- Yes
- No
Hello, I would like to suggest one of the Canadian-built Hurricanes. Out of all the variants built by Canada, this is one of the only ones I can guarantee is called this. Well, my research suggests there was a later version with 4x 20mm, I’m suggesting the earlier version with the 12x .303s in the wings. These aircraft were originally designated Hurricane IIB (Can) before becoming Hurricane XII.
History:
The Hurricane started in 1933 as a private venture led by Sir Sydney Camm to make a monoplane based on the Hawker Fury bi-plane, in 1934 the British government became involved in making it into the Hurricane we know today. In the mid-to-late 1930s the possibility of a major war began brewing so the British began looking for aircraft manufacturers outside of Britain itself when in 1938 the Canada Car & Foundry was contracted to build Hurricanes. These Hurricanes were often modified for their service in specific geographic locations, for example, the Arctic for the Soviets or the Jungle for service in India. Among all the models of Hurricanes built by Canada, the Canadian production accounted for 10% of the total number of Hurricanes. The Canada Car and Foundry Hurricanes were overseen by the company Chef Engineer Elsie MacGill(She was the world’s first female Chief Aeronautical Engineer and before the Hurricane, she had made the Maple Leaf II Trainer the first aircraft recognized as designed and produced by a woman), who had introduced a number of refinements culminating in the “winterized” version of the Hurricane. Said version included skis and de-icing gear. The Canadian Hurricanes were built in Fort William, Ontario now part of Thunder Bay, Ontario.
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.XII)
- 1,300 hp Packard-Rolls-Royce Merlin 29
- 3-blade Hamilton-Standard propeller.
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.XII)
- Weight (empty): 4,982 lb
- Weight (loaded): 6,665 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.XII)
- Maximum Speed: 330 mph
- Cruising speed: 206 mph
- Rat of Climb: 2,520 ft/min
- Range: 486 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).
- 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.XII)
- Guns: 12x 0.303 in machine guns in wings.