Described FRANCIS K. MASON Der) $1.95 usa F KOOKABURRA TECHNICAL PUBLICATIONS ants AS EL rgSeries 1 No.1 TECHNICAL MANUAL PUBLISHED BY KOOKABURRA TECHNICAL PUBLICATIONS DANDENONG, VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA © CONTENTS COPYRIGHT cere KOOKABURRA TECHNICAL PUBLICATIONS 1971 ee or rc Famous machine “The Last of the Many,” PZ865 was the last Hurricane built and was completed as a Mk. IIC in August 1944. It was at one time painted in royal blue and gold racing colours and registered C-AMAU. Photo, Hawker-Siddeley Aviation.HAWKER HURRICANE Described Francis K. Mason IMlustrated by A. Shennan and G. Pentland: Busy scene as Mk. I Hurricanes are assembled in the Ham Common factory shortly after the Battle of Britain. Note absence of sky coloured rear fuselage band on some aire ‘There can be no doubt that the Hawker Hurri- cane ranks as one of the most important aircraft designs in military aviation history. Apart_fron the heavy responsibilities vested in this fighter during those early critical war years when the Nazi blitzkreig seemed destined to carry all before it, the Hurricane was the R.A.F’s principal fighter, and had been the first British combat aircraft to exceed 300 mph. in level flight and — most significant of all — it represented that vital break with tradition and the answer to the stalemate that had th fence arsenal atened the future of Britain's de- At Hawker Aircraft Ltd., C ing point was his highly successful which had demonstrated an unsurpassed structural integrity and represented the epitome of the Company's design ingenuity and experience. The first stage was to design a strong cantilever wing on to the Fury, and this was achieved using a two-spar structure spaced and braced with diagonal members forming an immensely strong Warren truss. The traditional Hawker primary fuselage structure consisted of a pair of Warren trusses fabricated with steel and aluminium tubes bolted together with fish plates. A wooden secondary structure of frames and stringers was attached to this and, with the wings and tail, the whole was fabric-covered. The appearance of the Hawker Hart bomber in 1930 with a top speed of 184 m.p.h. had caused preconceived fighter requirements to be abandoned. simply because no fighter. then in service could match this performance. Specification F.7/30 was issued calling for a fighter with a top speed of 250 m.p.h. and an armament of four guns. By 1933 it was realised that this speed represented the approximate zenith of biplane performance, although as yet no design had succeeded in achieving it. Towards the end of that year three designers — Sydney Camm (Hawker), R. J. Mit- chell (Supermarine), and Willy Messerschmitt (in Germany)~decided’ simultaneously to investigate the potentialities of the small monoplane, thus ignoring the twenty-year-old prejudice against such designs. At first the stcam-cooled Rolls-Royce Goshawk engine was proposed but this scheme fell. from favour due to the anticipated vulnerability of the cooling system, and in 1934 the choice of powerplant shifted’ to Rolls-Royce’s new P.V.12 (later to become the famous Merlin) development of the Kestrel/Goshawk family. Further design improvements by now inchided undercarriage re- traction which, because of the ventral radiator position, could now take place without disrupting any major structural member. ‘The pilot was also provided with an enclosed cockpit — another relatively rare feature for those years. ‘The greatly increased speeds envisaged _ by Camm and Mitchell in their designs led Sqdn.- Ede. Ralph Sorley of the Air Ministry Armament Branch to press for even heavier fighter gun batteries. — his argument being that as speeds increased so the gunsight bearing time would decrease, thus demanding heavier unit weight of firing burst. Specification F.5/34 was thus issued for an eight-gun fighter and, though this in itself led to some interesting designs, it was adopted by Camm as the basis on which to formulate his gun armament. Following receipt of a manufacturing Contract, construction of the protoype continued during 1935. Meanwhile exhaustive tests on gun batteries of many designs had continued at the Aircraft & Armament Experimental Establishment (A. & A.E.E.), resulting in the choice of the American Colt 0.30-calibre gun. Licence manufacture of this gun — suitably modified to fire British 0.303- inch ammunition — was undertaken by BS.A., and both Camm’s and Mitchell's designs were adapted for eight such guns.Fine shot Prototype Hurricane K5083 First flight of the Hawker prototype, K5083 was undertaken by Chief Test Pilot Flight-Lieut. P. W. S. (“George”) Bulman at Brooklands on 6th November, 1935 this stage the aircraft A.U.W. was 5,416 Ib, and with a 1,025 hop. Merlin’ G engine driving a wooden Watts pro- peller, achieved 270 m.p.h. at sea level, 315 mp.h. at 16,200 ft,, 253 mph. at 30,000 ft. its initial’ rate ‘of climb 2,400 ft/min., and reached 20,000 ft. in 8.4 minutes. Service Ceiling was 35,400 ft Service trials on K5083 were performed only four months later and proved so successful that the Air Ministry, simultaneous with the adoption of the “Hurricane”, placed the unprece- dented peacetime order for 600 aircraft in June, 1936, though Hawkers, in confident anticipation, had already commenced jigging and tooling. Dif ficulty, however, was being encountered on the Merlin I engine’and delays resulted in production while the improved Merlin IT was introduced. Hurricane I The first production aircraft (of the batch L1457-L2146) was flown by Philip Lucas, Chief Production Test Pilot, on 12th October, 1937, and within ten weeks the first Hurricane T’s had been delivered to No. 111 (Fighter) Squadron at Northolt. These early production aircraft featured no ventral fairing under the rear fuselage but, comprehensive spinning trials showed that an increase in rudder area improved spin recovery and a fairing soon appeared fore and aft of the now ‘fixed ‘tailwhecl, ‘together with a deepened Other squadrons gave up their Gauntlets and Gladiator biplanes in exchange for Hurricanes - Nos. 3 and 56 among the more famous units so equipped. ‘The public was first acquainted with the arrival of its first monoplane fighters when S,/L. Gillan, C.O, of No. 111 Squadron, flew a f an early Hurricane I in 1938 style car ruflage show fabric covered wing. Hurricane from Edinburgh to Northolt on 10th February, 1938, at a ground speed of over 400 mop.h. (assisted by a strong tailwind) The first Spitfires reached R.A. Fighter Com- mand late in the autumn of 1938, by which time six Hurricane squadrons had already become operational. During 1939 further developments to improve the Hurricane I were being. intro- duced, namely the adoption of the Merlin IIT which’ could accommodate either Rotol or D.H. variable-pitch three-blade metal propellers; also, following work carried out on two designs asso: ciated with the Hurricane — the Hotspur and Henley — metal stressed-skin wings were included in the production lines, Hurricanes in Foreign Service While pressure of international events during 1998 and 1939 demanded the introduction of the Hurricane into RAF. Fighter Command at top speed, Hawkers managed to continue its long- established export business. Twelve Hurricane I's with Merlin II's and wooden propellers were de- livered to Yugoslavia in 1938, these being followed by a further dozen in 1940. The building of H ricanes at Belgrade had commenced by the time Germany invaded in 1941, altogether about 40 Hurricanes serving with the Royal Yugoslav Air Force against the Luftwaffe. One of these air- craft gained the singular distinction as being the only non-Merlin powered Hurricane ever actually built, for this was fitted in 1941 with a 1,050 h.p. Daimler-Benz engine for comparative flight trials. Seven Hurricane I’s were delivered to South Africa in November, 1938, where they served with No. 1 Sqdn., $.A.4.F., and in the same month order for 12’aireraft was placed by Rumania, Plans to put the Hurricane into production in Ganada with the Canadian Gar & Foundry Co. Ltd., of Montreal, led to the shipment of 12 pattern Hurricanes across the Atlantic. Subsequent production in Canada during 1940-42 amountedHurricanes newly-delivered to No. 1 Sqdn. at Northolt, near London on 28th March, 1938. Right, Hurricane Mk. Is over Egypt in 1940. Nearest aircrajt is T9530 whose serial is also chalked om the rudder and wing. Photo, Lan Primmer. to 1,451 aircraft which served alongside Hawker- built machines the world over. Persia placed an order for 18 Hurricanes in 1938, but only one was delivered in 1939 and one in. 1940 before R.A.F. demands over-rode all others for the time being. ‘The Belgian Govern ment bought 20 Hurricanes in 1939 and tooling for licence production of a further 80 aircraft was undertaken by Avions Fairey at Gosselies, but the German invasion in 1940 intervened before more than about two were test flown. These Belgian fighters differed from all other Hurricanes in being armed with four wing-mounted 12.65 mm. (5-cal) Colt/Browning guns. An order by Poland for one Hurricane was hon- oured before the German invasion in September, 1939, but a follow-up delivery of 9 others was forestalled and they were diverted elsewhere. Turkey, the only other foreign country to order Hurricanes before the War, received 15 Mark V's — albeit after the outbreak of hostilities. Hurricanes at War By the outbreak of World War II a total of 497 Hurricanes had been completed for the R.A. (though some of these had been subsequently diverted to foreign air forces). With the imme- diate despatch of the British Expeditionary Force to France, four Hurricane squadrons, Nos. 1, 73, 85 and 87, were selected to provide its air cover. During the quiet period — those first few months dubbed the “Phoney War” — these squadrons found little action, but drew first blood when P./O. Mould of No. 1 Sqdn. destroyed a Dornier Dol? ‘on 30th October. Principal duties of the Hurri- canes consisted ‘mainly of providing defensive patrols over the British lines, but occasionally they flew escort to Blenheim and Battle light bombers and Lysander army co-op. aircraft of early production Belgian Hurricanes could do little against the large numbers of Luftwaffe bombers safely accompanied by swarms of Messer- schmitt BF 109's and 110's. The rapid collapse of the Low Countries left the B.E.F. exposed to the main enemy thrust north of the Maginot Line. Forthwith four more Hurricane squadrons, Nos 3, 79, 501 and 504, were flown to northern France to cover the Allied Armies being forced back on the Channel ports. “At once the RAF. fighters were among the enemy bombers and within ten days the cight squadrons had destroyed over 450 German aircraft. No, 73 Squadron's New Zealand Ace, Flying Officer “Cobber” Kain’s personal score was I7 enemy aircraft destroyed up to the time of his death in a flying accident. By the time the BEF. had been forced back to Dunkirk, few airfields remained serviceable for safe operation of R.A. fighters; already large numbers of Hurricanes were being grounded by lack of fuel, However, throughout those epic days of the Dunkirk evacuation the hard-pressed Hur- ricanes were joined by Spitfires which had been carefully husbanded for defence of the U.K. Alto- gether thirteen Hurricane squadrons fought in the Battle of France, losing between them 195 pilots and, for a total loss of 477 fighters, Britain’s army was saved from utter defeat. Before turning to subsequent events involving home-based Hurricanes, mention must be made of the Russo-Finnish War and the Norwegian campaign. When Russia attacked Finland the defence rested princivally on obsolete biplanes but, with Britain’s pledge to assist with the supply of fighters, 12 Hurricane I’s were taken from U.K, Maintenance Units and shipped to Helsingfors in January and February, 1940, The end of the ‘campaign, however, prevented them from being fully extended in action, In Norway, Hurricanes of No. 46_ (Fighter) ‘When Germany ovened her attack upon Holland Squadron were heavily committed, They were and Belgium on 10th May, 1940, the handful embarked in H.M.S. Glorious on 26th May, undersurface variations, Left. Early scheme of black and white with silver and black fuselage divi- sion. Photo, Ian Primmer. Right, Later black and Sky Type ‘S’ camouflage with no underwing roundels, Photo, Rolls RoyceLine-up of No. 46 Saqdn. Hurricanes in the Middle East, 1941, Codes were YK and the second and fifth aircraft respectively appear to have red spinners. Photo, Jan Primmer 1940, six weeks after the Nazi invasion of Norway and shipped to the airfield at Skaanland for the defence of the Allied forces at the port of Narvik. For 14 days No. 46 Squadron fought the Luftwaffe in the dark, cold sub-Arctic skies; it destroyed about 30 of the enemy before being ordered to destroy its aircraft and retire, Mindful, however, of the likely shortage of fighters at home, the Squadron C.O., Sqdn.-Ldr, K. B, B. Cross, gained permission to Ay his ten survivors on’ to the Glorious for shipment back, despite the lack of previous deck-landing experience. The tragic anti- Climax came when Glorious was sunk on the way home, Hurricanes and pilots being lost. Only Cross and one of his officers survived. Battle of Britain Undoubtedly heading the battle honours won by the Hurricane must be the Battle of Britain, which was fought by Fighter Command between July and October, 1940. Hurricane squadrons were hurriedly brought up to operational status after the Dunkirk tribulations and, when the Battle proper opened at the end of July, 527 Hurricanes (284 squadrons) { Hurricane Mk. IIC, 23888, which was tested at fitted with two long range 90 gallon tank: and 321 Spitfires (19 squadrons) formed the spear- head of Britain's defence. Ranged against them were about 2,700 enemy aircraft. ‘The Hurricane in the Battle was still the eight- gun Mark I, now equipped with Rotol or D-H. variable pitch propellers and metal wings; per- formance is given on page 16. Such was the tempo of those summer days that, a detailed account would run to many pages. Time and again hand- fuls of Hurricanes and Spitfires, flown by R.A.F. pilots from all over the Commonwealth, Free Europe and the U.S.A, found themselves out- numbered by huge formations of enemy Ju37’s Ju8’s, Helll’s, Dol7’s, Bf109's and Bf110's Many’ were the Hurricane pilots whose names were to be carved in the pages of history — Flight- Lieut. J. N. Nicholson, V.C, (the only Fighter Gommand V.C. ever awarded), Sqdn.-Ldr. Doug- cr (the famous legless pilot), Group Capt. ‘Malan (a South African who became the -Fs toprscoring vilot with 38 victories) and Sgt. “Ginger” Lacey (the highest-scoring Allied N.G.O. with 28 victories). Boscombe Down to check the performance whenThree Hurricanes of No. 245 Sqdn. at the time of the Battle of Britain. Note patched and battered paint- on th Tan Pri As the great air battles over Southern England went on, out of a sense of frustration the German High Command switched its attacks to the civil population of London and in so doing conceded air victory necessary before commencing an invasion of Britain. As the battle by day drew toa close, 30 the night, Blitz against London started. Once again the defence turned to Hur- icanes, this time as night fighters By now Hurricane [’s were engaged. elsewhere in fighting the air forces of the Axis powers. ‘When Italy entered the War on 10th/1ith June, 1940, Britain was, despite her losses in France, contriving to send Hurricanes to the Middle East. ‘The reinforcement route lay through southern France, across the Mediterranean to Tunis, and via Malta to Egypt. Casualties during these flights were so heavy that, after about 40 out of 50 Hurricanes had been lost, the reinforcement route was closed. By the end ‘of June four Hurricanes had been retained on Malta and, together with ‘a small number of Sea Gladiators, constituted the ir defence of this vital little island. Shortly afterwards an alternative reinforcement route was opened up across Africa and soon Hurricanes, now equipped with a 44-eal.. ferry fuel tank under each wing, were arriving in the Western Desert, By the end of 1940, three squad- rons, Nos. 73 (ex-France), 208 and 274, were fiying Hurricanes and, as the Italian Ariny_re~ treated across Cyrenaica, so these fighters. tore into the Regia Aeronautica with resounding vic- tories. Unfortunately these sucesses were short-lived for Italy's attack on Albania, now accompanied by ork on rear aircraft which is illustrated on Page 20. ‘Hurricane curiously serialled 7 3977 which was operated on the Russian front in 1941. Photo, Right. Unusual combination of markings is seen Germany's thrust through Yugosalvia towards Greece, demanded that Britain honour her obliga- tions towards the latter country at the expense of her victorious desert forces, While the Hurricanes ‘of Yugoslavia (already mentioned) were over- whelmed, Hurricanes and Gladiators of Nos. 33, 80 and 112 Squadrons were sent to Greece to fight the German and Italian air forces. In one particularly remarkable air battle over the Albanian border on 28th February, 1941, 16 Hurricanes and 12 Gladiators fought ‘50 Italian fighters and bombers, shooting down 27 of the enemy without loss. The small ill-equipped Allied force’ was no match however, for the heavy armoured columns which now broke into Greece and once again Britain was forced to evacuate her army. It was during this campaign that another great Hurricane pilot found fame, albeit at the cost of his life. Flight-Lieut. M. T. St. J Pattle had already destroyed half-a-dozen Italian aircraft while flying Gladiators in Egypt and, as G.O. of 33 Squadron flying Hurricanes, he shot down a further 24 enemy machines. He’ was thus at the time of his death on 19th April, 1941, undoubtedly the highest-scoring Allied pilot, his total of at least 30 aircraft destroyed having been achieved in only nine months. ‘The last days in Greece were characteristic of all evacuations and the Hurricane pilots fought almost down to their last machine before retiring first to Crete and finally back to Egypt. Meanwhile early in 1941 the Lujtwajfe had arrived in North Africa and pilots of the now-aged Hurricane I’s were much handicapped by the use of cumbersome tropi- cal air filters which conspired to reduce their top speed to little over 300 m.p.h. Unusual Halian-type camouflage was carried on these tropicalized Hurricane Mk. Is in North Africa in 1941. Machine at left is “W", probably of No. 213 Sqdn. and the aircraft at the right (illustrated on Page 20) was operated by No. 9 Sqdn. RAAB, the highest scoring British fighter squadron im the Middle East, Photo, Peter Malone.