Hawker Hurricane

Fighter · Hawker Aircraft · United Kingdom

Hawker Hurricane
ⓘ licence & creditB.J. Daventry, Royal Air Force official photographer / Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hurricane_IIBs_601_Sqn_RAF_in_flight_1941.jpg
Typical crew1
Engines1 × Rolls-Royce Merlin
First flight1935
Number built14,487

Photographs

Air Ministry Second World War Official Collection
ⓘ licence & creditRoyal Air Force official photographer / Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Air_Ministry_Second_World_War_Official_Collection_CI438.jpgView source & full licence →
Air Ministry Second World War Official Collection
ⓘ licence & creditRoyal Air Force official photographer / Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Air_Ministry_Second_World_War_Official_Collection_CI365.jpgView source & full licence →
Air Ministry Second World War Official Collection
ⓘ licence & creditRoyal Air Force official photographer / Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Air_Ministry_Second_World_War_Official_Collection_CH1429.jpgView source & full licence →
Air Ministry Second World War Official Collection. Squadron code MU on fuselage and white identification markings on wings and tail appear to identify this as a Hawker Hurricane of No. 60 Squadron RAF in the Southeast Asia theatre, possibly India or Burma. The man squatting in the middle with wristwatch exposed is Peter Gibson, a cousin of Guy, who moved to New Zealand after the war in 1957 and died 2005. He is survived by son Martin and daughter Angela (Low).
ⓘ licence & creditRoyal Air Force official photographer / Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Air_Ministry_Second_World_War_Official_Collection_CF350.jpgView source & full licence →
IWM caption : Pilots of No. 274 Squadron don their parachutes and flying clothing from a makeshift rack during a practice scramble at their dispersal at Amriya, Egypt. On the extreme right is Flying Officer Arthur A P Weller and, bareheaded at third left, is the section leader, Flight Lieutenant Peter Wykeham-Barnes. Other pilots include Pilot Officer Philip H Preston and Flight Sergeant J C Hulbert. On the right, and airman chalks up the situation on the operations board.
ⓘ licence & creditHensser H (Mr), Royal Air Force official photographer / Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:274_Squadron_RAF_Hurricane_pilots_Egypt_WWII_IWM_CM_136.jpgView source & full licence →
IWM caption : Fitters working on the engine of a Hawker Hurricane of No 237 (Rhodesian) Squadron, Royal Air Force in Iran. Composed mainly of Rhodesian pilots, the squadron also saw action in the Western Desert and Italy.
ⓘ licence & creditNo 1 Army Film & Photographic Unit, Jordan (Sgt), Brown Sgt) / Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:237_Squadron_RAF_Hurricane_in_Iran_WWII_IWM_E_11720.jpgView source & full licence →
20130829-Airshow2013-003
ⓘ licence & creditAlex Elena / CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:20130829-Airshow2013-003_(9764943781).jpgView source & full licence →
Image from the Charles Daniels Photo Collection album "British Aircraft." SOURCE INSTITUTION: San Diego Air and Space Museum Archive
ⓘ licence & creditSan Diego Air & Space Museum Archives / Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:15_Hawker_Hurricane_(15837610192).jpgView source & full licence →
Image from the Charles Daniels Photo Collection album "British Aircraft." SOURCE INSTITUTION: San Diego Air and Space Museum Archive
ⓘ licence & creditSan Diego Air & Space Museum Archives / Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:15_Hawker_Hurricane_(15837362052).jpgView source & full licence →
Image from the Charles Daniels Photo Collection album "British Aircraft." SOURCE INSTITUTION: San Diego Air and Space Museum Archive
ⓘ licence & creditSan Diego Air & Space Museum Archives / Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:15_Hawker_Hurricane_(15812408686).jpgView source & full licence →
Image from the Charles Daniels Photo Collection album "British Aircraft." SOURCE INSTITUTION: San Diego Air and Space Museum Archive
ⓘ licence & creditSan Diego Air & Space Museum Archives / Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:15_Hawker_Hurricane_(15651204710).jpgView source & full licence →
Image from the Charles Daniels Photo Collection album "British Aircraft." SOURCE INSTITUTION: San Diego Air and Space Museum Archive
ⓘ licence & creditSan Diego Air & Space Museum Archives / Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:15_Hawker_Hurricane_(15650912747).jpgView source & full licence →
Image from the Charles Daniels Photo Collection album "British Aircraft." SOURCE INSTITUTION: San Diego Air and Space Museum Archive
ⓘ licence & creditSan Diego Air & Space Museum Archives / Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:15_Hawker_Hurricane_(15650663677).jpgView source & full licence →
Image from the Charles Daniels Photo Collection album "British Aircraft." SOURCE INSTITUTION: San Diego Air and Space Museum Archive
ⓘ licence & creditSan Diego Air & Space Museum Archives / Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:15_Hawker_Hurricane_(15216625523).jpgView source & full licence →
Image from the Charles Daniels Photo Collection album "British Aircraft." SOURCE INSTITUTION: San Diego Air and Space Museum Archive
ⓘ licence & creditSan Diego Air & Space Museum Archives / Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:15_Hawker_Hurricane_(15216077034).jpgView source & full licence →

About

Though overshadowed in memory by the Supermarine Spitfire, the Hawker Hurricane was the true workhorse of the Battle of Britain, credited with the majority of the RAF’s victories in that campaign. Designed by Sydney Camm around the new Rolls-Royce Merlin and an eight-gun armament, it married a modern monoplane wing to a proven, easily repaired fuselage of metal tube and fabric — rugged, stable and forgiving to fly.

Thirty-two squadrons flew Hurricanes by July 1940, typically directed against the German bomber formations while the faster Spitfires took on the escorting fighters. Its steady gun platform made it deadly against bombers such as the Heinkel He 111 and Dornier Do 17. Beyond home defence the Hurricane served worldwide as a fighter, night fighter, ground-attack “Hurribomber” and tank-buster, and flew from merchant ships and carriers. Around 14,500 were built before production ended in 1944.

Sources: This page was compiled from publicly available historical sources, including Hawker Hurricane — BAE Systems Heritage and Hawker Hurricane — Wikipedia. The text is original and has been written from factual source material; no source text has been copied unless specifically quoted and attributed.

Engines