The Hawker Hurricane was the main fighter of the RAF through the early stages of World War II. Most of the German planes shot down by British aircraft during the Battle of Britain were downed by Hurricanes, which while slower than the newer Supermarine Spitfire, was highly resistant to damage, maneuverable, and perhaps most importantly, was available in much larger numbers. As more Spitfires became available, Hurricanes were gradually replaced as a frontline fighter, and many were relegated to more specialized roles such as ground attack. Over 14,000 Hurricanes were built during the war.
Hurricane Mk I | Hurricane Mk II | Hurricane Mk IIB | Hurricane Mk IIC | Hurricane Mk IID |
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Mk I[]
Hawker Hurricane Mk I | |
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General Historical Information | |
Place of origin | Great Britain |
Manufacturer | Hawker Aircraft Canadian Car&Foundry Company Gloster Aircraft |
Speed | 500 km/h |
Category | Fighter |
General Ingame Information | |
Used by | Great Britain The Netherlands Finland Australia |
Guns | 8x 7.7 mm M1919A4 Browning MG |
Historical Picture | |
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In 1939, several changes were made to the design of the existing Hurricane. These included a new powerplant, the Merlin III, a new metal propeller, new radios, and Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) equipment. Additionally, the aircraft was armed with eight, closely grouped .303" machine guns which provided an excellent field of fire. During combat, it was discovered that the Hurricane's fuel tanks were vulnerable to machine gun fire from enemy bombers, which could then ignite the aircraft mid flight. However, despite this the Hurricane would go on to be extremely successful during the Battle of Britain and would ultimately down more aircraft than the Spitfire.
Sea Hurricane[]
There were two Sea Hurricane variants of the Mk I, the Mk IA and the Mk IB.
On the Liberty ships Jeremiah O Brien and William Clark on the map Arctic Convoy a Mk 1A can be launched by catapult. The Sea Hurricane Mk IA and Mk IB differ in that the Mk IA was only meant to launch by catapult and the Mk IB had reinforced landing gear to operate from aircraft carriers. This meant that the Mk IA plane could not get back and would have to be abandoned.
Mk IIB[]
Hawker Hurricane Mk IIB | |
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General Historical Information | |
Place of origin | Great Britain |
Manufacturer | Gloster Aircraft |
Speed | 550 km/h |
Category | Fighter |
General Ingame Information | |
Used by | Great Britain Australia |
Guns | 12x 7.7 mm M1919A4 Browning MG |
Historical Picture | |
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The Hurricane IIB had an up-rated armament of twelve Browning .303 inch machine guns from the original eight. Some of these were fitted with bomb racks which could mount fuel tanks increasing the range of the aircraft.
The IIB was the most numerous type of the Hawker Hurricane sent to the Soviet Union. It recieved mixed reception. On some the armament was changed by removing half or two thirds of the original machine guns and installing two 12.7mm Berezin UB or two or four 20mm Shvak cannons though this affected its flight characteristics.
Mk II[]
The Hurricane Mk II first flew in June 1940. The only significant difference between this and the original Mk I was the use of the Merlin XX engine (providing 1,280 hp). This increased the top speed of the Hurricane to 342 mph at 22,000 feet. The Mk II Series 1 entered front line service in September 1940, in time to take part in the later stages of the battle of Britain, although not in large numbers compared to the older aircraft. The Hurricane Mk II appeared in more variants than any other model of the aircraft. By October 1941 the Mk II equipped 57 home squadrons, with a further 25 overseas squadrons having received it by the end of the year.
Mk IIC[]
Hurricane Mark IIC, which entered service early in 1941. The Rolls Royce Merlin XX engine delivered 1280 ps and allowed for a maximum speed of 550 km/h. Introduced as fighter aircraft it was later changed to the fighter-bomber role as it was superseded by later generations of fighter aircraft. But with its four 20mm cannons, and its tough construction, it was not to be underestimated.
Mk IID[]
Hawker Hurricane Mk IID | |
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General Historical Information | |
Place of origin | Great Britain |
Manufacturer | Hawker Aircraft |
Speed | 460 km/h |
Category | Fighter |
General Ingame Information | |
Used by | Great Britain Australia |
Guns | 40 mm Rolls-Royce QF 2-pounder Mark XIV gun 4x 7.7 mm M1919A4 Browning MG |
Historical Picture | |
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The Hurricane MkIID was nicknamed 'The Flying Can Opener'. It was armed with two 40mm Vickers 'S' anti-tank cannons, carrying 15 rounds each. It was a great anti-tank weapon, because it's cannons were much more effective against tanks than regular bombs. The first Hurricanes of this type were used in the summer of 1942.
The models of the 20 mm cannons on the wings that carried over from earlier Mk II variants were removed in the 0.7 update.
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