd, based at Barton aerodrome near Manchester.^[9]

In all, some 14,000 Hurricanes and Sea Hurricanes were produced. The majority of Hurricanes were built by Hawker (which produced them until 1944), with Hawker's sister company, the Gloster Aircraft Company, making (2,750) most of the rest. As described, the Austin Aero Ltd built 300. Canada Car and Foundry in Fort William, Ontario, Canada, (where the Chief Engineer, Elsie MacGill, became known as the "Queen of the Hurricanes") was responsible for production of 1,400 Hurricanes, known as the Mk X.

In 1939, production of 100 Hurricanes was initiated in Yugoslavia by Zmaj and Rogozarski. Of these, 20 were built by Zmaj by April 1941. One of these was fitted with a DB 601 and test flown in 1941.^[10]

A contract for 80 Hurricanes was placed with Fairey's Belgian subsidiary Avions Fairey SA for the Belgian Air Force in 1938. Three were built and two flown by the time of the Blitzkrieg in May 1940.^[11]

Operational history

Battle of France

Sea Hurricane Mk IB in formation, December 1941

In response to a request from the French government for ten fighter squadrons to provide air support, Air Chief Marshal Sir Hugh Dowding, Commander-in-Chief of RAF Fighter Command, insisted that this number would deplete British defences severely, and so initially only four squadrons of Hurricanes, Nos. 1, 73, 85 and 87, were relocated to France, keeping Spitfires back for "Home" defence. The first to arrive was No.73 Squadron on 10 September 1939, followed shortly by the other three, and a little later Nos. 607 and 615 Squadrons joined them. In May the following year, Nos. 3, 79 and 504 Squadrons reinforced them as Germany's Blitzkrieg gathered momentum, and on 13 May 1940, a further 32 Hurricanes arrived. All ten requested Hurricane squadrons were then operating from French soil and felt the full force of the Nazi offensive. By 17 May, the end of the first week of fighting, only three of the squadrons were near operational strength, but despite their heavy losses the Hurricanes had managed to destroy nearly double the number of German aircraft.

Flying Officer E.J."Cobber" Kain was responsible for No. 73 Squadron's first victory in October 1939, while stationed in France; he subsequently went on to become the RAF's first fighter ace of the war. In June 1940, prior to heading for England at the start of his leave, on leaving his airfield, he crashed during a low-level "victory roll" and lost his life.

On 27 May 1940, 13 aircraft from No. 501 Squadron intercepted 24 Heinkel He 111s escorted by 20 Messerschmitt Bf 110s, and during the ensuing battle, 11 Heinkels were confirmed "kills" and others damaged, with little damage to the Hurricanes.^[12]

Battle of Britain

At the end of June 1940, following the fall of France, the majority of the RAF's 36 fighter squadrons were equipped with Hurricanes. The Battle of Britain officially lasted from 10 July until 31 October, 1940, but the heaviest fighting took place between 8 August and 21 September 1940. Both the Supermarine Spitfire and the Hurricane are renowned for their part in defending Britain against the Luftwaffe's might — generally the Spitfire would intercept the German fighters leaving Hurricanes to concentrate on destroying the bombers, but despite the undoubted abilities of the "thoroughbred" Spitfire, it was the "workhorse" Hurricane that scored the highest number of RAF victories during this period, accounting for 1,593 out of the 2,739 total claimed.

As a fighter, the Hurricane had a few drawbacks. It was slower than both the Spitfire and Bf 109, and the thick wings made acceleration slow. While it was sturdy and stable, the Hurricane's construction had made it very dangerous when on fire: the forward fuel-tank sat right in front of the instrument panel, without any form of firewall between it and the pilot. Many Hurricane pilots were horribly burned. As in the Spitfire, the Merlin engine suffered from negative-G cut-out, a problem not cured until the introduction of the Miss Shilling's orifice in early 1941.

The only Battle of Britain Hurricane Victoria Cross was awarded to Flight Lieutenant Eric Nicolson, of 249 Squadron as a result of an action on 16 August 1940 when his section of three Hurricanes was "bounced" from above by Bf 110 fighters. All three were hit simultaneously. Nicolson was badly wounded, and his Hurricane was damaged and engulfed in flames. While attempting to leave the cockpit, Nicolson noticed that one of the Bf 110s had overshot his aircraft. He returned to the cockpit, which by now was a blazing inferno, engaged the enemy, and may have shot the Bf 110 down.^[13]

Night fighters and Intruders

Hawker Hurricane Mk IIC PZ865 (Battle of Britain Memorial Flight), the last Hurricane produced. It is in the "Night Intruder" scheme of the aircraft of Karel Kuttelwascher of 1 Squadron in 1942.

Following the Battle of Britain, Hurricanes continued to give service, and through the Blitz of 1941 were the principal single-seat nightfighter in Fighter Command. F/Lt. Richard Stevens claimed 14 Luftwaffe bombers flying Hurricanes in 1941.

1942 saw the cannon-armed Mk IIc perform further afield in the night intruder role over occupied Europe. F/Lt. Karel Kuttelwascher of 1 Squadron proved the top scorer, with 15 Luftwaffe bombers claimed shot down.

North Africa

The Hurricane Mk II was hastily tropicalised following Italy's entry into the war in June 1940. These aircraft were initially ferried through France by air to No. 80 Squadron RAF, in Egypt, to replace Gladiators. The Hurricane claimed its first kill in the Mediterranean on 19 June 1940, when F/O P. G. Wykeham-Barnes reported shooting down two Fiat CR.42s.

Hurricanes served with several British Commonwealth squadrons in the Desert Air Force. They suffered heavy losses over North Africa after the arrival of Bf 109E and F-variants and were progressively replaced in the air superiority role from June 1941 by Curtiss Tomahawks/Kittyhawks. However, fighter-bomber variants ("Hurribombers") retained an edge in the ground attack role, due to their impressive armament of four 20 mm cannon and a 500 lb bombload.

During and following the five-day El Alamein artillery barrage that commenced on the night of 23 October 1942, six squadrons of Hurricanes claimed to have destroyed 39 tanks, 212 lorries and armoured troop-carriers, 26 bowsers, 42 guns, 200 various other vehicles and four small fuel and ammunition dumps, flying 842 sorties with the loss of 11 pilots. Whilst performing in a ground support role, Hurricanes based at RAF Castel Benito, Tripoli, knocked out six tanks, 13 armoured vehicles, ten lorries, five half-tracks, a gun and trailer, and a wireless van on 10 March 1943, with no losses to themselves.^[14]

Defence of Malta

The Hurricane played a significant role in the defence of Malta. When Italy entered the war on 10 June 1940, Malta's air defence rested on four Gloster Gladiators (after the first one was lost, the remaining were named “Faith, Hope and Charity”) which managed to hold out against vastly superior numbers of the Italian air force during the following three weeks. Four Hurricanes joined them at the end of June, and together they faced attacks throughout July from the 200 enemy aircraft based in Sicily, with the loss of one Gladiator and one Hurricane. Further reinforcements arrived on 2 August in the form of 12 more Hurricanes and two Blackburn Skuas,^[15] which prompted the Italians to employ German Junkers Ju 87 dive bombers to try and destroy the airfields. Finally, in an attempt to overcome the stiff resistance put up by these few aircraft, the Luftwaffe took up base on the Sicilian airfields only to find that Malta was not an easy target. After numerous attacks on the island over the following months, and the arrival of an extra 23 Hurricanes at the end of April 1941, and a further delivery a month later, the Luftwaffe left Sicily for the Russian Front in June that year.^[16][17]

As Malta was situated on the increasingly important sea supply route for the North African campaign, the Luftwaffe returned with a vengeance for a second assault on the island at the beginning of 1942.^[17] It wasn't until March, when the onslaught was at its highest, that 15 Spitfires flew in off the carrier HMS Eagle to join with the Hurricanes already stationed there and bolster the defence, but many of the new aircraft were lost on the ground and it was again the Hurricane that bore the brunt of the early fighting until further reinforcements arrived. In relation to this second intensive assault on Malta, Wing Commander P.B. "Laddie" Lucas is quoted as saying:^[18]

Air defence in Russia

Mk II Hurricanes played an important air defence role in 1941 when the Soviet Union found itself under threat from the German Army approaching on a broad front stretching from Leningrad, Moscow, and to the oil fields in the south. Britain's decision to aid the Soviets meant sending supplies by sea to the far northern ports, and as the convoys would need to sail within range of enemy air attack from the Luftwaffe based in neighbouring Finland, it was decided to deliver a number of Hurricane Mk IIBs, flying with Nos. 81 and 134 Squadrons, to provide protection. Twenty-four were transported on the carrier HMS Argus arriving just off Murmansk 28 August 1941, and another 15 crated aircraft on board merchant vessels. In addition to their convoy protection duties, the aircraft also acted as escorts to Russian bombers. Enemy attention to the area declined in October, at which point the RAF pilots trained their Soviet counterparts to operate the Hurricanes themselves and, by the end of the year, the RAF's role had ended, but the aircraft remained behind and became the first of thousands of Allied aircraft that would be accepted by the Soviet Union.^[19]

Singapore and the Dutch East Indies

Hawker Hurricane Mk.II of No. 232 Squadron shot down on February 8, 1942 during the Battle of Singapore.

Following the outbreak of war with Japan, 51 Hurricanes (MkII) were sent in crates to Singapore, with 24 pilots, the nucleus of five squadrons. They arrived on 3 January 1942, by which time the Allied fighter squadrons in Singapore, flying Brewster Buffalos, had been overwhelmed in the Malayan campaign. The Imperial Japanese Army Air Force's fighter force, especially the Nakajima Ki-43, had been underestimated in its capability, numbers and the strategy of its commanders.^[20]

The recently-arrived pilots were formed into No. 232 Squadron. In addition, No. 488 Squadron RNZAF, a Buffalo squadron, converted to Hurricanes. 232 Squadron became operational on 20 January and suffered the first losses and victories for the Hurricane in East Asia, when S/L Lawrence Landels was shot down and killed; he was avenged by his number two, Sgt Jimmy Parker. The squadron destroyed three Ki-43s that day,^[21] for the loss of three Hurricanes. However, like the Buffaloes before them, the Hurricanes began to suffer severe losses in intense dogfights.

Between 27 and 30 January, another 48 Hurricanes (Mk IIA) arrived with No. 226 Group (four squadrons) on the aircraft carrier HMS Indomitable, from which they flew to airfields code-named P1 and P2, near Palembang, Sumatra in the Dutch East Indies.

Because of inadequate early warning systems, Japanese air raids were able to destroy 30 Hurricanes on the ground in Sumatra, most of them in one raid on 7 February. After Japanese landings in Singapore, on 10 February, the remnants of 232 and 488 Squadrons were withdrawn to Palembang. However, Japanese paratroopers began the invasion of Sumatra on 13 February. Hurricanes destroyed six Japanese transport ships on 14 February, but lost seven aircraft in the process. On 18 February, the remaining Allied aircraft and aircrews moved to Java. By this time, only 18 serviceable Hurricanes remained out of the original 99.

After Java was invaded, some of the pilots and a sole remaining Hurricane were evacuated by sea to Australia. One pilot, Sgt Jimmy King, claimed 6.5 aircraft destroyed during the campaign.^[20]

Burma

Hurricanes saw action the day they first arrived in Burma, on 23 January 1942, when aircraft hampered by fixed underwing fuel tanks, were forced to intercept a Japanese air raid.

Variants

Main article: Hawker Hurricane variants

Hurricane Mk I (R4118)

Hawker Hurricane Mk IIA at the National Museum of the United States Air Force

Hawker Hurricane Mk IIB Z5140

Hawker Hurricane Mk IV KZ321 (The Fighter Collection)

Hurricane Mk IV, armed with RP-3 rockets

Canadian-built Hurricane Mk XII painted to represent Hurricane Mk IIB Z5140 of 126 Squadron RAF

Fleet Air Arm Sea Hurricane

Hurricane Mk I

First production version, with fabric-covered wings, a wooden two-bladed, fixed-pitch propeller, powered by the 1,030 hp (768 kW) Rolls-Royce Merlin Mk II or III engines and armed with eight .303-inch Browning machine guns. Produced between 1937 and 1939.

Hurricane Mk I (revised)

A revised Hurricane Mk I series built with a de Havilland or Rotol constant speed metal propeller, metal-covered wings, armour and other improvements. In 1939, the RAF had taken on about 500 of this later design to form the backbone of the fighter squadrons.

Hurricane Mk IIA Series 1

Hurricane Mk I powered by the improved Merlin XX engine. First flew on 11 June 1940 and went into squadron service in September 1940.

Hurricane Mk IIB (Hurricane IIA Series 2)

Hurricane Mk IIA Series 1 equipped with new and slightly longer propeller spinner and new wing mounting 12 .303 inch Browning machine guns. The first aircraft were built in October 1940 and were renamed Mark IIB in April 1941.

Hurricane Mk IIB Trop.

For use in North Africa the Hawker Hurricane Mk IIB (and other variants) were tropicalised. They were fitted with engine dust filters and the pilots were issued with a desert survival kit.

Hurricane Mk IIC (Hurricane Mk IIA Series 2)

Hurricane Mk IIA Series 1 equipped with new and slightly longer propeller spinner and new wing mounting four 20 mm Hispano cannons. Hurricane IIA Series 2 became the Mk IIC in June 1941, using a slightly modified wing. The new wings also included a hardpoint for a 500 lb or 250 lb bomb, and later in 1941, fuel tanks. By then performance was inferior to the latest German fighters, and the Hurricane changed to the ground-attack role, sometimes referred to as the Hurribomber. The mark also served as a night fighter and "intruder."

Hurricane Mk IID

Hurricane Mk IIB conversion armed with two 40 mm AT cannons in a pod under each wing and a single Browning machine gun in each wing loaded with tracers for aiming purposes. The first aircraft flew on 18 September 1941, deliveries started in 1942. Serial built aircraft had additional armour for the pilot, radiator and engine, and were armed with a Rolls-Royce gun with 12 rounds, later changed to the Vickers S 40 mm gun with 15 rounds. The weight of guns and armour protection marginally impacted the aircraft's performance. These Hurricanes were nicknamed "Flying Can Openers", perhaps a play on the No. 6 Squadron's logo which flew the Hurricane starting in 1941.

Hurricane Mk IIE

Another wing modification was introduced in the Mk IIE, but the changes became extensive enough that it was renamed the Mk IV after the first 250 had been delivered.

Hurricane Mk T.IIC

Two-seat training version of the Mk. IIC. Only two aircraft were built for the Persian Air Force.

Hurricane Mk III

Version of the Hurricane Mk II powered by a Packard-built Merlin engine, intending to provide supplies of the British-built engines for other designs. By the time production was to have started, Merlin production had increased to the point where the idea was abandoned.

Hurricane Mk IV

The last major change to the Hurricane was to "rationalise" the wing, configuring it with a single design able to mount two bombs, two 40 mm Vickers S guns, or eight "60 pounder" RP-3 rockets. The new design also incorporated the improved Merlin 24 or 27 engines of 1,620 hp (1,208 kW), equipped with dust filters for desert operations.

Hurricane Mk V

Two Hurricane Mk IVs were fitted with a Merlin 32 engine driving a four-bladed propeller for ground attack duties.

Hurricane Mk X

Canadian-built variant. Single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber. Powered by a 1,300 hp (969 kW) Packard Merlin 28. Eight 0.303 inch (7.7 mm) machine guns mounted in the wings. In total, 490 were built.

Hurricane Mk XI

Canadian-built variant. 150 were built.

Hurricane Mk XII

Canadian-built variant. Single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber. Powered by a 1,300 hp (969 kW) Packard Merlin 29. Initially armed with 12 0.303 inch (7.7 mm) machine guns, but this was later changed to four 20 mm cannon.

Hurricane Mk XIIA

Canadian-built variant. Single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber. Powered by a 1,300 hp (969 kW) Packard Merlin 29, armed with eight 0.303 inch (7.7 mm) machine guns.

Sea Hurricane Mk IA

The Sea Hurricane Mk IA was a Hurricane Mk I modified by General Aircraft Limited. They were modified to be carried by CAM ships (catapult armed merchantman). These were cargo ships equipped with a catapult for launching an aircraft, but without facilities to recover them. Thus, if the aircraft were not in range of a land base, pilots were forced to bail out and be picked up by the ship. They were informally known as "Hurricats".

The majority of the aircraft modified had suffered wear-and-tear from serving with front line squadrons, so much so that at least one example used during trials broke up under the stress of a catapult launching. A total of 50 aircraft were converted from Hurricane Mk Is.

Sea Hurricane Mk IB

Hurricane Mk IIA Series 2 version equipped with catapult spools plus an arrester hook. From October 1941, they were used on Merchant aircraft carrier (MAC ships), which were large cargo vessels with a flight deck enabling aircraft to be launched and recovered. A total of 340 aircraft were converted.

Sea Hurricane Mk IC

Hurricane Mk IIB and Mk IIC version equipped with catapult spools, an arrester hook and the four-cannon wing. From February 1942, 400 aircraft were converted.

Sea Hurricane Mk IIC

Hurricane Mk IIC version equipped with naval radio gear; 400 aircraft were converted and used on fleet carriers.

Sea Hurricane Mk XIIA

Canadian-built Hurricane Mk XIIA converted into Sea Hurricanes.

Operators

Hawker Hurricane Mk IVRP with Yugoslav Air Force markings, Museum of Aviation in Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia

See also: List of Hawker Hurricane operators

The Hawker Hurricane, due to its rugged construction and ease of maintenance, enjoyed a long operational life in all theatres of war, flown by both the Axis and Allies. It served in the air forces of many countries, some "involuntarily" as in the case of Hurricanes which either landed accidentally or force-landed in neutral Ireland.

Survivors

Flying condition

• P3351 (ZK-TPL) Hurricane Mk IIa (rebuilt from Mk I P3351 and assigned new serial DR393 in 1940) is operated by New Zealand Fighter Pilots Museum, Wanaka, New Zealand.
• R4118 (G-HUPW) Hurricane Mk I in flyable condition kept in Oxfordshire England.^[9]
• Z7015 (G-BKTH) Sea Hurricane Mk IB in flyable condition with the Shuttleworth Collection Old Warden, England (Canadian-built).
• AE977 (N33TF) Sea Hurricane Mk X is owned by Chino Warbirds Collection, Chino, California.
• BW881 (G-KAMM) Sea Hurricane Mk XII owned by the Flying Heritage Collection, Everett, Washington (State).
• KZ321 (CF-TPM, formerly G-HURY) Hurricane Mk IV operated by the Vintage Wings of Canada Collection, Gatineau, Quebec.
• LF363 Hurricane Mk IIc operated by the Royal Air Force Memorial Flight, RAF Coningsby, England.
• PZ865 Hurricane Mk IIc operated by the Royal Air Force Memorial Flight, RAF Coningsby, England (the last Hurricane built).
• 5481 (C-FDNL) Hurricane Mk XII operated by the Russell Aviation Group, Niagara Falls, Ontario.
• 5667 (N2549) Hurricane Mk XII operated by The Fighter Factory, Virginia Beach, Virginia.
• 5711 (G-HURI) Hurricane Mk XII operated by the Historic Aircraft Collection, Duxford, England.
• ???? (N68RW) Hurricane Mk XII owned by the Lone Star Flight Museum, Galveston, Texas. As of August 2008 under repair after ground collision with Spitfire.

On public display

• L1592 Hurricane Mk I on display at the Science Museum, London, England.
• P2617 Hurricane Mk I on display at the RAF Museum Hendon, London, England.
• AB832 Hurricane Mk IIa is on display at Indian Air Force Museum, Palam Air Force Station, New Delhi.
• BM959 Hurricane Mk IIc is a war memorial at Revda, 200 miles from Murmansk in northern Russia.
• KX829 Hurricane Mk IV on display at the Millennium Discovery Centre, Birmingham, England painted as P3395.
• LD619 Hurricane Mk IIc is held by the South African National Museum of Military History, Saxonwold, Johannesburg.
• LD975 Hurricane Mk IV RP is on display at the Yugoslav Aeronautical Museum, Serbia.
• LF658 Hurricane Mk IIc is on display at Musee Royal De l'Armee, Brussels, Belgium.
• LF686 Hurricane Mk IIc on display at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center of the National Air and Space Museum of the Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC.
• LF738 Hurricane Mk IIc on display at the RAF Museum Cosford, England.
• 5418 Hurricane Mk XII on display at the Reynolds-Alberta Museum in Wetaskiwin, Alberta.
• 5461 Hurricane Mk XII airframe reconstructed around original partial nose section, with many replica components (painted in "YO-J", No. 401 Squadron RCAF markings) on display at The Commonwealth Air Training Plan Museum, Brandon, Manitoba.
• 5584 Hurricane Mk XII on display at the Canadian Aviation Museum, Ottawa, Ontario.

Not on public display

• Z3055 Hurricane Mk IIa is being restored at Malta Aviation Museum, ex-RAF Ta' Qali Airfield, Malta.
• N2394 Hurricane I in storage at Aviation Museum of Central Finland (Keski-Suomen Ilmailumuseo), Tikkakoski, Finland

Flying the Hurricane

In June 1994 the remaining components of P3351, originally built in March 1940 as a Mk I, arrived at the Air New Zealand Engineering Services Christchurch. In October 1999, the fully restored, flyable aircraft, now a Mk IIA, rolled out of the hanger for the first tests of its Merlin 35 engine. Keith Skilling, at the time a Boeing 767 captain for Air New Zealand and also one of the pilots in Ray Hanna's Breitling Fighters team, was one of the first to fly the Hurricane:

"From the moment you walk towards the Hurricane and note its fabric-covered fuselage and large wing and tail sections, until the final dying crackle of the Merlin, it oozes nostalgia and character.

The Hurricane is large and sits surprisingly high off the ground, so high that it requires assistance to mount in the form of a retractable step aft of the trailing edge...

The radiator is a work of art. It is carefully checked for leaks as a coolant leak has caused the demise of many of these fine aeroplanes. A quick tap on the beautiful exhaust stubs for the reassuring 'ting' and the rest of the checks are pretty standard.

The cockpit sides are about chin high giving a surprisingly snug feeling of security — until you realise that there are only a few bits of plywood between you and a 20 mm bullet! The cockpit is a bit of a mish-mash, with bits and pieces attached wherever space can be found on the tubular framework...The electrics are on the left and right side panels as well as on the front instrument panel, the rpm (revs per minute) lever is on a different quadrant to the throttle and mixture, which in turn are close together, making them a little confusing. The undercarriage and flap selector is the same lever. These are set out in an H-pattern and operated in a similar fashion to a car gear lever. A prominent brass switch of 1920s vintage operates the landing lights. These are pilot adjustable, up or down, by means of a cable and lever arrangement.

Fuel ON (the switch at the left of the cockpit), battery switch ON (on the right side), the DC master ON (left side), the start master and booster coil ON (right side), fuel pump ON (instrument panel) and then back to the left for the start and prime switches. The starting procedure adopted by the Alpine Fighter Collection is a little different to the way I have started Merlins in the past...I'm assured that it prevents "stack" fires...From cold this Merlin require six good one-second primes^[22], and when hot no primes. The engine fires almost instantaneously, a quick dab of prime keeps it running as the magneto switches are turned on, a few more dabs of prime as the mixture is opened to auto-rich...and it should settle down to idle at about 800 rpm.

Taxiing presents the normal problem of reduced visibility over the nose, although it is better than most other World War II fighters...With the oil temperature at 15 degrees and radiator at 40 degrees C, it's time to commence the run-up. The Hurricane will, and has, tipped onto its nose if care is not taken with the application of power...As with all these old gauges, fluctuations of the mechanical drives are a problem and a fair bit of the information is transmitted by feel and noise!

Normal pre-takeoff checks are completed with particular emphasis on the rudder trim (full right)...I open the throttle reasonably slowly...and set +8 inches and 3,000 rpm. By this time the tail wheel has come up and the swing to the left is easily held with right rudder. At 80 mph she wants to fly and accelerates quite quickly. Care must be taken not to exceed the gear limiting speed of 120 mph, so quite a steep climb out is required...The right hand is then used to release the gear safety latch and select first gear on the gear/flap selector quadrant. This raises the undercarriage. The hands are then reversed to select climb power at 2,650 rpm and +6 for a climb rate of around 2,500 feet per minute at 150 mph.^[23]

After checking the all-important temperatures and resetting the radiator, it is time to notice some of the characteristics of the Hurricane. Vibration levels are reasonably high^[24] and it is noisy — not the nice V12 sound you hear from the outside but more of an earth shattering roar — after all, you are sitting six feet directly behind an unsilenced Merlin. It's also getting warm as the pipes carrying engine oil and the radiator glycol...pass down the outside of your legs...The coolant pipes are lagged and they give off an appropriate odour. When mixed with the various fumes from the engine it all becomes a very distinctive concoction. Very soon a slight haze has appeared — yes, I am definitely in a Hurricane.

At cruise power, 2,000 rpm and +0 she gets along nicely at around 180 mph, maximum lean cruise of 2,140 rpm and +4 giving a healthy 235 mph. The flight controls are lovely and light and reasonably well harmonised and it is surprisingly stable — a good gun platform! The elevators lack a bit of feel as they are still quite tight on this aircraft...but it is a known problem with the Hurricane and they will eventually free up. Power for some manoeuvring to 2,650 rpm and +6 and it really comes alive. The large thick wings allow good tight turns, good enough to out-turn all of its contemporaries, and there is a characteristic tightening and tuck in pitch to watch and control as things tighten up. However, drag is relatively high and she runs out of steam a little quicker than other World War II fighters. The ailerons are light but rate of roll is relatively poor: slightly better than the Mustang P-51, but behind the Spitfire. Loops and rolls are fine. but acceleration is slow...In the previous Hurricane that I have flown, as the nose was accelerated to accelerate to around 250 mph for a loop, the cockpit became noticeably warmer and the haze increased. Through the inverted portion of the loop it got cooler and clearer, and down the other side, warmer and smellier again.

Stalling presents no problems with the usual wing drop, vicious with the undercarriage and flaps down, but easily controlled. Stalling speeds are surprisingly slow, varying from 75 mph clean to 55 mph in the landing configuration. Spinning is for a maximum of two turns only and exit is rapid with standard recovery technique.

The only problem with the landing is slowing it down to the limiting speed of 120 mph for flap and undercarriage lowering. It is surprisingly slick and as the throttle should not be fully closed, it takes most of the downwind to slow after breaking at even a modest speed of 250 mph. Landing presents few problems into wind. First of all, select second gear for undercarriage down, and then fourth gear for a few moments, for half flap. A curved base turn almost onto the ground is recommended to ensure good visibility over the nose. One Hundred mph around the base with half flap is comfortable, reducing to 95 mph with full flap crossing the fence, and a slight flare and hold-off gives a reliable three-point landing."^[25]

Specifications (Hurricane IIC)

A Hawker Hurricane on display at the National Air and Space Museum of the Smithsonian Institution

Data from Jane’s Fighting Aircraft of World War II^[26]

General characteristics

• Crew: One
• Length: 32 ft 3 in (9.84 m)
• Wingspan: 40 ft 0 in (12.19 m)
• Height: 13 ft 1½ in (4.0 m)
• Wing area: 257.5 ft² (23.92 m²)
• Empty weight: 5,745 lb (2,605 kg)
• Loaded weight: 7,670 lb (3,480 kg)
• Max takeoff weight: 8,710 lb (3,950 kg)
• Powerplant: 1× Rolls-Royce Merlin XX liquid-cooled V-12, 1,185 hp (883 kW) at 21,000 ft (6,400 m)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 340 mph (547 km/h) at 21,000 ft (6,400 m) ^[27]
• Range: 600 mi (965 km)
• Service ceiling 36,000 ft (10,970 m)
• Rate of climb: 2,780 ft/min (14.1 m/s)
• Wing loading: 29.8 lb/ft² (121.9 kg/m²)
• Power/mass: 6.47 lb/hp (3.94 kg/kW)

Armament

• Guns: 4× 20 mm Hispano Mk II cannon
• Bombs: 2× 250 lb or 500 lb bombs

See also

Related development

• Hawker Hotspur
• Hawker Typhoon
  

Comparable aircraft

• Curtiss P-36
• Curtiss P-40
• Heinkel He 112
• Macchi C.200
• Messerschmitt Bf 109
• Miles M.20
• Morane-Saulnier M.S.406
• Polikarpov I-16
• Supermarine Spitfire
• Yakovlev Yak-1
• Rogozarski IK-3
  

References

Notes

Bibliography

External links

• Austin & Longbridge aircraft production
• Aviation history - Hawker Hurricane
• British aircraft - Hawker Hurricane
• Hurricane restoration website
• Hawker Hurricane AM-274 - progressing restoration
• Hawker Hurricane, Defender of the Empire
• Warbird Alley: Hurricane page - information about Hurricanes flying today
• WW2 aircraft performance and combat reports