The Royal Air Force - History Section

Royal Air Force History

Hawker Hurricane - The Fighting Legend

By Julian Humphries

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	Page 9	Specifications

Part 10 - Hurricane data

a. Dimensions

Wing span:	40 feet all versions
Wing Area:	258 sq. feet
Length:	31 feet 5.5 inches Mk 1. All other Marks 32 feet 2.25 inches
Height:	13 feet 1.5 inches

Hawker Hurricane prototype 3-angle view.
The upper side view is the original configuration for the aircraft, note the fabric covered wings

b. Performance

Version	Merlin Engine	Max Power(hp)	Max Weight (lbs)	Max level speed(mph)	Range internal fuel (miles)	Ceiling(feet)
Prototype	C	1025	5272	315	440	34,500
Mk 1	II or III	1030	6220	328	425	32,800
Mk IIA Tropical	XX or 22	1260	6450	342	470	34,000
Mk IIC	XX or 22	1260	7300	330	460	36,000
Mk XII Canadian	Packard 29	1300	Not known	330	460	Not known
Mk IID A/T Cannon	XX or 22	1260	7550	280	420	35,500
Mk IV	24 or 27	1620	8450	330	430	32,500
Mk V	32	1700	9300	326	Not known	Not known
Sea Hurricane IB	III	1030	7410	290	505	30,000
Sea Hurricane IIC	XX	1280	7618	301	452	34,500

Hawker Hurricane Mk I 3-angle view.
The three view is an early Mk I with a two-bladed fixed pitch Watts propellor, the upper side view is a Mk I Trop. with Vokes sand filter and three-bladed variable pitch propellor and the scrap view is a Canadian Hurricane Mk I with an un-spinnered Hamilton Standard propellor

c. Armament and stores

Version	Fixed armament	Stores
Mk I	8 x .303 Browning Machine guns	None
Mk IIA	8 x .303 Browning Machine guns	2 x 44 or 90 gal tanks
Mk IIB & Mk XII	8 or 12 x .303 Browning Machine guns	2 x 44 or 90 gal tanks or 2 x 250lb bombs or 2 x 500lb bombs
PR Mk I, IIB & IIC	None (photo recce versions)	3 x F 24 cameras or 4 x F24 cameras
Mk IIC & Sea Hurricane IIC / XIIC	4 x 20mm Oerlikon or Hispano cannon	2 x 44 or 90 gal tanks or 2 x 250lb bombs or 2 x 500lb bombs
Mk IID	2 x .303 Browning Machine guns	2 x 40mm Vickers cannon
Mk IV & V	4 x 20mm Oerlikin or Hispano cannon or 2 x .303 Browning Machine guns	2 x 44 or 90 gal tanks or 2 x 250lb bombs or 2 x 500lb bombs or 2 x 40mm Vickers cannon or 8 x 3in rocket projectiles

Note: - Hurricanes also carried flares, smoke laying equipment and insecticide canisters as necessary.

Hawker Hurricane Mk IIC 3-angle view.
The middle side view is a Sea Hurricane Mk IC, the upper side view is a Mk IV armed with two podded Vickers 40 mm anti-tank cannon

d. Production Figures

Company	Location	Figures	Marks
Hawker Aircraft Ltd	Kingston, Brooklands & Langley	10,030	All except Mks X, XI, XII (Canadian production)
Gloster Aircraft Ltd	Hucclecote	2,750	I, IIA/B/C
Austin Motor Ltd	Birmingham	300	II
Canadian Car & Foundry Co	Canada	1,451	I, X, XI, XII (licence built versions of Mk I and II)
Avions Fairey	Belgium	1	I (planned production cancelled by German occupation)
Total all versions		14,533

Note: - Some sources quote total production as 14,670

111 Squadron Hurricane Mk I

Hurricane Mk I in 111 Squadron markings from 1939

1 Squadron Hurricane Mk 1

A Hawker Hurricane Mk 1 in 1 Squadron markings from July 1940

32 Sqn Hurricane Mk I

Hurricane Mk I in 32 Squadron markings from September 1940

Hurricane Mk IIb

A twelve-gun Hawker Hurricane Mk IIB Trop. with Vokes sand filter in 30 Squadron markings as they fought the Battle of Ceylon from Ratmalana in April 1942

5 Squadron Hawker Hurricane Mk IIc

A four 20 mm cannon armed Hawker Hurricane Mk IIC in 5 Squadron markings operating in South-East Asia in 1944

e. Hurricane Aces

Fifty-eight pilots achieved ten or more victories flying Hurricanes. During the Battle of Britain Douglas Bader was credited with the destruction of 11 enemy aircraft while commanding 242 Sqn (Canadian). The following pilots scored twenty or more.

Rank	Name	Squadrons	Score
Flt Lt	Pattle DFC	33 & 80	35
Gp Capt	Carey DFC, AFC, DFM	3, 43, 135 & 267	25
Sqn Ldr	Lacey DFM	501	23
Wg Cdr	Crossely DSO, OBE, DFC	32	20
Sqn Ldr	Vale DFC, AFC	80	20

f. Hurricane customer nations.

Belgium, Canada, Finland, Free French, Holland, India, Ireland, Persia, Poland (one a/c only), Portugal, Romania, South Africa, Soviet Union, Turkey and Yugoslavia.

Photographic evidence confirms the use of several captured Hurricanes by the Luftwaffe and Regia Aeronautica.

Date Last Updated : Tuesday, October 14, 2003 0:09 AM

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