Hawker "Hurricane Mk. IIA" The RAF's Forgotten Fighter

THE 456th FIGHTER INTERCEPTOR SQUADRON

THE PROTECTORS OF S. A. C.

Hawker Hurricane

The Hawker Hurricane Mk. IIA

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The Hawker Hurricane was the first fighter monoplane to join the Royal Air Force and the first combat aircraft adopted by that arm capable of exceeding 300 m.p.h. in level flight. The Hurricane shouldered the lion's share of Britain's defense during the " Battle of Britain".

Often underrated in favor of the Spitfire , the Hurricane was the main victor of the Battle of Britain. The Royal Air Force had at that time 32 Hurricane squadrons, compared with 19 Spitfire squadrons. This meant that 620 Hurricane and Spitfire fighters (with another 84 assorted fighters like the Gloster Gladiator) had to face the German air threat of 3,500 bombers and fighters. During the "Battle of Britain", along with the Spitfire, it helped to force the Luftwaffe to use the Bf 109 to protect the poor performing twin engine Bf 110 escort fighter.

The synthesis of many years' intimate experience of fighter biplane design translated into the modern formula; a compromise between tradition and requirements born of a new era in air warfare--such was the Hawker Hurricane. The first fighter monoplane to join the Royal Air Force and the first combat aircraft adopted by that arm capable of exceeding 300 m.p.h. in level flight, the Hurricane shouldered the lion's share of Britain's defense during the " Battle of Britain", and was largely responsible for the successful outcome of this conflict for the defending forces, equipping more than three-fifths of R.A.F. Fighter Command's squadrons. The Hurricane also proved to possess an astounding propensity for adaptation, and the multifarious roles that it undertook earned for it the distinction of being the most versatile of single seat warplanes to emerge from the Second World War.

The Hurricane was the work of Sydney Camm, who began its design in 1934. The prototype first took to the air on November 6,1935, at Brooklands, and the initial production Hurricane I entered RAF service in December 1937, with No 111 Squadron. Powered by the famous Rolls-Royce Merlin engine, it became the first RAF monoplane fighter with an enclosed cockpit and retractable undercarriage, its first fighter capable of a level speed in excess of 483 km/h (300 mph), and its first eight-gun fighter.

Under the command of Sqn. Ldr. J. W. Gillan, No. 111 Squadron quickly settled down with its new monoplanes, and on February 10, 1938, the commander personally demonstrated the prowess of the Hurricane by flying from Edinburgh to Northolt at an average speed of 408 m.p.h. Even with a stiff tail-wind this was a remarkable performance. Squadrons were rapidly equipped with the Hurricane--thanks to the foresight of the Hawker Aircraft directors--and at the time war was declared, on September 3, 1939, just short of 500 Hurricanes had been delivered and eighteen squadrons had been equipped. These were all of the Mark I type, armed with eight 0.303-in. machine-guns but having alternative propeller installations: a Merlin II engine driving a Watts two-blade fixed-pitch wooden propeller, or a Merlin III of similar power having a standardized shaft for de Havilland or Rotol three-blade metal propellers. The Hurricane I, at 7,127 Ib. all-up weight, possessed a maximum speed of 325 m.p.h. at 17,500 feet, a range of 700 miles at 200 m.p.h. at 15,000 feet, a service ceiling of 36,000 feet, and the ability to climb to 20,000 feet in 9 minutes.

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Hawker Aircraft Limited evolved from Sopwith and had spent its entire life in developing single engined warplanes. None was to achieve more fame than the Hurricane.

The early history of the Hurricane is an interesting parallel in many ways with that of the Supermarine Spitfire with which it was to form an immortal partnership; but while the Spitfire was an entirely new conception based on specialized experience, the Hurricane was the logical outcome of a long line of fighting aircraft. Thus, although the two airplanes met broadly the same requirements, they represented entirely different approaches to the same problem. The two approaches were reflected to an interesting degree in their respective appearances; the Hurricane workmanlike, rugged and sturdy, the Spitfire slender and ballerina-like. One was the studied application of experience, the other a stroke of genius.

Early in 1934 Sydney Camm, chief designer of Hawker Aircraft, learned of the work being undertaken by Rolls-Royce to develop a powerful new engine, then known as the PV-12. At that time the Hawker design team had been working on a fighter project known as the Fury Monoplane which had been designed around the 660 h.p. Rolls-Royce Goshawk steam-cooled engine. As the new engine offered a substantial improvement in performance, the projected fighter was re-designed for the new power plant. In view of Air Ministry interest, project design work was rapidly completed, stressing commencing in March 1934, and work on detail drawings beginning in May.

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When it became clear that the Hurricane was becoming outclassed as a pure fighter, other duties were assigned to it. The 'Hurribomber' fighter-bomber came into being, carrying either two 113 kg (250 lb) or two 226 kg (500 lb) bombs under its wings.

On October 23,1935, the prototype fighter, bearing the serial number K5083, was moved from Kingston to Brooklands for its first flight, which was effected on November 6 with P. W. S. "George" Bulman, the company's chief test pilot, at the controls. As measured at Brooklands, the prototype's loaded weight was 5,416 lb. The Hawker monoplane was a clean aircraft. Its tubular metal construction and fabric covering were similar to those of the earlier Fury fighter biplane, and many of its contours, particularly the tail surfaces, were characteristic of earlier Camm designs. The continued adherence to fabric covering was viewed with misgivings by some, and was, in fact, soon to be supplanted by metal skinning for the wings; but this seemingly dated feature was linked with what were for that time ultra-modern items such as a fully retractable under-carriage and a sliding cockpit canopy. For its first flight the fighter was powered by a Merlin "C", the name that had earlier been bestowed upon the PV-12, which drove a Watts two-bladed, fixed-pitch wooden propeller.

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A late series Hurricane IIC with two 44 gallon auxiliary drop tanks.

During the Battle of Britain, which began in earnest on August 8,1940, Hurricanes concentrated mainly on the destruction of the German Heinkel He 111 and Dornier Do 17 bombers. These were the aircraft that would cause the most damage if allowed to get through. The only Victoria Cross ever awarded to a Fighter Command pilot was won by Ft Lt James Nicolson, a Hurricane pilot of No 249 Squadron who, on August 16,1940, while attacking a German aircraft in front of him, was pounced on from above and behind by other German aircraft. Nicolson's aircraft caught fire, but he continued his attack until he had shot down his original target, then parachuted to safety. The highest scoring Allied pilot of the battle - a Czech named Sergeant Josef Frantisek, who claimed 17 victories - was also a Hurricane pilot.

When it became clear that the Hurricane was becoming outclassed as a pure fighter, other duties were assigned to it. In October 1941 the 'Hurribomber' fighter-bomber came into being, carrying either two 113 kg (250 lb) or two 226 kg (500 lb) bombs under its wings. The Mk IID of 1942 was fitted with two 40 mm cannon for tank busting and two machine-guns, and was operated mainly in North Africa against Rommel's desert forces and in Burma against the Japanese. Other Hurricanes carried rocket projectiles as alternative ground attack weapons.

Specifications:

Hawker Hurricane II B

Dimensions:

Wing span: 40 ft. 0 in. (12.19 m)

Length: 32 ft. 3 in. (9.82 m)

Height: 8 ft. 9 in. (2.66 m)

Weights:

Empty: 5,658 lb (2,566 kg)

Operational: 8,470 lb. (3,841 kg) with two 500-lb. bombs.

Performance:

Maximum Speed:
340 m.p.h. (547 km/h) @ 21,000 ft. (6,400 m) clean
320 m.p.h. (514 km/h) @ 19,700 ft. (6,004 m) with two 250-lb. bombs
307 m.p.h. (494 km/h) @ 19,500 ft. (5,943 m) with two 500-lb. bombs

Service Ceiling:
40,000 ft. (12,192 m); clean
33,000 ft. (10,058 m); with 500-lb. bomb load.

Range:
460 miles (740 km) at 178 mph (286 km/h) normal fuel.
920 miles (1,480 km) with two 44 gallon auxiliary tanks.

Power plant:

One Rolls-Royce Merlin XX twelve-cylinder 60 deg. "V" liquid-cooled engine
rated at 1,280 h.p. (954 kw) @ take-off and
1,850 h.p. (1,379 kw) @ 21,000 ft. (6,400 m).

Armament:

Twelve 0.303-in. browning machine-guns and
two 250-lb. or 500-lb. bombs or eight rocket projectile.

The year 1943 saw two important developments in the Hurricanes history--the introduction of the Mark IV and the adoption of the Hurricane to fire rocket missiles or, as they were initially known, "unrifled projectiles". The Hurricane IV differed from the Mark II in two respects: it used a Merlin 24 or 27 which developed 1,620 h.p. for take-off, and it featured "low attack" or universal armament wings. These wings were derived from those fitted to the Hurricane IID and could carry the 40-mm. Vickers or Rolls Royce cannon, bombs, drop-tanks or rocket projectiles. The Hurricane IV was in service by March 1943 and was operational in the Middle and Far East theatres until the end of the war, and in Europe until the end of 1944. The development of the aircraft rocket had introduced a new factor in the use of aircraft as ground-assault weapons, and the Hurricane IIB and IIC were the first single-seaters to employ the rockets operationally. After extended trials at the A. & A.E.E. and elsewhere with rockets launched from Hurricanes (commencing with Z2415 which was fitted with three launching rails under each wing early in 1942), No. 137 Squadron took its rocket carrying Hurricanes into action for the first time at the beginning of September 1943. Hurricane IIBs, IICs, and IVs were fitted with four rockets under each wing.

Perhaps the most important sub-variant was the Sea Hurricane. This operated from aircraft carriers, being fitted usually with catapult spools and arrester hook. However, most Sea Hurricanes were not newly-built fighters but converted RAF types, and were deployed originally not for aircraft carrier operations but to protect merchant shipping. To combat German maritime-reconnaissance bombers, some ships were converted into CAMs (catapult aircraft merchantmen) which meant that a Hurricane fighter could be launched from the ship when danger approached. The biggest problem was that the fighter could not re-land on board, and so the pilot had to ditch it in the sea. The main areas of operation for the 'Catafighters' were in the Mediterranean and Baltic, but by 1943 the Sea Hurricane had all but disappeared from service.

Of the 14,533 production Hurricanes built, some had gone for service with other air forces. In particular, nearly 3,000 were dispatched to the Soviet Union to aid its fight against the Germans on the Eastern Front. The first Hurricane sorties in Russia were made on September 11, 1941 in defense of Murmansk, pilots from France, Britain and America helping the Soviets in their task.

The Hawker Hurricane

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Hawker Aircraft Limited evolved from Sopwith and had spent its entire life in developing single engined warplanes. None was to achieve more fame than the Hurricane.

Click on Picture to enlarge

When it became clear that the Hurricane was becoming outclassed as a pure fighter, other duties were assigned to it. The 'Hurribomber' fighter-bomber came into being, carrying either two 113 kg (250 lb) or two 226 kg (500 lb) bombs under its wings.

Click on Picture to enlarge

A late series Hurricane IIC with two 44 gallon auxiliary drop tanks.

Specifications:
Hawker Hurricane II B
Dimensions:
Wing span:	40 ft. 0 in. (12.19 m)
Length:	32 ft. 3 in. (9.82 m)
Height:	8 ft. 9 in. (2.66 m)
Weights:
Empty:	5,658 lb (2,566 kg)
Operational:	8,470 lb. (3,841 kg) with two 500-lb. bombs.
Performance:
Maximum Speed:	340 m.p.h. (547 km/h) @ 21,000 ft. (6,400 m) clean 320 m.p.h. (514 km/h) @ 19,700 ft. (6,004 m) with two 250-lb. bombs 307 m.p.h. (494 km/h) @ 19,500 ft. (5,943 m) with two 500-lb. bombs
Service Ceiling:	40,000 ft. (12,192 m); clean 33,000 ft. (10,058 m); with 500-lb. bomb load.
Range:	460 miles (740 km) at 178 mph (286 km/h) normal fuel. 920 miles (1,480 km) with two 44 gallon auxiliary tanks.
Power plant:
One Rolls-Royce Merlin XX twelve-cylinder 60 deg. "V" liquid-cooled engine rated at 1,280 h.p. (954 kw) @ take-off and 1,850 h.p. (1,379 kw) @ 21,000 ft. (6,400 m).
Armament:
Twelve 0.303-in. browning machine-guns and two 250-lb. or 500-lb. bombs or eight rocket projectile.

Design of the Hurricane had begun in 1934, and its first flight had been made, from Hawker's establishment within the confines of the historic Brooklands motor racing circuit at Weybridge in Surrey, on November 6, 1935. Sydney Camm's design team at nearby Kingston upon Thames already had long experience of fighter design for the RAF, and drew heavily upon this experience to produce what was at first seen as a "Monoplane Fury" -- the Fury being the elegant biplane that still epitomized the equipment of Fighter Command upon its formation within the RAF in, July 1936, Such advanced features as an enclosed cockpit and retractable undercarriage were combined with traditional methods of construction using a tubular metal structure and fabric covering, that meant that the Hurricane could be easily and rapidly produced in existing facilities -- an advantage not enjoyed by the Spitfire with its advanced stressed-skin construction and complex shapes.

In February 1936, the prototype Hurricane (as yet unnamed), powered by an early Merlin C producing 900hp and driving a Watts fixed-pitch two-bladed wooden propeller, was tested at the Aircraft and Armament Experimental Establishment (A & AEE) at Martlesham Heath, giving Service pilots their first opportunity to experience the improvements in performance and handling that were to become available.

At a weight of 5,6721b (2,572kg), the prototype demonstrated a speed of 315mph (506km/h) at the Merlin's rated altitude of 16,200ft (4, 937m)with 61b/sq in boost, After taking off into a 5mph (8km/h) wind with a run of 795ft (242m) to reach the 81mph (180km/h) lift-off speed, the Hurricane climbed to 15,000ft (4,570m) in 5.7 minutes and to 20,000ft (6,100m) in 8.4 min. Service ceiling was 34,500ft (10,515m) and the estimated absolute ceiling was 35,400ft (10,800m).

Convinced that the RAF would buy the new fighter in the prevailing mood of rearmament, the Hawker company decided, in March 1936, to proceed with the production drawings and to make plans for large scale production. Three months later in July, that action was vindicated when the Air Ministry confirmed that 600 Hurricanes were to be included in its expansion Plan F (which also provided for 300 Spitfires). By the time the Battle of Britain began, every single fighter in the hands of the RAF counted, and the early launch of Hurricane production had helped to ensure that just enough machines were in fact available to Fighter Command.

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Even so! meeting the RAF's rapidly expanding needs proved to be no simple matter and the Plan F target of 600 Hurricanes to be delivered by March 1939 was missed by some six months. There had been a succession of relatively minor but time consuming problems with prototype development, especially related to the Merlin, and the early intention to fit the Merlin F (Mk I) in the production Hurricane was changed to make use of the improved Merlin G; (Mk II)- which required a redesign of the installation and the front fuselage profile before production could begin. The cockpit canopy also produced its share of problems, with five failures recorded on the prototype before a satisfactory design was evolved.

The first production Hurricane I flew at Brooklands on October 12th 1937, fitted with an early example of the Rolls Royce Merlin II that was rated at 1.030 hp at 16,250 feet (4,955m). This power unit drove a fixed pitch two bladed propeller and at a weight of 5,459lb (2,476kg) the aircraft attained a maximum speed of 318 mph (512 kph) at 17,400 feet (5,305m).

In January 1939, the Merlin II gave way to the Merlin III and with the fitting of a constant speed three bladed propeller and it was this amended specifications that was adopted and all Hurricane Mark I's were constructed using this configuration. Other alterations/additions being the armament which was four Browning .303 machine guns mounted in the wings, metal stressed- skin covered the wings instead of fabric which also covered the fuselage.

By the 27th September 1939, Hawker had delivered 497 Hurricanes to the RAF against the initial order of 3,500 and was enough to equip 18 Fighter Command squadrons. But despite the need to bring Britain's fighter strength to its potential, quite a number of Hurricanes were exported to other countries. 15 went to Turkey, another 15 went to Finland, 12 went to Romania while 1 went to Poland.

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A Hawker Hurricane Mark I of 111 Squadron Northolt

During late 1939 and early 1940, 1,924 Hurricanes had been constructed by the Hawker works while Gloster Aircraft who also took on construction built 1,850. Hawker also put out tenders for the construction of the Hurricane overseas. One of these successful tender's was the Canadian Car and Foundry Works (CCF) and a license was issued for the construction of both the Hurricane and the Sea Hurricane. A total of 1,451 machines were built and of these, 60 were flying by 10th January 1940. The Canadian company built the Hurricane in a number of different versions. The original accepted design of the Mark I, the Mark X which were powered by the Merlin 28 engine and built by the Packard Car Co, the Mark XI which was built with Canadian equipment and the Mark XII's that now incorporated the Merlin 29 engine and 12 Browning guns. (8 guns in the Mark XIIA).

Because of the weather conditions in Canada and especially Nova Scotia where many of them were based, the normal retractable undercarriage was dispensed with and fixed ski's were used in there place. This allowed the aircraft to take off and land on snow and ice.

During 1939 and 1940, 24 Hurricane Mark I's were delivered to Yugoslavia, and Belgium was also granted a licence to build the fighter although 20 had been acquired from Britain only 15 of these had been delivered.

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Hawker Hurricane Mk I Cockpit

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Index for Hawker Hurricane (Mk 1) Cockpit

1: Mixture Control lever. 2: Throttle control lever. 3: Landing switch and instruction. plate

4: Electric starter push button 5: Automatic boost EMERGENCY cut-out control PULL to operate. 6: Undercarriage warning buzzer.

7: Dimmer switch for (8). 8: Cockpit flood lamp. 9: Dimmer switch for (30).

10: Oxygen regulator. 11: Undercarriage buzzer warning plate. 12: Under carriage indicator lamps switches.

13: Undercarriage indicator lamps. 14: Head protector pad mounting. 15: Compass corrrection card holder.

16: A.S.I. 17: Reflector sight dazzle screen. 18: Artificial horizon.

19: Rate of climb indicator. 20: Engine speed indicator. 21: Boost pressure gauge.

22: Oil pressure gauge. 23: Fuel pressure gauge.. 24: Radiator temperature gauge.

25: Oil temperature gauge. 26: Turn indicator. 27: Direction indicator.

28: Compass. 29: Altimeter. 30: Cockpit floodlamp.

31: Rudder pedal. 32: Clock. 33: Navigation lamps switches.

34: Control column. 35: Brake control lever. 36: Main magneto switches.

37: Gun firing button. 38: Fuel control cock. 39: Mixture leaver friction adjuster.

40: Throttle lever friction adjuster. 41: Reflector sight lamp switch. 42: Fuel contents gauge - reserve and main.

43: Fuel contents gauge selector switch and pushbutton. 44: Dimmer switch for reflector sight lamp. 45: Cockpit floodlamp.

46: Dimmer switch for (45). 47: Identification lamps switchbox. 48: Starting magneto switch.

49: Primer pump. 50: Safety belt. 51: Terminal block for R/T wiring.

52: Cockpit floodlamp. 53: Voltmeter. 54: Ammeter

55: Electrical fuse panel (fuses etc. on reverse side). 56: Generator charge-regulating switch. 57: Dimmer switch for (52).

58: Hood catch lever. 59: Oxygen supply bayonet socket. 60: R/T remote controller.

61: Landing lamps control lever. 62: Engine data plate. 63: Switch unit for contactor

64: Radiator flap indicator. 65: Elevator trimming tabs control hand-wheel. 66: Microphone socket.

67: Radiator flap control lever. 68: Seat. 69: Brakes triple pressure gauge.

70: Rudder bar adjusting star-wheel. 71: Starboard undercarriage Emergency release (foot operation). 72: Hydraulic selector lever - undercarriage and flaps.

73: Hydraulic engine pump control lever. 74: Seat raising lever. 75: Flaps indicator.

76: Parachute flares release controls. 77: Hydraulic hand pump lever.

Photo Gallery

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Last Updated

08/07/2010

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Hawker Hurricane Mk I Cockpit
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Index for Hawker Hurricane (Mk 1) Cockpit
1: Mixture Control lever.	2: Throttle control lever.	3: Landing switch and instruction. plate
4: Electric starter push button	5: Automatic boost EMERGENCY cut-out control PULL to operate.	6: Undercarriage warning buzzer.
7: Dimmer switch for (8).	8: Cockpit flood lamp.	9: Dimmer switch for (30).
10: Oxygen regulator.	11: Undercarriage buzzer warning plate.	12: Under carriage indicator lamps switches.
13: Undercarriage indicator lamps.	14: Head protector pad mounting.	15: Compass corrrection card holder.
16: A.S.I.	17: Reflector sight dazzle screen.	18: Artificial horizon.
19: Rate of climb indicator.	20: Engine speed indicator.	21: Boost pressure gauge.
22: Oil pressure gauge.	23: Fuel pressure gauge..	24: Radiator temperature gauge.
25: Oil temperature gauge.	26: Turn indicator.	27: Direction indicator.
28: Compass.	29: Altimeter.	30: Cockpit floodlamp.
31: Rudder pedal.	32: Clock.	33: Navigation lamps switches.
34: Control column.	35: Brake control lever.	36: Main magneto switches.
37: Gun firing button.	38: Fuel control cock.	39: Mixture leaver friction adjuster.
40: Throttle lever friction adjuster.	41: Reflector sight lamp switch.	42: Fuel contents gauge - reserve and main.
43: Fuel contents gauge selector switch and pushbutton.	44: Dimmer switch for reflector sight lamp.	45: Cockpit floodlamp.
46: Dimmer switch for (45).	47: Identification lamps switchbox.	48: Starting magneto switch.
49: Primer pump.	50: Safety belt.	51: Terminal block for R/T wiring.
52: Cockpit floodlamp.	53: Voltmeter.	54: Ammeter
55: Electrical fuse panel (fuses etc. on reverse side).	56: Generator charge-regulating switch.	57: Dimmer switch for (52).
58: Hood catch lever.	59: Oxygen supply bayonet socket.	60: R/T remote controller.
61: Landing lamps control lever.	62: Engine data plate.	63: Switch unit for contactor
64: Radiator flap indicator.	65: Elevator trimming tabs control hand-wheel.	66: Microphone socket.
67: Radiator flap control lever.	68: Seat.	69: Brakes triple pressure gauge.
70: Rudder bar adjusting star-wheel.	71: Starboard undercarriage Emergency release (foot operation).	72: Hydraulic selector lever - undercarriage and flaps.
73: Hydraulic engine pump control lever.	74: Seat raising lever.	75: Flaps indicator.
76: Parachute flares release controls.	77: Hydraulic hand pump lever.