Hawker Hurricane Mk I
Hawker · United Kingdom · first flew 1935 · fighter
Britain's first eight-gun monoplane fighter and the numerically dominant aircraft in the Battle of Britain, the Mk I combined an older fabric-and-tube construction with a modern Rolls-Royce Merlin.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Low-mounted, tapered |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Fabric-covered rear fuselage with a squared, slab-sided cross-section — far less streamlined than the Spitfire's monocoque |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Fabric-covered rear fuselage with a squared, slab-sided cross-section — far less streamlined than the Spitfire's monocoque
- Two-blade wooden propeller on very early aircraft; three-blade de Havilland prop on later Mk Is, but the broad, rounded wing tip remains
- Tall, upright windscreen framing and prominent birdcage canopy with a thicker rear spine than the Spitfire
Against the Spitfire: broader, straight-edged tapered wing, fatter slab-sided fuselage, less elegant nose line. Mk I vs Mk II: the Mk I lacks the chin tropical filter, carries only eight .303s, and has a less-developed exhaust stack fairing.
Specifications
- The Hawker Hurricane Mk I has a length of 9.55 m (31 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 12.19 m (40 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 521 km/h (324 mph).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
First flown in November 1935, the Hurricane entered RAF service in December 1937. During the Battle of Britain it accounted for more German aircraft than the Spitfire simply because there were more of them; squadrons focused on bombers while Spitfires engaged fighters.
Variants
Early Mk Is had a Merlin II with wooden two-blade prop; later Mk Is had Merlin III with three-blade metal prop. Some were retrofitted with metal wing skins mid-production.
Where you'll see it
The BBMF operates Hurricane Mk IIc PZ865, and several privately owned Mk Is and IIs appear regularly at Duxford. The broad wing and slab fuselage make it unmistakable on the ground.
Related aircraft
- Hawker Hurricane
- Fury
- Hawker Fury I
- Hawker Hurricane Mk II
- Arado Ar 80
- Blohm & Voss Ha 137
- Breda Ba.65
- Curtiss P-36 Hawk
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