Hawker Hurricane

First flown in 1935, the Hurricane served throughout World War IIthe Second World War in virtually every theatre of operations. The RCAF received its first Hurricanes in February 1939. The first RCAF squadron to fire its guns in anger, No. 1 Squadron (which later became 401 Squadron),n, flew Hurricanes in the Battle of Britain. Two other RCAF squadrons, No. 402 and 417 Squadronsqns, flew the type in overseas operations, while a further ten squadrons operated the aircraft here in Canada. The Canadian Car and Foundry Company began Canadian production in January 1940 at Fort William (now part of Thunder Bay, Ontario). A total of 1,451 Hurricanes were built in this country. While not so graceful or well known as its fighting mate, the Spitfire, the Hurricane proved to be rugged in service and highly adaptable being used in a wide variety of roles and carrying diverse types of weapons and armament.

Designation
Model Number
Marks	Mk I, IIA, IIB, IIC, IV, XII, XIIA
Role	Fighter
Taken on strength	1939
Struck off strength	1948
Quantity	503
Service	RCAF

Source: Canadian Combat and Support Aircraft: A Military Compendium by T.F.J. Leversedge © 2007. Translated and reproduced with permission of the author.

Manufacturer	Built by Canadian Car & Foundry Company under license from Hawker
Crew / Passengers	One pilot
Powerplant	One 1,300 horsepower (768 kilowatt) Rolls Royce Merlin II or III engine
Maximum speed	318 miles per hour (512 kilometres per hour)
Cruising speed
Service ceiling	33,400 feet (10,180 metres)
Range	440 miles (708 kilometres
Empty weight	4,670 pounds (2,118 kilograms)
Gross weight	6,600 pounds (2,994 kilograms)
Span	40 feet (12.14 metres)
Length	31 feet 5 inches (9.58 metres)
Height	13 feet 1 inch (3.99 metres)
Wing area	258 square feet (23.97 square metres)
Armament	Eight .303 inch (7.7 millimetre) Browning machine guns
Cost	$50,000

Source: Canadian Combat and Support Aircraft: A Military Compendium by T.F.J. Leversedge © 2007. Translated and reproduced with permission of the author.