Fighter aircraft Hawker Hurricane MK.I COBI 5866 - World War II 1:48

You know that:

• Designer Sydney Camm began development of the aircraft in the mid-1930s, despite Army officials who still insisted on a biplane design.
• After the first flight tests in November 1935, it was clear that an extraordinary aircraft suitable for manoeuvre combat with any adversary had been created.
• The new aircraft was christened Hurricane by King Edward VIII himself.
• Series production of Hurricanes began in June 1936 and by 1944 14,533 Hurricanes were produced in various versions.
• The first 4 aircraft were inducted into the 111th Fighter Squadron of the RAF as a Christmas present on 24 December 1937.
• Retraining pilots to the new modern machines was not difficult. The only complication at first was the retractable landing gear, which the previous RAF aircraft did not have, and so at first it happened that pilots forgot about the landing gear and landed on their bellies.
• The Hurricane was unfairly overshadowed by the more famous Spitfire, despite the fact that Hurricanes destroyed 60% of Luftwaffe aircraft.
• The Hurricanes were also equipped with the 310th and 312th Czechoslovak Fighter Squadrons of the RAF, which participated in the Battle of Britain in a significant way together with the Polish airmen.

• More than 3,000 fighters were delivered to the Soviet Union in aid, but the machine was never properly accepted by Russian pilots. The target of criticism was the armour and the Merlin engines, which required sensitive and trained piloting.  When the Allies inquired about satisfaction with the Hurricanes, Ordnance Commissar Yefimov tactfully replied, "The plane is fine, it's made of metal. The metal is good and it won't burn up." The Soviet pilots simply needed a more 'foolproof machine'.

Technical parameters:

• dimensions: wingspan 12.19 m, length 9.83 m, height 4.01 m
• empty weight 2 606 kg
• take-off weight 3 020 kg
• power unit Rolls-Royce Merlin MK II engine with 757 kW
• top speed 509 km/h
• cruising speed 344 km/h
• maximum flight level 10 970 m
• climb rate 8,5 m/s
• dolet 840 km
• tank capacity 441 l
• armament 8x Browning MG machine gun of 7,7 mm calibre
• crew 1 person

Lieutenant James Harry "Ginger" Lacey about Hurricane aircraft:

"The Hurricane was like a good old friend - maybe not the fastest, but it always got you home safely, even when the whole Luftwaffe was chasing you for dear life."