Hawker Hurricane

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Hurricane

Fleet Air Arm (Royal Navy) Sea Hurricane
Type	Fighter
Manufacturer	Hawker
Designed by	Sidney Camm
Maiden flight	6 November 1935
Introduced	1937
Primary user	Royal Air Force
Produced	1937-1944
Number built	14,000

The Hawker Hurricane is a British fighter design from the 1930s. The Hurricane helped the Royal Air Force win the Battle of Britain, accounting for the majority of the RAF's air victories. Some 14,000 Hurricane and Sea Hurricane fighters and fighter-bombers were built by the end of 1944, serving in all major theatres of war in the Second World War.

1 Design and development
2 Production
3 Variants
4 Foreign use
5 Specifications (Hurricane IIC)
6 Operators
7 References
8 External links
9 Related content

[edit] Design and development

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 PV-12, later to become famous as the Merlin. The design, started in early 1934, was the work of Sidney Camm.

By some measures, the Hurricane's design was outdated when introduced.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 linen fabric covering. Initially, the wing structure consisted of two spars, also in steel, 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 the all of the later marks. In contrast, the contemporary Supermarine Spitfire used all-metal monocoque construction and was thus both lighter and stronger, though less tolerant to bullet damage.

Sydney Camm's original plans submitted in response to the Air Ministry's specification were rejected (apparently "too orthodox," even for the Air Ministry). Camm tore up the proposal and set about designing a fighter as a Hawker company private venture. With economy in mind, the Hurricane was designed using as many of Hawker's existing tools and jigs as possible (the plane was effectively a monoplane version of the successful Hawker Fury); it was these factors that were a major contributor to the plane's success. The Hurricane's traditional construction with fabric stretched over metal frame work meant that the airframe was very durable and proved far more resistant to exploding cannon shells than the metal-skinned Spitfire. The simplicity of its design meant that remarkable repairs could be improvised in Squadron workshops.

The Hurricane was ordered into production in 1936 mainly by virtue of its relatively simple construction and ease of manufacture. At the time it was unclear if the much more advanced Spitfire would be able to enter production smoothly, whereas Hurricane production was a well understood manufacturing process. This was true for service squadrons as well, who were experienced in working on and repairing aircraft constructed like the Hurricane. With its ease of maintenance, widely set landing gear and benign flying characteristics, the Hurricane remained in use in theatres of operations where reliability was more important than performance, long after it was obsolete as a fighter aircraft.

[edit] Production

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 Gloster Aircraft making most of the rest. The Austin Motor Company built 300. Canada Car and Foundry in Fort William, Ontario, Canada, (where one engineer, Elsie MacGill, became known as "Queen of the Hurricanes,") was responsible for production of 1400 Hurricanes, known as the Mk X.

[edit] Variants

[edit] Hurricane Mk I

As expected, the first Mk I production machines were ready fairly quickly, with deliveries starting in October 1937. These early aircraft were simple, with fabric-covered wings, a wooden two-bladed, fixed-pitch propeller, and lacking armour or self-sealing tanks. Powered by the 1,030 hp (768 kW) Rolls-Royce Merlin Mk II or III engine, the Mk I was armed with eight .303 inch Browning machine guns.

Although the use of this number of guns sounds impressive, the fact is that this relatively small calibre armament was more suited to shooting down the wood/canvas machines of the First World War. It was relatively common during the Battle of Britain for the (metal) German planes to be struck by a surprisingly high numbers of .303 bullets but still return safely to base. The use of a smaller number of larger calibre guns would have been far more effective and this was rectified in later versions of the Hurricane.

In 1939, a revised Mk I series utilized a de Havilland or Rotol constant speed metal propeller, ejector exhaust stacks for added thrust, 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 during the Battle of France and into the Battle of Britain. The first RAF ace of the war, Cobber Kain, flew a Hurricane with 73 Squadron.

Image:Hurricane.r4118.arp.jpg

Image:Hurricane.r4118.ground.arp.jpg

Although relying on older technology, the Hurricane proved to be a match, to an extent, with the Luftwaffe's Messerschmitt Bf 109. In his book, Duel of Eagles, British ace Peter Townsend, who flew Hurricanes with No. 85 Squadron RAF during the Battle of Britain, provides examples demonstrating how the Hurricane's superior turning ability could offset the Bf 109's higher speed. Another factor in the Hurricane's performance was the Merlin engine that also powered the Supermarine Spitfire, especially after the introduction of Miss Shilling's orifice. The Merlin, thanks to a different supercharger design, gave more power at low altitude than the Daimler-Benz DB 601 used in the Bf 109. Above 15,000 feet, the DB601A-1 was better than the Merlin III and XII.

During the Battle of Britain, the Hurricane shot down the majority of the planes claimed by the RAF (1,593 out of 2,739 total claimed). Hurricane fighters were sometimes directed against slower bombers whilst the Spitfires attacked German fighters. By the close of the Battle of Britain in late 1940, production of the Spitfire had increased to the point where all squadrons could be supplied with them. Deliveries of the Spitfire outpaced the Hurricane because it turned out that all-metal construction allowed it to be produced even faster than the mixed-construction Hurricane.

[edit] Hurricane Mk II

The improved Merlin XX (Mk.20) appeared in 1940 featuring a new two-speed supercharger, that could have its impeller speed changed by the pilot depending on the outside air pressure (altitude). At about 18,000 ft (effective), it would be switched to a higher speed gearing ("FS ratio" — Full Supercharge) for added compression, while, below that, at its lower speed gearing, ("MS ratio" - Moderate Supercharge), it "robbed" less power from the engine. The result was more power at both lower and higher altitudes, dramatically increasing overall performance of the engine, peaking at 1,280 hp (954 kW).

Although, by this time, production of the Spitfire had started to increase, a Merlin XX powered Hurricane Mk I was built and first flew on 11 June 1940. The initial Mark II, later known as the Mark IIA Series 1, went into squadron service in September 1940 at the peak of the Battle of Britain.

Hawker had long experimented with improving the armament of the fighter by fitting cannon. Their first experiments used two Oerlikon 20 mm anti-aircraft cannons in pods, one under each wing, (one aircraft was tested during 1940 with 151 squadron) but the limited amount of ammunition carried coupled with the frequent stoppages suffered by the drum fed guns meant the arrangement was unsatisfactory. A more reasonable fit was made with four Hispano Mk II 20 mm cannons, two in each wing, but the weight was enough to seriously reduce performance. Fitting the cannons was not easy, feed based on a recoil system stopped when the recoil movement dropped. Changes to the Hispano cured this problem.

With the new Merlin XX, performance was good enough to keep the aging Hurricane in production. Hawker soon introduced the new Mark IIA Series 2 with either of two wings, one mounting twelve Brownings, the other four Hispano cannon. The first Series 2's arrived in October, also sporting a new and slightly longer propeller spinner.

Image:Hurricane-z5140.jpg

These were later to become the Mark IIB in April 1941 and Mark IIC in June, respectively, 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 fighter-bomber role, sometimes referred to as the Hurribomber. The mark also served as a night fighter and 'intruder.'

Mk IIs were used in ground support, where it was quickly learned that destroying German tanks was difficult; the cannons did not have the performance needed, while bombing them was almost impossible. The solution was to equip the aircraft with a 40 mm cannon in a pod under each wing, reducing the other armament to a single Browning in each wing, loaded with tracers for aiming purposes. Hurricanes so equipped were quickly nicknamed "Flying Can Openers" perhaps a play on the No. 6 Squadron's logo which flew the Hurricane starting in 1941, and was equipped with the Mk II starting in December of 1942.

The layout was originally tested on a converted Mk IIB, and flew on 18 September 1941. A new-build version of what was known as the Mk IID started in 1942, including additional armor for the pilot, radiator and engine. The aircraft were initially supplied with a Rolls-Royce gun with 12 rounds, but soon changed to the Vickers S gun with 15 rounds. The IID undertook an anti-tank role in limited numbers during the North Africa campaign where, provided enemy flak and fighters were absent, they proved accurate and highly effective, not only against armoured vehicles but all motor transport.

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

The T Mk IIC was a two-seat training version of the Mk. IIC. Only two aircraft were built for the Persian Air Force.

[edit] Hurricane Mk III

The Mk III was a Mk II equipped with 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.

[edit] Hurricane Mk IV

Image:Hawker Hurricane Mark IV.jpg

The last major change to the Hurricane was to "rationalize" the wing, configuiring 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 mounted the improved Merlin 24 or 27 equipped with dust filters for desert work, of 1,620 hp (1,208 kW).

The Mk IV was used in ground attack missions on the European theater until the early days of 1944 before being replaced by the much more modern Hawker Typhoon. French ace Pierre Clostermann recalls in his book The Big Show that RP-3-equipped Hurricanes were limited to 330 km/h (205 mph) top speed due to the rockets' drag, and that Hurricane casualty rates against the lethal German flak were extremely high. In particular, Clostermann describes a rocket attack by Hurricanes from No. 184 Squadron RAF against a V-1 launch site on the French coast on 20 December 1943 in which three of the four aircraft were shot down before they could attack.

[edit] Hurricane Mk V

Two Hurricane Mark Vs were built as conversions of Mark IVs, and featured a Merlin 32 engine driving a four-bladed propeller. As the ground attack role moved to the more capable Hawker Typhoon, production of the Hurricane ended, and only a handful were delivered with the Merlin 32.

By this time, the Hurricane was no longer a frontline fighter in the United Kingdom. However, it still saw extensive service overseas as a fighter, playing a prominent role in the Middle East and Far East. It was also critical to the defence of Malta during 1941 and early 1942.

[edit] Sea Hurricane Mk IA

The Hurricane Mk I was modified for use as the "Hurricat," a Hurricane carried by CAM ships (Catapult armed merchantman) - a ship with a catapult for launching the Hurricane on a one-way mission. The pilot would bail out and be picked up by the ship if he was not fortunate enough to be in range of land.

The majority of the aircraft modified had already served with front-line squadrons and had suffered wear-and-tear, so much so that at least one example used during trials is reputed to have fallen apart under the stress of a catapult launching.

50 converted from Hurricane Mk Is.

[edit] Sea Hurricane Mk IB

Image:Hawker Sea Hurricanes.jpg

This had catapult spools plus an arrester hook. From October 1941, it was used on MAC ships (Merchant aircraft carrier) which were large cargo ships with a small flight deck so the Hurricane could be launched and recovered.

340 converted from Hurricane Mk IIA Series 2s.

[edit] Sea Hurricane Mk IC

From February 1942. Mk I conversions with catapult spools and arrester hook and the four-cannon wing of the Hurricane Mk IIC.

400 converted from Hurricane Mk IIBs and IICs.

[edit] Sea Hurricane Mk IIC

Used on Fleet carriers. Equipped with Naval radio gear.

400 converted from Hurricane Mk IIC.

[edit] Canadian Hurricanes, Mk X through Mk XV

Some production of the Hurricane was carried out in Canada by the Canadian Car & Foundry Corporation.

Hurricane Mk X: 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. 490 were built by the Canadian Car & Foundry Corporation.
Hurricane Mk XI: 150 were built by the Canadian Car and Foundry Corporation.
Hurricane Mk XII: Single-seat fighter, fighter-bomber version. Powered by a 1,300-hp Packard Merlin 29. Initially armed with 12 0.303-inch (7.7-mm) machine guns, but this was later changed to four 20-mm cannons.
Hurricane Mk XIIA: Single-seat fighter, fighter-bomber version. 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 XIIA: Hurricane Mk XIIAs converted into Sea Hurricanes.

[edit] Foreign use

Image:Yu Hurricane.jpg

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. There, the Hurricanes were immediately impounded by the authorities, followed by their entry into service with the Irish Air Corps at Baldonnel. (The Irish would turn a "blind eye" as the pilot escaped across the border into Northern Ireland).

Hurricanes also joined the ranks of the Forces Aériennes Françaises Libres (FAFL), the Free French Air Force, fighting in North Africa between June 1940 and May 1943. The Hurricanes, like all FAFL aircraft, sported the Cross of Lorraine on the fuselage, instead of the roundel in order to distinguish them from those aircraft flying for the Vichy French air force. Some of these squadrons were also given RAF designations, for example, the Groupe de Chasse Alsace was also known as No.341 Squadron.

Commonwealth countries including New Zealand whose squadrons within the Royal Air Force, No. 486 Squadron RNZAF and No. 488 Squadron RNZAF used the type, the latter handing its remaining Hurricanes over to the Royal New Zealand Air Force following the fall of Singapore, where some ended their days as airfield decoys. The Royal Canadian Air Force equipped several squadrons with the type, including No. 1 Squadron RCAF, which flew in the Battle of Britain. The South African Air Force also operated several squadrons of Hurricanes as part of the Desert Air Force, including 40 Squadron.

Belgium bought 20 Hurricanes and a license to build 80 more, of which only two were completed, with most of the aircraft being lost during the German invasion. Hurricanes were licence-built in Yugoslavia along with 24 examples delivered from Britain. A large number (2952 aircraft) of Hurricanes of several makers were sent to the Soviet Union where they served on all fronts. At least one Hurricane was captured from the Soviets during the war and flown by the Finnish Air Force.

Finland bought 12 Hurricanes at the end of the Winter War, but lost two during the transit flight. The aircraft did not have much success (only 5½ kills). When hostilities began again on 25 June 1941, their use was quite limited, partially because they were worn out due to the scarcity of replacement parts available during the Interim Peace (13 March 1940- 25 June 1941) and subsequent combat flying.

Turkey and Romania bought Hurricanes in 1939 while other significant operators included Australia, Greece, Egypt, India, Persia, Portugal and Yugoslavia.

The Luftwaffe operated some captured Hurricanes for training and education purposes while the Japanese captured two from Australia, though both were destroyed before they could be put to operational use as "Judas planes."

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

[edit] Specifications (Hurricane IIC)

Data from Jane’s Fighting Aircraft of World War II<ref name=jane>Bridgman, Leonard, ed. “The Hawker Hurricane.” Jane’s Fighting Aircraft of World War II. London: Studio, 1946. 128-129. ISBN 1-85170-493-0.</ref>

General characteristics<h3>
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 at 21,000 ft (883 kW at 6,400 m)

<h3>Performance<h3>

Maximum speed: 334 mph at 21,500 ft (505 km/h at 5,400 m)
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 (kg/m²)
Power/mass: 6.47 lb/hp (kg/kW)

<h3>Armament<h3>

Guns:
IIA: 8× 0.303 in (7.7 mm) Browning machine guns
IIB: 12× 0.303 in (7.7 mm) Browning machine guns
IIC: 4× 20 mm Hispano Mk II cannon
IID: 2× 40 mm Vickers Type S cannon, 2× 0.303 in (7.7 mm) Browning machine guns

Bombs (IIC & IID):
2× 250 lb bombs, or
2× 500 lb bombs

[edit] Operators

Australia, Belgium, Canada, Egypt, France, Finland, Greece, India, Ireland (Eire), Persia (Iran), Portugal, Romania, Soviet Union, South Africa, Turkey, Yugoslavia.

[edit] References

Deighton, Len. Fighter: The True Story of the Battle of Britain. New York: Ballantine Books, 1977. ISBN 0-586-04611-9.
Fozard, John W., Ed. Sydney Camm & the Hurricane. London: Airlife, 1991. ISBN 1-85310-270-9.
Mason, Francis K. Hawker Aircraft since 1920. London: Putnam, 1991. ISBN 0-85177-839-9.