Hawker Hurricane
by: RLindsey
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Word Count: 214
The Hurricane was Britain’s most important aeroplane during the Battle of Britain. The Hurricane was also the U.K.’s first modern style monoplane, though it had a fabric skin rather than stressed-skin metal. Early versions had two-blade propellers, but were replaced with a 3-blade type.
The Hawker Hurricane was used in every theater that the United Kingdom fought in during World War Two. It didn’t do very well against the nimble Japanese planes. Not as maneuverable as the Spitfire, or Messerschimitt Bf 109, the Hurricane had heavy wings with a 8 to 12 machine guns in them and could take a toll on German Heinkel Dornier and Junkers bombers.
Though a complex plane to build, the British airplane industry was designed to build just such planes and 14,000 were completed. The all-steel Spitfire was actually produced slower than the craftsman-built Hurricane. However, they were also easy to repair, even with virtually no interchangeable parts. Though the Spitfire may be more famous, this is the workhorse that saved England during the Battle of Britain.
Type: Fighter
County: Great Britain
Length: 32 feet (9.75 m)
Wingspan: 40 feet (12.19 m)
Speed: 342 mph (722km/h)
Ceiling: 36,000 feet (10,973 m)
Range: 480 miles (772 km)
Engines: one 1,280 hp Rolls-Royce Merlin XX V-12 water-cooled
Crew: one
Armament: eight to twelve .303 inch machine guns
About the Author
Robert M. Lindsey
http://lindseyfreelancing.com/
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