Hawker Hurricane

Hurricane 5584 was one of 401 Mark XIIs on strength withn the RCAF between June, 1942 and June, 1947. It currently resides at the National Aviation Museum in Ottawa, Ontario after having flown 196:55 hours with 163 (Army Co-operation) Squadron, later 163 (Fighter) Squadron at RCAF Station Sea Island, British Columbia.
CF Photo

The Hurricane was one of the great fighters of the Second World War and will be remebered forever for the part it played during the Battle of Britain in 1940 when, together with the Supermarine Spitfire, it withstood and overcame the numerically superior Luftwafe, then master of conquered Continental Europe. During this vital air battle, Hurricanes shot down more enemy Aircraft than did all the other defences, air and ground, combined. The only Victoria Cross to be awarded to Fighter Command was gained by a Hurricane pilot, F/L Nicholson, who, badly wounded and burned in an Aircraft itself set alight, delayed baling out of his Aircraft long enough to bring his sights to bear and shoot down the Bf-110 which had overshot in front of him.
CF Photo

5584 is a Hurricane XII currently preserved in the National Aeronautical Collection of the National Aviation Museum in Ottawa, Ontario at the site of the former RCAF Station Rockcliffe. The Mk. XII was the most numerous on strength with the RCAF of all the Hurricanes which served from 14 February, 1939 to 29 June, 1948 accounting for 401 out of the total of 503 Aircraft. Hurricanes built in Britain included the Mk. I through IV whereas those built by the Canadian Car and Foundry, except for an initial batch of standard Mk. Is, had U.S. Packard-built Merlin engines in place of the Merlins used in England and were designated Mks. X through XIIA. Hurricane production in Britain totalled 12,780 Aircraft with an additional 1,450 being produced in Canada and they were supplied to numerous air forces including Belgium (20), Canada (868), Egypt (20), Finland (12), India (300), Ireland (12), Persia (now Iran) (29), Poland (1), Portugal (40), Rumania (12), South Africa (50), Tukey (29), Yugoslavia (24) and in addition no fewer than 2,952 were despatched to Russia although considerably fewer were actually received owing to heavy losses in North Cape convoys.
CF Photo