- Yes
- No
Hello, I’d like to suggest another one of the Canadian hurricanes, this time a Mk I built by Canadian Car and Foundry, also known as Mk X.
History:
Due to various specifications sent out in 1924 by the British Air Ministry, along with talks with RAF figures, would lead Sydney Camm to designing a monoplane based on the Fury. Tho it took a few redesigns and a freshly designed engine for Rolls-Royce, that would be known as the Merlin engine, before it would be accepted to be made a prototype. This would be accompanied with the predictions that 8 or more machine guns would be needed on future fighters.
By August of 1935, the airframe would have been completed in Hawker’s facility in Kingston upon Thames, where it would be transported to an assembly shed that Hawker had. The prototype would have its first flight on the 6th of November in 1935. In early 1936, the prototype’s test flights would be completed, and it would be handed over for RAF trials. Along with that, the board of directors authorized the setting up and production of the aircraft before any official authorization. They would get orders for the aircraft and a name for the aircraft in June of 1936.
When the Second World War broke out, Canada had obsolete Siskin and Atlas biplanes for air defence. The RCAF tried to fill the void with Goblin and Kittyhawk fighters until the Hurricane production could get fully off the ground. As German air attack threats grew larger with their aircraft carrier Graf Zepplin, the RCAF proceeded to establish an air defence network to protect Canada. Most of the fighter squadrons under Canada’s Home War Establishment used Canadian-built Hurricanes. Out of this, there were two commands, Eastern Air Command (EAC,) who were tasked with defending the east coast, and even more so, Halifax’s strategic harbour; they were also tasked with coordinating air defence in the Atlantic region. They were also tasked with defending Newfoundland(when it was put under the protection of the Canadian military as it had yet to join Canada), the east coast fighters supported the Bomber–Reconnaissance Squadrons that flew out of Iceland under British Coastal Command. There was also the Western Air Command(WAC) that was tasked with defending the southern sector of the British Columbia coast.
Specs:
Type
- Single-seat interceptor fighter and fighter-bomber.
Structure
- All-metal construction with fabric-covered rear fuselage and tail.
- From 1939 Hurricane Mk.I’s and subsequent aircraft, had metal stress-skin-covered wings, earlier Hurricanes had fabric-covered wings.
- Fabric covered control surfaces.
Manufacturers
- The Canadian Car & Foundry Company, Canada
Power Plant (Mk.X and Mk.XI)
- 1,300 hp Packard-Rolls-Royce Merlin 28
- 3-blade Hamilton-Standard propeller.
Note: Tests showed that inclusion of tropical air intake cleaner resulted in approximately 4% loss of power from the figures quoted above.
Dimensions
- Wing span: 40 ft 0 in
- Length: 32 ft 0 in
- Height (when fitted with Rotol constant speed propeller): 13 ft 1 in
- Wing Area: 257½ ft²
Weights (Mk.X) 6
- Weight (empty): 5,467 lb
- Weight (loaded): 7,233 lb
Note: The above loaded weights are quoted as overload with (where applicable) two 90-gallon ferry tanks. Inclusion of tropical equipment added approximately 230 pounds to the above weights, though aircraft serving in the tropics seldom operated anything like the overload condition. With the exception of the Hurricane Mk.I, the above weights are quoted for aircraft fitted with Rotol propellers. The Hurricane Mk.I weight is with the D.H. 2-pitch propeller.
Performance (Mk.X) 6
- Maximum Speed at 18,000 ft: 328 mph
- Cruising speed: 177 mph
- Climb: 2,950 ft/min
- Range: 465 miles
- Service ceiling: 36,000 ft
Notes
- Maximum speed is quoted at Rated Altitude of engine; it is also quoted for the clean aircraft (i.e., no external stores).
- (a) Range is quoted for clean aircraft and (b) for aircraft carrying two combat-stressed 44-gallon drop tanks.
- The performance of production Hurricanes varied greatly; wherever possible, the figures quoted represent the average of a number of aircraft ‘production checked’ from time to time at Langley and Brooklands.
Armament (Hurricane Mk.X)
- Guns: Eight 0.303 in Browning machine guns in wings.