Hawker Hurricane

In the summer of 1940 the fate of Europe hung in the balance. Victory in the forthcoming air battle would mean national survival; defeat would establish German tyranny.

The Luftwaffe greatly outnumbered the RAF, but during the Battle of Britain it was the RAF that emerged triumphant, thanks to two key fighter planes, the Spitfire and the Hurricane. The Hurricane made up over half of Fighter Command’s front-line strength, and its revolutionary design transformed the RAF's capabilities. What could be a more suitable follow up to yesterdays Vickers Spitfire. The two go together hand-in-hand, or you could say wing-to-wing.

Aircraft Type:	Hawker Hurricane
Mark:	Hurricane Mk I, Ia, Ib, IIa, IIb, Hurricane I/tropical, FB.IIc, IV. Sea Hurricane Mk I, Ib, II
Primary Role:	Carrier-Borne Fighter
First Flight:	Prototype 6.11.1936
Manufacturer:	Hawker
Engine:	One Rolls-Royce (Packard) Merlin XX V-engine Sea hurricane: 1280 hp Rolls-Royce Merlin XII
Wing Span:  Length:	Wingspan : 40 feet (12.20 m) Length: 31 feet; 4 inches (9.82 m)
Empty Weight: Max.Weight:	Weight: 7,200 lbs combat-loaded (3500 kg)
Speed:  Ceiling:  Range:	Max. speed: 340 mph (530 km/h) Ceiling : 35,000 feet (9500 m) Rate of climb: 3,150 feet per minute Range: 468 miles (740 km)
Armament:	Eight .303 calibre Browning machine guns Two 500-lb bombs or eight rockets
Crew:	1
Squadrons:	700,727,728,748,760,770,771,772,774,775,776,779,784,787Z,788,794, 803,805,806,877,889
Battle honours:	Battle of Britain (FAA serving crew), North Africa, Western Desert, Atltantic, Arctic, Malta, Madasgascar, Italy.

Next Week: Messerschmitt BF 109 (Yes, more WW2 stuff)

Supermarine Spitfire

In June 1940, the German Army had brought the rest of Europe to its knees. ‘Hitler knows that he will have to break us in this island or lose the war. If we can stand up to him, all Europe may be free and the life of the world will move forward into broad, sunlit uplands,’ said Churchill. The future of Europe depended on Britain. A self-confident Herman Göring thought that it would be only a matter of weeks before his planes had forced Britain to surrender. The courage, resourcefulness and brilliant organisation of the RAF were to prove him wrong. By late September 1940, the RAF had proved invincible, thanks to the Vickers Supermarine Spitfire. It exceeded anything that any other air force possessed. RJ Mitchell, a shy and almost painfully modest engineer, was the genius behind the Spitfire. On the 5th March 1936, following its successful maiden flight, a legend was born.

Aircraft Type:	Supermarine Spitfire
Mark:	Mk.VC Mk 1a, Mk IIa, Mk IIb, Mk Va (some hooked), Mk Vb (half hooked), Mk Vc, Mk VIII, Mk PR.XIII, Mk L.Vb, Mk LF.Vb, F.Vb, Mk XI, Mk HF.IX, XII, XVI, Seafire Mk IIb prototype
Primary Role:	shore-based fighter, carrier borne fighter
First Flight:	Prototype 5.3.1936 (Mk.IA)
Manufacturer:	Supermarine
Engine:	One 1,440 hp Rolls-Royce Merlin 45 engine
Wing Span: Length: Height:	Wingspan 36.8 ft (11.23 m) Length 29.9 ft (9.12 m) Height 11.4 ft (3.48 m)
Empty Weight: Max.Weight:	Weight empty  5,100 lb (2,313 kg) max.  6,786 lb (3,078 kg)
Speed:  Ceiling:  Range:	Speed 374 mph (602 km/h) Ceiling 37,000 ft (11,280 m) Range  470 mi (756 k)m
Armament:	Two 20mm cannons and two .50 calibre machine guns in wings Two 250-lb bombs plus one 500-lb bomb on center line
Crew:	1
Squadrons:	718,719,736,748,759,761,762,768,770,775,778,787,790,791,794,798 801,808,809,879,880,884,885,886,887,897,899
Battle honours: