Nederlandse Modelbouw en Luchtvaartsite

History

The development of the Hawker Hurricane started in fact already in 1930, when Hawker designed the Hawker PV3 based upon RAF specification F7/30. The PV3 was in fact an enlarged version of the Hawker Fury.
This design was rejected, so Hawker began designing a monoplane with four machine guns, and powered by a Rolls Royce Goshawk.

On paper, this design was ready in January 1934, but there is no order followed. Chief designer Syndey Camm developed the design further with a retractable landing gear and a Rolls Royce PV-12 engine (later known as the Rolls Royce Merlin).

For wind tunnel tests a 1/10th scale model was built and tested. The tests were satisfactorily and Camm approached the Air Ministry again. This time the response was positive, and there was an assignment for the construction of a prototype.

In November 1934, the Air Ministry released Specification F.5/34, which was based on recommendations by Squadron Leader Ralph Sorley, who stated that fighters should be armed with eight machine guns.
The work on the mock-up was too far advanced to have it adjusted. In January 1935 the wooden mock-up was ready, and with a number of recommendations for some detail changes, the construction of the prototype was approved and a new specification (F.36/34) was written around the design.

In July 1935 this specification was changed and now included the installation of eight machine guns.
On November 6, 1935 the prototype K5083 made its first flight with Hawker's chief test pilot, Flight Lieutenant (later Captain Group) George Bulman.

The RAF trials started in February 1936 and the test results were favourable. The name "Hurricane" proposed by Hawker was approved on 26 June the same year.
Further investigation revealed that the Hurricane had a bad spin-recovery and a modification from the 61st production aircraft was made: an extension of the bottom of the rudder and the adjustment of the bottom of the hull solved the problem.

Initially, the unit was equipped with a Watts two-bladed propeller with fixed pitch, but from April 1939 it was replaced by a De Havilland three-blade variable pitch propeller. This especially reduced the take-off distance with about 140 m to 230 m.
In the summer of 1940, the De Havilland propeller was replaced by a three-blade hydraulic "constant-speed 'propeller.

The Hurricane construction was rather conventional, a metal frame covered with linen. Initially, the wing was also covered with linen.
In April 1939 Hawker introduced an all-metal wing, with which a higher dive speed was possible. Moreover, this wing could handle higher loads.

These wings are also applied to most (operational) Hurricanes.

An overview of the production of the Hawker Hurricane van be found here.

Versions.