Geoffrey's Hurricane

Air Classics, Oct 1999 by O'Leary, Michael

THIS RARE FIGHTER, THE ONLY FLYING EXAMPLE OF ITS TYPE IN NORTH AMERICA, IS FINISHED IN THE MARKINGS OF A FAMOUS ROYAL AIR FORCE ACE

During the 1930s, Hawker Aircraft Company built a line of famous biplanes that included the Demon, Hart, Audax, Hardy, Hind, Hector, and Fury (the first RAF fighter to exceed 200 mph). For the most part these were "state-of-the-art" biplanes that were fairly sleek, rugged, and offered good performance. However, they also had open cockpits, fixed landing gear, and limited weapons. With the situation in Europe taking an ominous turn with the rise of Hitler and the Nazi Party, the day of the biplane was rapidly coming to an end.

During 1933, Hawker and the Royal Air force held discussions regarding a new aircraft with the working designation "Fury Monoplane." This aircraft would use the lovely Fury biplane fighter as its basis while the Rolls-Royce Goshawk was chosen as the powerplant. As worked progressed, it was decided to abandon the Goshawk if favor the a new powerplant from Rolls-Royce: The PV12 (PV standing for Private Venture) -which would soon gain aviation immortality as the Merlin.

Also, the Fury was dropped from the title in favor of "Interceptor Monoplane." Hawker started the project as a private venture to fulfill Air Ministry Specification F.5/34 (this designation meant that the aircraft was a fighter and the fifth fighter design of 1934) which was issued in November 1934 but was revised during January 1935 to Specification F.36/34).

A prototype was ordered from Hawker on 21 February 1935 and given the military serial K5083. As typical with aircraft of that time period, design and construction rapidly progressed and the new fighter took to the air for the first time on 6 November 1935. Of generous but simple proportions, the prototype was delivered with gleaming polished aluminum panels and doped silver fabric. Compared to the biplanes of the period, it was a quantum leap forward with its enclosed cockpit, retractable landing gear, and projected heavy armament.

Given the very appropriate name Hurricane, the Air Ministry issue a contract for 600 of the new fighters during June 1936 (increased to 1000 in November 1938). L1547 was the first production Hurricane Mk. I and it went aloft on 12 October 1937. Numerous changes had been made over the prototype and these included a new Merlin II engine of 1030 hp, new exhaust pipes, modified canopy, and a large fin fairing placed below the rear fuselage to aid in spin recovery. The early Hurricanes were fitted with a massive twoblade wooden propeller of fixed pitch. With this prop, the Hurricanes could hit a top speed of 320 mph with an initial rate of climb of 2420 fpm but this would be improved with the introduction of a three-blade de Havilland prop that had two positions and then improved even further with the Rotol or de Havilland constant speed three-blader.

With a hold-over to the biplanes, the early Hurricanes also had fabric covered wings but these were soon replaced on the production line (starting with Mk. I N2423) with wings that were covered with stressed aluminum. Replacement wings were sent to operational units to be installed in the field, the same being true with the props. As can be seen, the Hurricanes were rushed into production to help counter a very real threat and as each improvement came along, it was passed along to the squadrons.

Hawker had retained the fuselage construction of its earlier biplanes for the Hurricane. This tubular method of construction, while complex (and resulting in many hair-tearing fits for restorers five decades later) was not changed since changing over to the more modern stressed-skin construction would have taken lots of additional time and time was something the United Kingdom did not have.

At RAF Northolt, No. 111 Squadron became the first unit to take the Hurricane into service starting in December 1937. The Hurricane also gained some international press when the CO of No. 111, Squadron Leader J. W. Gillian, flew at night from Edinburgh to Northolt at an average of speed of 408 mph (also benefiting from a strong tail wind!).

When Hitler moved against Poland, Hurricanes accompanied the bombers of the British Expeditionary Force to France. The Advanced Air Striking Force comprised Nos. 1 and 73 Squadrons while the Air Component fielded Nos. 85 and 87 Squadrons. The Brits really did not know what they were coming up against. The Luftwaffe's fighter pilots were highly trained and motivated and France was soon to taste the blitzkrieg that had already blackened a great deal of Europe.

The first Hurricane victory on the western front took place on 30 October 1939 when Pilot Officer P. W.O. Mould of No. 1 Squadron attacked and destroyed a Dornier Do 17 near Toul. However, the Hurricanes were badly mauled as the Germans rapidly advanced and surviving aircraft were ordered back to the United Kingdom while damaged Hurricanes or those undergoing maintenance were ordered burned where they stood. It was not a glorious baptism of fire.