Hawker Hurricane

The words

1. Air Battle

   The Hurricane belonged to Britain’s fighter defense against German air raids. The RAF Museum’s account of August 18, 1940 describes attacks by bomber formations and fighter escorts on airfields and radar facilities.

   RAF Museum: August 18, 1940 (opens a new tab)

2. Camm

   Sydney Camm designed the Hurricane around established construction methods. The RAF Museum describes a tubular metal structure and fabric-covered fuselage, linking the designer’s name with the aircraft’s practical engineering.

   RAF Museum: Hurricane IIc (opens a new tab)

3. Canopy

   The canopy covered the Hurricane’s cockpit. Pilot Richard Barclay’s diary, quoted by the RAF Museum, describes flying with it open during the fighting on September 15, 1940.

   Did you know?

   Before taking off, Barclay grabbed a pair of Irvin trousers. His diary linked that extra clothing with his decision to leave the canopy open for a better view.

   PDF page 3, Richard Barclay’s diary · RAF Museum: pilot accounts (6-page PDF) (opens a new tab)

4. Cockpit

   The cockpit was the pilot’s position inside the fighter. Barclay’s account connects this small space with a practical concern: being able to see other aircraft clearly.

   PDF page 3, Richard Barclay’s diary · RAF Museum: pilot accounts (6-page PDF) (opens a new tab)

5. Dogfight

   The printed term describes close fighter combat. The Hurricane’s maneuverability mattered in these encounters; the RAF Museum identifies it as one reason pilots found the aircraft effective.

   RAF Museum: Hurricane IIc (opens a new tab)

6. Eight Guns

   The Hurricane entered RAF service with eight machine guns. This term identifies the armament of the early fighter, whose role alongside the Spitfire is described in the RAF Museum’s Hurricane I record.

   RAF Museum: Hurricane I (opens a new tab)

7. Fabric Wing

   Fabric was a working part of some Hurricane wings, treated to hold it taut. The Science Museum’s conservation study documents such a wing on its preserved Hurricane.

   Did you know?

   The study illustrates a small patch used to stabilize a tear in the wing covering. Conservation work can preserve fabric in place rather than replacing the whole covering.

   Introduction; Figures 3 and 6 · Science Museum: aircraft fabric (opens a new tab)

8. Fighter Pilot

   Hurricane pilots moved between flying and periods on the ground. In the RAF Museum’s September 15, 1940 account, Barclay returned to a dispersal hut, while pilots also gave combat reports to intelligence officers.

   PDF page 3, lull between raids · RAF Museum: pilot accounts (6-page PDF) (opens a new tab)

9. Hawker

   The Hawker Aircraft Company designed the Hurricane in 1934, and the fighter entered service in 1937. The manufacturer’s name links the aircraft with Britain’s prewar development of faster fighters.

   RAF Museum: Hurricane I (opens a new tab)

10. Hurricane

    The Hurricane was a mainstay of Fighter Command in 1940. The RAF Museum records 32 squadrons by September, showing the scale of its role beside the Spitfire.

    RAF Museum: Hurricane I (opens a new tab)

11. Merlin Engine

    The Rolls-Royce Merlin powered both the Hurricane and the Spitfire. The RAF Museum’s aircraft biographies place the same engine name in both entries, connecting the two British fighters in this chapter.

    RAF Museum: aircraft biographies (opens a new tab)

12. Messerschmitt

    Messerschmitt fighters escorted German bombers during the Battle of Britain. The RAF Museum’s August 18, 1940 account names Bf 109 and Bf 110 aircraft, placing both types among the Hurricane’s opponents.

    RAF Museum: August 18, 1940 (opens a new tab)

13. Monoplane

    The Hurricane used a single main wing on each side. The RAF Museum’s guide identifies the Hurricane Mk I, entering service in 1937, as the RAF’s first eight-gun monoplane.

    PDF page 6, Hurricane Mk I · RAF Museum: Battle of Britain guide (opens a new tab)

14. Propeller

    The Hurricane’s engine drove a propeller to produce thrust. A Smithsonian collection record preserves a Rotol Hurricane blade from a three-blade, variable-pitch propeller made with wood and metal.

    Did you know?

    Rotol began in 1937 as a joint venture between Rolls-Royce and Bristol. The Smithsonian records a Hurricane propeller blade from this manufacturer, showing that aircraft production drew on specialist suppliers.

    Object A19601434000 · Smithsonian: Hurricane propeller blade (opens a new tab)

15. Stuka

    The Stuka was Germany’s Junkers Ju 87 dive-bomber. The RAF Museum records Stukas, escorted by Bf 109 fighters, in raids on August 18, 1940, during the Hurricane’s Battle of Britain service.

    RAF Museum: August 18, 1940 (opens a new tab)