The Hawker Hurricane was the first fighter monoplane to join the Royal Air Force and the first capable of exceeding 300 mph.
The early history of the Hurricane is an interesting parallel in many ways with that of the Supermarine Spitfire in with which it was to form an immortal partnership. While the Spitfire was an entirely new concept based on specialized experience, the Hurricane was the logical outcome of a long line of fighting aircraft. Although the two airplanes broadly met the same requirements, they represented entirely different approaches to the same problem. The two approaches were reflected to an interesting degree in their respective appearances; the Hurricane workmanlike, rugged and sturdy, the Spitfire slender and ballerina-like. One was the studied application of experience, the other a stroke of genius. Often underrated in favor of the Spitfire , the Hurricane was the main victor of the Battle of Britain. The Royal Air Force had at that time 32 Hurricane squadrons, compared with 19 Spitfire squadrons. This meant that 620 Hurricane and Spitfire fighters (with another 84 assorted fighters like the Gloster Gladiator) had to face the German air threat of 3,500 bombers and fighters. During the "Battle of Britain", along with the Spitfire , it helped to force the Luftwaffe to use the Bf 109 to protect the poor performing twin engine Bf 110 escort fighter. The synthesis of many years' intimate experience of fighter biplane design, translated into the modern formula; a compromise between tradition, and requirements born of a new era in air warfare--such was the Hawker Hurricane. The Hurricane shouldered the lion's share of Britain's defense during the " Battle of Britain," and was largely responsible for the successful outcome of this conflict. The Hurricane equipped more than three-fifths of RAF's Fighter Command squadrons. The Hurricane also proved to possess an astounding propensity for adaptation, and the multifarious roles that it undertook earned for it the distinction of being the most versatile of single seat warplanes to emerge from the Second World War.
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Photo credit: © Steve Welsh / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
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