Air Power Series>1:48 die-cast display model>Hawker Hurricane>HA8604

General Background

The Hawker Hurricane was the first British single-engine fighter and the first single wing aircraft with retractable landing gear as well as an enclosed cockpit and 8 machine guns. The Hurricane went into operational service in December 1937 with the RAF 111 Squadron. The Hurricane is usually over looked as a major player in the BoB because of the Spitfire but 80% of the 1,792 German aircraft shot down were because of the Hurricane. There were 14,533 Hurricanes produced in all variants.

The Aircraft

Tom Neil joined the RAF just prior to the start of the BoB. He flew Hurricanes with the No. 249 Squadron stationed at North Weald. In September 1940 Neil scored his first victory shooting down a Me-109. On November 7, 1940 Neil had the misfortune of losing his aircraft's tail when he had a mid-air collision with his Wing Commander. Neil had to bail out but the WC landed safely. Tom Neil flew 141 combat missions and a total of 12 kills and 4 probables and the DFC with a bar.

Specifications :

Manufacturer :	Hawker Industries
Country :	UK
First Year of Service :	1937
Production:	14,583
Crew:	1
Dimensions
Length :	31.4 ft (9.57 m)
Wingspan:	39.99 ft (12.19 m)
Height:	13.12 ft (4.0 m)
Weight:
Empty:	4,982 lb (2,260 kg)
Maximum Takeoff:	6,446 lb (2,924 kg)
Performance:
Power plant:	1 x Rolls-Royce Merlin III 12-cylinder Liquid-cooled Producing 1,030 hp
2 Bladed Propeller
Later Production Power plant:	3,164 x Merlin III producing 1,029 hp with a Three-Blade Propeller
Maximum Speed :	318 mph (511 kmh / 276 kts)
Maximum Range :	460 miles (740 km)
Service Ceiling :	35,991 ft (10,970 m)
Rate of Climb :	2,520 ft/min (768 m/min)
Armament :
Early Production :	Hard points – 2
	Machine Guns – 8 x 7.7 mm Colt-Browning in Wings
Later production :	Machine Guns – 8 or 12 x 7.7 mm Colt-Browning in Wings
	Hispano Canons – 4 x 20 mm in the Wings
Optional:	Bombs Under-Wings
	2 x 250 lb
	or
	500 lb
	8 x Unguided Rockets Under-Wings
	2 x 40 mm Canons Under-Wings