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Hawker Hurricane XII

The Hurricane was the first monoplane fighter produced by Hawker, and was available in substantial numbers at the beginning of Second World War. Hurricanes played a decisive role in the Battle of Britain and went on to fly on more fronts than any other British fighter. Canadian Car and Foundry manufactured 1 451 Hurricanes between 1938 and 1943. With increasingly heavy armament, Hurricanes served to the end of the war. Hurricanes were used in Canada for training and coastal patrols.

Hurricanes equipped 26 RAF squadrons at the beginning of the Battle of Britain and shot down more enemy aircraft than all other defences combined. The RCAF received its first Hurricanes in August 1939, including those flown by Number 1 Squadron RCAF in the Battle of Britain. Later in the war, Sea Hurricanes were launched by catapult from ships at sea to defend convoys against air attack. A “tank buster” version with 40-mm cannons was used in North Africa.

Museum Example

The Museum’s Mk. XII was built in Canada in 1942. The aircraft was used as a trainer, then the RCAF stored it in various locations until its transfer to the Museum in 1964.

Specifications

Wing Span:
12.2 m (40 ft)
Length:
9.8 m (32 ft 3 in)
Height:
4 m (13 ft 1 1/2 in)
Weight, Empty:
2,259 kg (4,982 lb)
Weight, Gross:
3,023 kg (6,665 lb)
Cruising Speed:
332 km/h (206 mph)
Max Speed:
531 km/h (330 mph)
Rate of Climb:
768 m (2,520 ft) /min
Service Ceiling:
10,970 m (36,000 ft)
Range:
782 km (486 mi)
Power Plant:
one Rolls-Royce (Packard) Merlin 29, 1,300 hp, Vee engine

Additional Photographs

The Canada Aviation Museum’s Image Bank contains additional photographs of this aircraft. Images are provided for non-commercial study or research purposes only and may not be reproduced or published without the prior consent of the Canada Aviation Museum.

Find out more about our Image bank here.