Air Power Series>1:48 die-cast display model>Hawker Hurricane>HA8650

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

Hurricane IIC PZ865 was completed in July 1944 as the last of 14,533 Hurricanes to be built and was given the inscription “Last of the Many” that it wore for several years. PZ865 was retained by the company for trial work. In 1950 PZ865 was given a civil registration of G-AMAU and in 1972 the aircraft was given to the RAF Battle of Britain Memorial Flight at RAF Coningsby where it was refurbished and flies as 1944 HW840 / EG-S piloted by Canadian Flt J. Whalen DFC of the SEA Command.

Specifications :

Crew:	1
Dimensions
Length :	32 ft 3 in (9.83 m)
Wingspan:	40 ft 0 in (12.19 m)
Height:	13 ft 1.5 in (4.0 m)
Weight:
Empty:	5,745 lb (2,605 kg)
Loaded:	7,670 lb (3,480 kg)
Maximum Takeoff:	8,710 lb (3,950 kg)
Performance:
Power plant:	1 X rolls-Royce Merlin XX liquid-cooled V-12, 1,185 hp (883 kW) @ 21,000 ft (6,400m)
Maximum Speed :	340 mph (547 km/h) @ 21,000 ft (6,400 m)
Maximum Range :	600 mi (965 km)
Service Ceiling :	36,000 ft (10,970 m)
Rate of Climb :	2,780 ft/min (14.1 m/s)
Armament :
Gun:	4 X 20 mm (.79 in) Hispano Mk II Cannons
Bombs:	2 X 250 or 500 lb (110 or 230 kg)