The family tree of the Hurricane can be traced back to a ‘Fury monoplane’ proposal of 1933, then to be powered by the Rolls-Royce Goshawk evaporative-cooled power plant. Instead it was decided in early 1934 to adapt this design to incorporate the new PV.12 engine which Rolls-Royce had developed – and which was the direct forbear of the famous Merlin. From that time the airframe/engine combination bore so little relation to the Fury that it then became identified as the ‘Interceptor Monoplane’.

Hawker Hurricane Article

In 1933, Hawker‘s chief designer Sir Sidney Camm realised that something even better than the Fury was needed and the Hawker Fury monoplane was the result – a cantilever monoplane with fixed under-carriage and 660 h.p. Rolls Royce Goshawk engine. At this time 4 machine guns were considered adequate; but higher speeds reduced the time an enemy could be held in the pilot‘s gun sights and eventually plans were amended to accommodate 8 machine guns all mounted in the wings. The new Rolls Royce Merlin I was fitted and the aeroplane outstripped the original conception – it was no longer the Fury monoplane – the name Hurricane was chosen.

This finalised design was submitted to the Air Ministry in 1934, and in the following year a prototype was ordered to Specification F.36/34, and the Air Ministry asked for an armament of no less than eight machine-guns.

In 1934, the monoplane layout was still very new for combat aircraft and thick airfoils for monoplanes were much in vogue for structural rea-sons, if nothing else. Hurricane designer Sir Sydney Camm seemed to have had misgivings from the start. “When its design had gone beyond the point of no return,” he once admitted, “I had a sudden foreboding that it would be no good. Strength had to be an important factor in this ship, but I always wished that the wing had been thinner. If we had had more time, the Hurricane would have been the greatest aircraft of all time.” But if Hawker hadn’t frozen the design and gone ahead with mass production when it did, even without an official order. It was Hawker’s gamble in laying down a production line of 1,000 Hurricanes before the Air Ministry ordered such a vast quantity was available the Battle of Britain.

The Hawker engineer Frank Murdoch was responsible for getting the Hurricane into production in sufficient numbers before the outbreak of the war, after an eye-opening visit to the MAN diesel plant in Augsburg in 1936.

The prototype Hurricane K5083 flew on November 6, 1935 at Brooklands, piloted by Hawker’s chief test pilot, Flt.-Lt. “George” Bulman and powered by a 767kW Merlin ‘C’ engine. On landing he reported that it handled perfectly and was free from vices. Even at this date the retractable undercarriage was considered by many an extravagant novelty.

Advanced features such as an enclosed cockpit and retractable undercarriage were combined with traditional methods of construction using a tubular metal structure and fabric covering, meant that the Hurricane could be easily and rapidly produced in existing facilities.

In February 1936, the prototype Hurricane (as yet un-named), powered by an early Merlin C producing 990 hp and driving a Watts fixed-pitch two-bladed wooden propeller, was tested at the Aircraft and Armament Experimental Establishment at Martlesham Heath, giving service pilots their first opportunity to experience the performance.

Convinced that the RAF would buy the new fighter the Hawker company decided, in March 1936, to proceed with the production drawings and to make plans for large scale production. Three months later the Air Ministry confirmed that 600 Hurricanes were to be included in its expansion Plan F (which also provided for 300 Spitfires) to be delivered by March 1939. The target was missed by six months. There had been a succession of relatively minor but time-consuming problems with prototype development, especially related to the Merlin, and the early intention to fit the Merlin F (Mk.1) in the production Hurricane was changed to make use of the improved Merlin G (Mk.II), which required a redesign of the installation and the front fuselage profile before production could begin. The cockpit canopy also produced problems with five failures recorded on the prototype before a satisfactory design was evolved.

Convinced that the RAF would buy the new fighter the Hawker company decided, in March 1936, to proceed with the production drawings and to make plans for large scale production. Three months later the Air Ministry confirmed that 600 Hurricanes were to be included in its expansion Plan F (which also provided for 300 Spitfires) to be delivered by March 1939. The target was missed by six months. There had been a succession of relatively minor but time-consuming problems with prototype development, especially related to the Merlin, and the early intention to fit the Merlin F (Mk.1) in the production Hurricane was changed to make use of the improved Merlin G (Mk.II), which required a redesign of the installation and the front fuselage profile before production could begin. The cockpit canopy also produced problems with five failures recorded on the prototype before a satisfactory design was evolved.

The first production Hurricane I, LIS47, flew at Brooklands on October 12, 1937, fitted with an early example of the Merlin II and at a weight of 5459 lb (2476 kg), a contract for 600 having been placed in June 1936. This was increased to 1000 in November 1938.

The second aircraft was in the air on 18 October, and production deliveries then built up rapidly. Meanwhile, during 1936, the prototype had been fitted with the planned armament of eight Browning machine guns and first firing trials had been made. Design of a metal-covered wings was in hand, but to avoid production delays the Hurricane I retained the fabric-covered wing, in which the guns were grouped in two quartets, positioned to fire just outside the propeller disc and requiring no synchronisation gear. Each gun was provided with 300 rounds, and the two batteries were harmonised to converge at 650 yards (594m), although with experience this distance was to be reduced eventually to 200 yards (183m).

Although of cantilever monoplane configuration, its construction was typical of the Fury from which it stemmed, and even its wings were fabric-covered in early Mk Is, with a metal leading edge and trailing-edge flaps. The tailwheel-type landing gear had hydraulically retractable main units of wide track. Armament of production Mk Is comprised four 7.7mm Browning machine-guns in each wing, making this the RAF’s first eight-gun fighter. Designated the Hurricane I, it was outfitted with a Rolls-Royce Merlin II or III engine, fabric-covered wings, and a wooden prop. It lacked armor and selfsealing fuel tanks.

In Yugoslav, Ikarus and Zmaj shared the order for the production of Hurricane MK1.

A second major version of the Hurricane made its first flight on 11 June 1940 and, as the Hurricane IIA powered by a Merlin XX, would begin to reach the Squadrons on 4 September 1940. Improvements included wing alterations for increased armament, redesigned engine mount, strengthened fuselage, and tanks protected with self-sealing rubber.

The Hurricane I was improved with an armoured bulkhead introduced forward of the cockpit and, when Hawker Aircraft’s second production batch began leaving the assembly line in September 1939, a bullet-proof windscreen had been standardised. This batch also adopted the Merlin III which features a shaft capable of taking either Rotol or de Havilland three-bladed constant speed propeller. While some Hurricanes were produced during 1939 with the DH two-position propeller, a major conversion programme was started on 24 June 1940 to fit the Rotol constant speed unit which allowed the pilot to select optimum power for the various stage of flight. Significantly improving the Hurricane I’s climb performance, Rotol propellers had been fitted to all Hurricanes by mid-August 1940. With the 81th Hurricane of the second batch, the fabric covered wing gave place to an all metal stressed skin wing and, on 2 February 1940 the first Hurricane with rear armour protection for the pilot was flown.

By the end of 1939, the RAF had received more than 600 Hurricane Is and production was at a rate of 100 a month. Gloster began Hurricane production flying its first Hurricane I at Hucclecote on 20 October 1939.

By December 1937 No. 111 Squadron at Northolt was beginning to re-equip with the type, and were fully equipped by February 1938. Early in the new year made front page news when S/Ldr. J. W. Gillan, Officer Commanding lll Sqn., flew from Edinburgh to Northolt (assisted by a tail wind) at an average speed of 408 m.p.h.

By July 1939, twelve regular squadrons were flying the Hurricane I, to be followed by six Auxiliary Air Force squadrons. By the outbreak of war in 1939, 500 Hurricanes had been delivered and by August 7, 1940, when the Battle or Britain started, there were 32 Hurricane squadrons as against 19 Spitfire squadrons. By that time, the Hurricane had already been in action in France, Norway and Malta. At the outbreak of war in September, 1939, the Royal Air Force returned to France equipped with Hurricanes. Before this, Hurricanes of No. 46 Sqn. took part in the fighting in Norway, brought into action by the aircraft carrier “Glorious”. When the order came to evacuate, the Squadron flew all its Hurricanes on to the “Glorious” without arrestor gear rather than resort to destroying them, but this effort was in vain when the carrier was subsequently sunk. Similarly, Hurricanes flown from H.M.S. Argus reinforced the Gladiators in the Battle of Malta. In the Battle of Britain, the Hurricane bore the brunt of the fighting.

Hurricanes downed more enemy aircraft than did the Spits in the Battle, and the highest-scoring RAF pilot in the Battle, a Polish sergeant named Josef Frantitek (with a score of 17, all in a single month) flew Hurricanes.

One of the significant statistics of the Hurricane’s contribution to this hard-fought battle was the fact that these aircraft destroyed more enemy aircraft than the combined total of all other defence systems, air or ground. Even that factor must be equated with the information that at the beginning of the battle (on 8 August 1940) approximately 65% more Hurricanes than Spitfires (2,309 to 1,400) had been delivered to the RAF’s Fighter Command.

After the Russian invasion of Finland in 1940, slowly reinforcements began to arrive for the Finnish air force. The first to come were 5 Gloster Gladiators, 12 Hurricanes, 17 Lysanders and 24 Blenheims, all from Britain. After that, 76 Morane-Saulnier and Koolhoven F.K. fighters arrived from France. Italy sent 17 Fiat fighters, Sweden 12 Gloster Gladiators, and the USA 44 Brewster Buffalo, of which however only 5 reached Finland in time. Even the Union of South Africa sent 25 Gloster Gladiators. Pilots and ground personnel from a number of countries also volunteered to assist them.

After 1940, Hurricanes served largely in the Middle East and North Africa, with a distinctive sand filter under the nose to protect the Merlin’s innards. They were tried as night fighters over Britain after the Luftwaffe switched to night raids, but the night-fighting Hurricanes had generally poor success.

The aeroplane had now changed slightly from the early production mark, among other modifications, a 3-blade controllable pitch airscrew was fitted. A ventral fin faired the fixed tail wheel to improve handling qualities and metal had replaced fabric covering on the wings. Subsequent Hurricane versions included the Mk IIA with Merlin XX and eight guns; Mk IIB with 12 guns; and Mk IIC with four 20mm cannon. Mk IID with two 40mm Vickers ‘S’ guns and two 7.7mm guns (plus additional armour for low attack) were used extensively in the Western Desert. The final production version was the Mk IV with a wing able to accept armament comprising two Browning machine-guns plus two 40mm guns, or eight rocket projectiles, or two 110kg or 225kg bombs, or long-range fuel tanks. The Hurricane V (only two built) was powered by a Merlin 27 or 32 engine.

The Hurricane Mark II first flew on June 11th, 1940 with Merlin XX two-stage supercharged engine. A special set of mainplanes were made to accommodate the various armament. The Mk. IIA retained the eight Brownings. On the Mk. IIB these were increased to no less than 12 guns. Four 20 mm. Hispano cannons replaced the rifle-calibre guns on the IIC, and on the Mk. IID two 40 mm. Vickers cannon with two Brownings firing tracer ammunition for sighting. To increase the range, 90 gallon drop tanks were suspended below the wings on the IIC and armed with 4×20 mm. cannon the Hurricane a familiar sight with its Vokes sand filter during the North African campaign.

In August 1941 Great Britain decided to lend fighter plane support to Russia. British 151st Wing was set up in Leconfield near York, to train Soviet aircrews in the assembly, maintenance and operation of the fighters. Then Nos 81 and 134 Squadrons, comprising 39 Hurricane Mk.IIB, were shipped to the Soviet Union along with their pilots and ground personnel. The old British aircraft carrier Argus transported 24 of the Hurricanes, and the other 15 were packed and sent along on other vessels as deck cargo. The convey put to sea from Iceland on 21 August 1941 and docked at Murmansk on August 28. Here the 24 Hurricanes took off from Argus and landed at Viange airport about 15 miles away, which served 151st Wing as their main airbase during their stay in the Soviet Union.

On Sunday 3 August 1941, the first aerial victory won by a British Hurricane catapulted from a CAM ship took place when Lt. Robert Everet of 804 Sqn, based on the steamer Maplin, shot down a Focke-Wulf Fw 200C Condor of German 40 Sqn, 1st Bomber Wing in the North Atlantic. Instead of making a sea landing near his mother ship, the pilot decided to fly the 300 miles to Scotland, and landed there at Loch Earn.

By 1942, most Hurricanes had been switched to ground attack, with a powerful variety of weapons: 12 Brownings; or four 20mm cannon that slowed you down by 30 mph when you fired them; or a pair of Brownings plus two 40mm cannon with just 20 armor-piercing rounds. Another variant was the “Hurribomber”, with racks for two 250-pounders, or even two 500-pounders, sometimes delivered by skip-bombing. Rocket rails were also commonly fitted. In the Far East, Burma and India, the Hurricane remained the principal British fighter opposing the Japanese right up to the war’s end. Some 3,000 Hurricanes (one in five of all built) were given to the Soviet Union, most shipped by convoy around the North Cape to Murmansk.

After early experience of deck landing Hurricanes, an arrestor hook was fitted and in this form was known as the Sea Hurricane Mk. IB. Sea Hurricanes joined the Royal Navy in January 1941 and became the first carrier-based British single-seat monoplane fighter when taken to sea by HMS Furious in July 1941. Under the ‘Catfighter’ scheme, Sea Hurricane IA were equipped for catapult launch from the decks of CAM merchant ships (catapult-equipped merchantmen) to counter the threat posed by Germany’s Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condors, introduced in the spring in 1941. Only the Mk IA was specially built. The approximate figure of 800 Sea Hurricanes which entered service included 50 Mk IA and about 750 conversions of Mk II and Canadian-built aircraft.

These were 35 ordinary merchant ships that had been modified to carry a Hurricane on a rocket launch rig on the bow. These CAM ships, carrying ordinary cargo as well, accompanied the great convoys sailing from Britain to Russia and the Mediterranean, and from Canada to Britain. The Hurricats were assigned to convoy defense against the Luftwaffe’s Focke-Wulf Condor long-range, four-engine reconnaissance bombers, which were not only attacking convoys, but tracking them for U boats and other bomber units. If a Hurricat pilot was lucky, he could make it back to shore after launch and combat if not, he had to ditch (not recommended, since the Hurri-cane invariably turned over and sank) or else bail out over the convoy.

Hawker Hurricane CAM Article

Apart from its role as a purely fighter aeroplane, the Hurricane served as a fighter bomber with two 250 lb. and later two 500 lb bombs below the wings. The aeroplane was also used for night fighting and pioneered the use of rocket projectiles until the advent of the Typhoon. In this guise it was known as the Mk. IV.

Mention must be made of at least one interesting experiment. A supplementary wing of identical shape and area was fitted to a standard Mk. I Hurricane to enable it to take off with a much greater load. This wing was released in flight. A long series of tests were conducted but the project did not proceed beyond the experimental stage. Another version of the Hurricane was equipped with floats.

During the Second World War Gloster built 2,750 Hurricanes and 3,330 Typhoons,

The Hurricane was eventually replaced on Hawker’s production lines by the Typhoon, the Tempest, the Fury and the Sea Fury.

Hurricane evolution effectively stopped at the Mark IV.

In November 1938, the Canadian Car and Foundry Company was awarded a contract to produce Hawker Hurricanes for the RAF at its Fort William plant. The initial order was for forty aircraft (P5170 to P5209) to Mk 1 specification with British made Rolls Royce Merlin III engines and eight .303 Browning machine guns. These models depended almost entirely on British materials such as steel tubing, aluminium sheeting and metal castings which were formed, pressed and machined at Fort William, since the Canadian aircraft industry did not at that time have the capability to produce these items from scratch.

With the outbreak of war, shipping delays and losses created problems with such a system and as late as 1941 shortages of imported British materials reduced production considerably. Mr G C Kemp, a foreman at that time, recollects that at one point a delay in the arrival of Merlin engines was overcome by flying as many as thirty Fairey Battles into Fort William, where the engines were removed and fitted into the Hurricanes. In time, with new Canadian sources of supply and the introduction of the Packard Merlin engine from the US, production rose to reach a peak of 700 aircraft in 1942. In all, between January 1940, when the prototype (P5170) flew, and June 1943, when the last Hurricane left the plant at Fort William, 1,451 aircraft of various marks were built, representing some 10% of all Hurricanes produced and almost half of Can Car’s total production during the war years.

The Hurricane 1 was in many ways a transitional design between the wood, metal and fabric biplanes of the 1920s and 1930s and the metal skinned monoplane fighters of the 1940s. It incorporated a metal frame with a combination of wooden fairing and fabric over the fuselage and fabric covering the wings. All of the CCF built Hurricanes however had aluminium covered wings and indeed, when Mr A D Norton, head of the Tool Design Section at Can Car, visited the Hawker works in England in 1939, he found the development of the metal skinned wings less advanced than at Fort William. Apart from that, the basic structure of the Hurricane changed little in its lifetime. Some were fitted to carry bombs, some had catapult fittings, others had arrester gear, some were tropicalised and at least two were fitted with skis by the RCAF. The normal elements used to differentiate the variants, however, were powerplant and armaments.

The initial order for forty machines was renewed and in total 160 Mk 1 aircraft were built in five different batches. Most of these seem to have been sent directly to Britain, where they were distributed as the need arose rather than being assigned by batch to any one squadron, this being made possible by the inter-changeability of components among British and Canadian-built aircraft. Twenty were delivered before the Battle of Britain and some of these participated in the fierce aerial fighting of August and September 1940.

The majority of the Hurricanes built by CCF at Fort William were Mk X or Mk XII variants, equivalent to the British built 1 and IIB, and amounting to 900 aircraft or 62% of the total. Both were equipped with Packard engines, the Merlin 28 in the case of the Mk X and the Merlin 29 in the Mk XII, while the latter carried twelve Brownings compared to the eight of the Mk X. Most of the Hurricane Xs were initially sent to Britain, but
some were later tropicalised and used in India. After many requests, about thirty of these aircraft were also released for use by the RCAF in Canada.

Those sent to Britain seem to have been modified quite regularly as the Hurricane evolved into its intruder and ground attack role. Many with serial numbers between AM270 and AM369, for example, built as Mk Xs were later designated IIB or IIC, presumably because of changes in armaments and the addition of external bomb racks or fuel tanks rather than the wholesale replacement of the Packard Merlin with its Rolls Royce equivalent, although, of course, the latter may have applied in some cases also. With some, multiple conversions took place. Hurricane AM280, for example, started life as a Mk X but appears in late 1941 or early 1942 on the books of 1 Squadron as a Mk X converted to IIB configuration. Later in 1942 and 1943 it is referred to variously as a Mk X/11C with 534 Squadron and a “Mk X, modified with four cannon wings with 3 Squadron.

Unlike the Mk Xs, the Hurricane XII’s (RCAF 5376 to 5775) with their Merlin 29 engines and twelve Browning guns armament remained in Canada with the RCAF, flying defensive patrols along the east and west coasts, but without becoming involved in combat. This applies also to a batch of fifty Hurricane XIIAs, built as Sea Hurricanes for the Fleet Air Arm, but subsequently released for service with the RCAF. These aircraft were similar to the Mk XII in that they had Merlin 29 engines, but were fitted with eight gun Mk 1 or Mk X wings.
The situation with the Mk XII variants is complicated by the fact that some of the later aircraft shipped to Britain without engines, instruments or armament were fitted with Merlin XX engines and either twelve Browning or four cannon wings and designated Mk 1IB/XII or IIC/XII although during construction in Canada they were nominally IIB or IIC. This applied to aircraft of the JS219 to JS468 batch which began to appear in Britian in 1942 to be used in intruder activities or as night fighters with the Turbinlite squadrons. Others of this group served with various squadrons in the Middle East and India.

The final four batches of Hurricanes (PJ660 to P.1695, PJ711 to PJ758, PJ779 to PJ813 and PJ842 to PJ872), built to Mk IIC specifications, were also intended for shipping to Britain for the fitting of engines, instruments and armament. Although some doubt has been expressed as to whether or not these were actually constructed, aircraft with serials from the second, third and fourth groups are recorded as serving in India in 1943 and 1944, flying escort to bombing raids or involved in low level fighter bomber activity over Burma.

Hurricane production continued until 1944. In all, Hawker produced 10,030, supplemented by 2750 from Gloster, and 1451 from Canada.

More than 4,000 Hurricanes were supplied to other air forces, including Belgium, Canada, Egypt, Eire, Finland, India, Persia, Poland, Portugal, Romania, South Africa, the Soviet Union, Turkey, and Yugoslavia.

Replica:
Flying Legends Hurricane
Sindlinger Hawker Hurricane

Gallery

Prototype
Engine: 767kW Merlin ‘C’
Weight: 5672 lb / 2572 kg
Speed: 315 mph / 506 kph at 16,200 ft / 4957 m with 6 lb/sq.in boost
TO run: 800 ft / 245 m
T/O speed: 81 mph / 130 kph
Time to 15,000 ft / 4570 m: 5.7 min
Time to 20,000 ft / 6100 m: 8.4 min
Service ceiling: 34,500 ft / 10,515 m
Est absolute ceiling: 35,400 ft / 10,800 m

Mk I
Engine: Rolls-Royce Merlin II or III, 990-1030 hp
Prop: Rotol 3 blade wood
Length: 31.4 ft. (9.55 m)
Height: 13 ft. 11 in
Wing span: 40 ft. (12.2 m)
Wing area: 257.5 sq. ft
MAUW: 6600 lb
Weight empty: 4,670 lb. (2,118 kg)
Max speed 325 mph @ 20,000 ft
Service ceiling 36000 feet.
Initial climb rate 2,950 fpm
Range: 460 miles (740 km)
Armament: 8 x 7.7mm / 0.303in Browning machine-guns
Bomb load: 1,000 lb. (450 kg)
Crew: 1

Hurricane I
Engine: Rolls-Royce Merlin II, 990hp
Prop: 2 blade wood fixed pitch
Wing span: 40 ft. (12.2 m)
Wing area: 257.5 sq. ft
Length: 31.4 ft. (9.55 m)
Height: 13 ft. 11 in
Weight empty: 4,732 lb. / 2,146 kg
Normal loaded weight: 6056 lb / 2747 kg
MTOW: 6202 lb / 2813 kg
Fuel capacity: 97 ImpGal / 441 lt
Range: 680 miles / 1094 km at 275 mph / 442 kph at 15,000 ft / 4575 m
Endurance: 4.2 hr at econ cruise
Econ cruise: 162 mph / 261 kph
Max speed 312 mph / 502 kph @ 20,000 ft
Time to 15,000 ft / 4575m: 7 min
Service ceiling 33,000 ft / 10,058m
TO to 50 ft / 15.2m norm wt: 1800 ft / 549 m
TO to 50 ft / 15.2m max wt: 1890 ft / 576 m
Armament: 8 x 7.7mm / 0.303in Browning machine-guns
Crew: 1

Hurricane II
Engine: One Rolls-Royce Merlin XX, 1,030 hp at sea level, 1,460 hp at 6,250ft in M gear and 1,435hp at 11,000ft in S gear.
Propeller: Rotol three-bladed constant speed 11 ft 3 in diameter.
Span, 12.2 m / 40 ft 0 in
Length, 9.8 m / 32 ft 3 in
Overall height, tail down, one blade vertical, 13 ft 3 in
Wing area, 24.0 sq.m / 258.33 sq ft
Weight empty: 4,670 lb. (2,118 kg).
Max take-off weight: 3540 kg / 7804 lb
Fuel capacity, 69 Imp gal in two wing tanks, 28 Imp gal in res fuselage tank, total 97 Imp gal.
Optional fuel: two 45 Imp gal drop or 90 Imp gal fixed ferry tanks under wings.
Max speed: 316 mph. (508 kph)
Ceiling: 10850 m / 35600 ft
Range w/max.fuel: 740 km / 460 miles
Undercarriage track, 7 ft 10 in
Aspect ratio, 62:1
Dihedral, 35 deg on outer wing panels
Crew: 1.
Armament: 4 x 20mm cannon.
Bomb load: 1,000 lb. (450 kg)

Hurricane IIA
Engine: Rolls-Royce Merlin XX, 1260 hp
Time to 20,000 ft / 6095 m: 8.2 min
Max speed: 342 mph / 550 kph at 22,000 ft / 6705 m
Armament: 12 mg or 4 cannon

Mk IIB
Engine: RR Merlin 25, 1280 hp.
Wing Span: 40 ft
Length: 32 ft 3 in
Height: 13 ft 1 ft
Tare weight, 5,467 lb
Empty equipped weight, 6,266 lb
Normal loaded weight, full armament and internal fuel, 7,233 lb.
Max speed, 328 mph at 18,000 ft clean, 310mph with tropical filter
Initial rate of climb, 2,950 ft/min clean, 2,800 ft/min with tropical filter
Time to 15.000 ft, 55 min. to 25,000 ft, 95 min
Service ceiling, 36,000 ft
Range, 465 mls at 177 mph clean, 935 mls with two 45 Imp gal drop tanks, 436 mls clean with tropical filter.
Armament: Twelve BSA-built Browning machine guns of 0.303-in calibre with a total of 3,988 rounds in 12 magazines (5,238 rounds in some aircraft).
Provision for two 250-lb or 500-lb bombs.

Mk IIC
Max speed, 327 mph at 18,000 ft clean, 301 mph with tropical filter
Initial rate of climb, 2,750 ft/min clean, 2,400 ft/min with tropical filter
Time to 15,000 ft, 6 min, to 25,000 ft, 10 min
Service ceiling, 35,600 ft
Range, 460 mls at 178mph clean, 920 mls with two 45 Imp gal drop tanks, 426 mls clean with tropical filter.
Tare weight, 5,658 lb
Empty equipped weight, 6,577 lb
Normal loaded weight, full armament and internal fuel, 7,544 lb
Max overload weight with drop tanks, 8,044 lb
Armament: Four Hispano Mk I or Mk II cannon of 20-mm capacity with 90 rpg.
Provision for two 250-lb or 500-lb bombs under wings.

Mk IID
Armament: two 40mm Vickers ‘S’ guns and two 7.7mm guns

Mk IV
Armament: two Browning machine-guns plus two 40mm guns, or eight rocket projectiles, or two 110kg or 225kg bombs, or long-range fuel tanks.

Hurricane V
Engine: Merlin 27 or 32 engine.
No built: 2

Sea Hurricane IA

Sea Hurricane Mk II C
Engine: Rolls Royce Merlin XX, 1262 hp
Length : 32.251 ft / 9.83 m
Height: 13.091 ft / 3.99 m
Wingspan: 39.993 ft / 12.19 m
Wing area: 257.475 sq.ft / 23.92 sq.m
Max take off weight: 8101.2 lb / 3674.0 kg
Weight empty: 5880.7 lb / 2667.0 kg
Max. speed: 297 kt / 550 km/h
Cruising speed: 184 kt / 341 km/h
Service ceiling: 35597 ft / 10850 m
Cruising altitude: 20013 ft / 6100 m
Wing load: 31.57 lb/sq.ft / 154.0 kg/sq.m
Maximum range: 843 nm / 1561 km
Range: 400 nm / 740 km
Crew: 1
Armament: 4x 20mm MG

Canadian Car and Foundry Co Hurricane Mk 1
Engine: British made Rolls Royce Merlin III
Armament: eight .303 Browning machine guns.

Canadian Car and Foundry Co Hurricane Mk X (British built Mk 1)
Packard Merlin 28
Armament: 8 x Brownings

Canadian Car and Foundry Co Hurricane Mk XII ( British built Mk. IIB)
Packard Merlin 29
Armament: 12 x Brownings

Canadian Car and Foundry Co Sea Hurricane XIIA
Engine: Merlin 29
Armament: eight gun

Mk IIB/XII
Merlin XX

Mk IIC/XII
Merlin XX