Hurricane Mk I Specifications
Crew: Pilot only
Powerplant: One 1,030 hp Rolls-Royce Merlin III twelve-cylinder liquid-cooled engine
Span: 40 ft 0 in (12.19 m)
Max Speed: 328 mph (529 km/h) at 20,000 ft (6,095 m)
Length: 31 ft 4 in (9.55 m)
Armament: Eight .303 in (7.7 mm) Browning machine guns mounted in wings
Photo Description: Hawker Hurricane Mark I, P3408 ‘VY-K’, of No. 85 Squadron RAF based at Church Fenton, Yorkshire, in flight, October 1940.
The Hawker Hurricane was a British single-seat fighter aircraft that formed the core of RAF Fighter Command during the Battle of Britain. It was the first monoplane fighter in RAF service capable of exceeding 300 mph (483 km/h) in level flight and became the most numerous British fighter of the early war years. The Hurricane was designed by Sydney Camm, Chief Designer at Hawker Aircraft Ltd., in response to Air Ministry Specification F.36/34 (later revised as F.5/34), which called for a new eight-gun fighter aircraft built around the promising Rolls-Royce PV-12 engine – later known as the Merlin.
A monoplane evolution of the earlier Hawker Fury biplane, the Hurricane combined modern aerodynamic features such as an enclosed cockpit, retractable undercarriage, and low-wing monoplane configuration with traditional construction techniques. These included a fuselage built from braced steel tubing, assembled with mechanical fasteners, and largely covered with doped fabric, which allowed for rapid production and ease of repair. The aircraft’s main armament consisted of eight .303 inch (7.7 mm) Browning machine guns mounted in the wings, each supplied with 333 rounds of ammunition.
The prototype, K5083, first flew on 6 November 1935 at Brooklands, reaching a top speed of 315 mph (507 km/h). After successful trials at Martlesham Heath, the Air Ministry placed an initial production order for 600 aircraft in June 1936. The first operational Hurricanes entered service in December 1937 with No. 111 Squadron at RAF Northolt. Early production models featured fabric-covered wings, but these were soon replaced with metal, stressed-skin wings, which significantly improved the aircraft’s structural integrity and performance. Performance was further enhanced by the adoption of 100-octane fuel, imported from the United States, and the introduction of hydraulically operated constant-speed Rotol propellers, which increased climb rate and acceleration.
By the start of the Battle of Britain in July 1940, thirty-two RAF squadrons were equipped with the Hurricane. Although it was often overshadowed in popular memory by the more glamorous Supermarine Spitfire, the Hurricane bore the lion’s share of the combat burden during the battle. It was credited with 656 of the 1,107 enemy aircraft destroyed by Fighter Command – approximately 55% of total confirmed victories.
In performance, the Hurricane was slower than both the Spitfire and the Messerschmitt Bf 109, but it had several important advantages. It could out-turn both its main adversaries, offering superior manoeuvrability in close-quarters dogfighting. Its sturdy construction made it a highly stable gun platform, and it could absorb significant damage. Many German cannon shells would pass cleanly through the aircraft’s fabric fuselage without detonating. The simplicity of its design meant that Hurricanes could be repaired quickly and returned to service in a matter of hours or days. However, the same lightweight materials that gave the aircraft its resilience also made it more vulnerable to fire. Its wood and fabric fuselage, combined with unprotected fuel tanks in the wings and forward fuselage, posed a serious hazard. A direct hit could ignite the fuel, sending flames into the cockpit and inflicting severe burns on the pilot.
The vulnerability of the fuel system became a significant concern for Air Chief Marshal Sir Hugh Dowding, the head of Fighter Command. At his direction, Hawker introduced a fire suppression modification by retrofitting tanks with a self-sealing rubber compound called Linatex, which greatly reduced the risk of fuel fires.
Despite its limitations, the Hurricane excelled in its role as a bomber destroyer. Fighter Command doctrine typically assigned Hurricane squadrons to attack incoming German bomber formations while Spitfires engaged the faster Bf 109 escorts. The Hurricane’s stable firing platform and heavy machine-gun armament made it particularly effective against Heinkel He 111s, Dornier Do 17s, and Junkers Ju 88s.
In September 1940, the improved Hurricane Mk IIA began entering RAF service, albeit in small numbers. This version was powered by the more powerful Rolls-Royce Merlin XX engine, featuring a two-speed, two-stage supercharger, and was capable of reaching a top speed of 342 mph (550 km/h). The Mk IIA laid the foundation for subsequent variants that would serve in every major theatre of the war, from North Africa to Burma.
Although later surpassed by faster and more advanced aircraft, the Hurricane’s vital contribution during the Battle of Britain ensured its place as one of the most important fighters in British aviation history.