HAWKER HURRICANE
- First monoplane fighter to serve with RAF, the Hawker Hurricane was
designed under Sydney Camm's direction as logical progression from Fury
biplane, and known, in earliest project form, as Fury Monoplane with 660
hp R-R Goshawk VI steam-cooled engine. Subsequently evolved around R-R
P.V.12 (Merlin) in 1934 as Interceptor Monoplane. Construction of prototype
(K5083) launched in 1935, conforming to Specification F.36/34, with 890
hp Merlin C and eight 0.303 in (7.7 mm) Browning machine guns in (fabric-covered)
wings. First flight at Brooklands on November 6, 1935, and prototype retired
from test-flying early-1939.
Hawker Hurricane I: Production initiated March 1936 and initial contract
for 600 confirmed July 1936, to Specification 15/36. First production
aircraft flown October 12, 1937, with 1,030 hp Merlin II. Subsequent orders
brought total Hawker Hurricane I production to 3,774 in Britain by Hawker
(1,924) and Gloster (1,850), plus 160 for RAF by Canadian Car and Foundry
in Canada. In course of production, metal-covered wings replaced original
fabric-covered type, and 1,030 hp Merlin III replaced Merlin II. First
few aircraft had retractable tailwheel and lacked ventral fin. Service
introduction late-1937 with No 111 Squadron at Northolt; up to 11 squadrons
served in France 1939-40, another in Norway in 1940 and 29 squadrons of
Hawker Hurricane Is available to Fighter Command for Battle of Britain
in July 1940, some later transferring to night fighting role. With large
filter over carburettor air intake, tropicalised Hawker Hurricane Is served
in Malta, the Middle East and the Far East (Singapore and Burma) before
arrival of Mk Us in larger numbers. One Mk I armed with two 20 mm Oerlikon
cannon operational in 1940; three others fitted with four-cannon wing
armament in late 1940. Several export orders placed pre-1939 met by diversions
from RAF contracts and subsequent run-on production; other supplies to
Allied and Commonwealth forces made to meet operational needs as they
arose. Thus, from 1938 onwards, 24 Hawker Hurricane Is went to Yugoslavia
(where 20 more built by Zmaj factory); 12 to Romania; 35 to Turkey; two
to Persia; 12 to Finland; 15 to Belgium (plus production by Avions Fairey
- see later note); 20 to the RCAF and more than 30 to SAAF. One Hawker
Hurricane I (of ten intended) reached Poland in 1939 and one, with tropical
filter, reached Australia in September 1941. One ex-RAF Mk I diverted
to Hawker demonstrator/test-bed as G-AFKX remained in use through 1943.
Max speed, 316 mph (508 km/h) at 17,750ft (5,410 m). Cruising speed, 272
mph (438 km/h) at 15,000ft (4,575 m). Time to 15,000 ft (4,575 m), 6.3
min. Service ceiling, 33,200 ft (10,120 m). Range, 445 mis (716 km). Empty
weight, 5,085 Ib (2,308 kg). Gross weight, 6,661 Ib (3,024 kg). Span,
40 ft (12.19 m). Length, 31 ft 5 in (9.58 m). Wing area, 258 sqft (23.97
m2).
Hawker Hurricane II: Designation change to signify introduction of two-speed,
single-stage supercharged 1,390 hp Merlin XX, first flown (in a Mk I)
on June 11, 1940. Production switched progressively as Merlin XXs became
available, with deliveries to RAF beginning early September 1940. Hawker
Hurricane HA retained same eight-gun wing as Mk I, with initial batch
of Series 1 s having same fuselage and Series 2s having strengthened fuselage
to accept modified wing with later armament options. About 12 Mk IIAs
had lengthened nose (7 in/18 cm), but modification not adopted for production.
Introducing a 'universal' wing, Hawker Hurricane IIB, starting late-1940,
had 12 Browning 0.303 in (7.7 mm) machine guns, and Hawker Hurricane IIC
(first flown February 6, 1941) had four 20 mm Hispano cannon. All Mk Us
could have tropical filters for service in Middle and Far East, and could
carry two 44 Imp gal (200-1) drop tanks, 88 Imp gal (400-1) ferry tanks,
two 250 Ib (113.5 kg) or (later aircraft) 500 Ib (227 kg) bombs. A Hawker
Hurricane II armed with two 40 mm Vickers Type S cannon (and two Browning
machine guns) first flew on September 18, 1941 and Hawker Hurricane IID
entered production with this armament (or a few with Rolls-Royce BF cannorr).
Some Hawker Hurricane IIBs and IICs carried six (later eight) 3 in (7.62
cm) rocket projectiles underwing, after tests starting February 1942.
Designation Hawker Hurricane HE applied to aircraft wired to accept machine
guns or cannon, and bombs, without the need to change wing sets. Service
use of Hawker Hurricane IIA began early September 1940; of IIB fighter
in February 1941; of IIB fighter-bomber ('Hurribomber') in May 1941; of
IIC in April 1941, IID in March 1942 and of HE in September 1941. A few
Hawker Hurricane IIBs and IICs fitted in 1941-42 with AI Mk IV or Mk V
radar for night fighting, either in fuselage radio rack or underwing pod
in place of drop tank. All Mk II variants served with UK-based squadrons
and also, extensively, overseas; by November 1941, 25 Hawker Hurricane
squadrons based in Middle East and others in Malta, Iceland and Soviet
Union. In Middle East, some 200 Hawker Hurricanes (including 20 Mk Is
re-engined with Merlin XX) modified for tac-R (with one camera and full
armament) or PR (with two cameras and no armament). Hawker Hurricane II
squadrons extensively engaged in India/Burma, 1942-44. Other Hawker Hurricane
roles included meteorological recce in UK and ME with unarmed Hawker Hurricane
Met Mk IIC; anti-aircraft co-operation and training, using 'war-weary'
fighters. Hawker Hurricane II production in UK (shared between Hawker,
Gloster and Austin Motors) totalled 8,676, comprising 451 Mk IIA, 2,948
Mk IIB, 4,711 Mk IIC, 296 Mk IID and 270 Mk HE, plus 100 Mk Is converted
(by Rolls-Royce) to Mk IIA. Several Commonwealth squadrons flew Hawker
Hurricane Us alongside the RAF, especially RAAF and SAAF units in the
Middle East and RCAF in the UK, using aircraft retained on RAF strength.
In India, seven squadrons of the IAF flew Hawker Hurricanes (Mks IIB,
IIC and IV) from June 1942, using some 300 aircraft transferred from RAF
stocks. Following on from Mk I supplies, Turkey received 38 Hawker Hurricane
IIBs and 91 IICs (of which, 44 equipped for recce), and two squadrons
of the Royal Egyptian Air Force flew ex-RAF Hawker Hurricane Us (and some
Is) from 1941 to 1945. Starting in 1941, several squadrons of the Free
French Air Force flew Hawker Hurricanes in North and West Africa and the
Middle East. Hawker Hurricane production ended with delivery of Mk IIC
PZ866 (later G-AMAU) in August 1944. Data for Mk IIC follow. Max speed,
327 mph (526 km/h) at 18,000ft (5,486 m). Time to 15,000ft (4,575 m),
6 min. Service ceiling, 35,600 ft (10,850 m). Range with drop tanks, 426
mis (685 km). Empty weight, 6,577 Ib (2,986 kg). Gross -weight, 7,544
Ib (3,425 kg). Span, 40 ft (12.19 m). Length, 32ft 3 in (9.83 m). Wing
area, 258 sqft (23.97 m2).
Hawker Hurricane III: Proposed Mk II airframe with 1,390 hp Packard-Merlin
28. Not built.
Hawker Hurricane IV: Developed Hawker Hurricane HE with uprated Merlin
and 'universal' wing carrying two 0.303 in (7.7 mm) Browning guns and
wiring for either two 40 mm Vickers S cannon or eight 60 Ib (27.1 kg)
rocket projectiles. Prototype with 1,620 hp Merlin 32, deepened ventral
radiator, Rotol four-bladed propeller and tropical filter first flown
March 14, 1943. Second prototype with definitive 1,390 hp Merlin 27 and
three-bladed Rotol propeller flown March 23, 1943. Service use began May
1943 (No 164 Sqn) and equipped six squadrons in the UK, one in ME and
two in Burma for combat use; others for second-line duties. Production
total, 524 by Hawker.
Hawker Hurricane V: Redesignation of first Mk IV (KX405) in July 1943,
with Merlin 32 boosted for optimum low-altitude performance. Two more
prototypes, no production.
Belgian Hawker Hurricane: Contract for 80 aircraft placed with Avions
Fairey SA on behalf of the AeM (Belgian Air Force) in 1938. Similar to
Hawker Hurricane I but with wing armament of four 0.50 in (12.7 mm) FN-built
Browning guns. Three built and two flown by May 1940, when German invasion
terminated production. Nineteen British-built Hawker Hurricane Is (including
four which force-landed in Belgium in 1939) on AeM charge in May 1940,
saw no action.
Yugoslav Hawker Hurricane: Production of 100 Hawker Hurricanes for Royal
Yugoslav Air Force initiated 1939 by Zmaj (60) and Rogozarski (40), but
only 20 built by Zmaj by April 1941, when production terminated. One Hawker
Hurricane fitted in Yugoslavia with Daimler-Benz DB 601A for comparative
trials.
Soviet Hawker Hurricanes: Nearly 3,000 Hawker Hurricanes supplied to Soviet
Union 1941-1944 from British and Canadian production, including 210 Mk
IIA (some Mk I conversions), 1,557 Mk IIB, 1,009 Mk IIC, 60 Mk IID and
about 100 Mk IV. In Russia, some Hawker Hurricanes adapted to have 0.50
in (12.7 mm) machine guns of US origin, and a few modified to two-seaters
for training.
Canadian Hawker Hurricanes (Mks X, XI, XII): Production of Hawker Hurricane
initiated by Canadian Car and Foundry at Fort William late-1938 against
British contract, and first flight of Hawker Hurricane I (<P*>120)
on January 10, 1940. Production total of 1,451 (perhaps 1,454) included
Mk Is and Us with Merlin II/III and Merlin XX respectively, equalling
British standard aircraft, and the following specifically Canadian marks.
Hawker Hurricane X: As Hawker Hurricane I with 1,390 hp Packard-Merlin
28 and Hamilton Standard propeller.
Hawker Hurricane XI: As Hawker Hurricane X, but with Canadian equipment
in place of British.
Hawker Hurricane XII: As Hawker Hurricane XI, but with 1,390 hp Packard-Merlin
29 and Hawker Hurricane IIB-type 12-gun wing. Some eight-gun Hawker Hurricane
Xs later fitted with Merlin 29s in Canada designated Hawker Hurricane
XIIA.
From CCF production, RCAF received 400 Hawker Hurricane XIIs, of which
150 transferred to RAF, and 80 Hawker Hurricane Xs transferred from RAF.
All other Canadian production was for supply to Britain, where many convened
to Sea Hawker Hurricane (or completed as such before delivery), leading
to Sea Hawker Hurricane XI, XII and XIIA designations. RCAF operational
use of Hawker Hurricane began in Canada with No 1(F) Sqn in 1939 (using
British-built Mk Is) and continued in UK. Ten RG-AF squadrons flew Hawker
Hurricanes in defensive role in Canada.
