Hawker Hurricane was a military airplane used by the United Kingdom and its allies during World War II (1939-1945). The Hurricane was a single-engine fighter (fast-flying plane with weapons) designed by Hawker Aircraft Limited. The plane became a symbol of the United Kingdom’s Royal Air Force (RAF) and one of the most famous aircraft of World War II.
Most Hurricanes carried one pilot and eight heavy machine guns. Some also carried rapid-fire cannons and rockets or bombs for surface attacks. A Rolls-Royce Merlin engine gave the plane a top speed of about 340 miles (550 kilometers) per hour. The Hurricane’s maximum altitude was about 36,000 feet (10,900 meters). The plane was designed as a short-range home defense fighter. _Drop tanks—_exterior fuel tanks attached beneath the plane’s body—greatly increased the Hurricane’s range for other tasks.
Hawker first tested Hurricane prototypes (early models) in 1935. It became the RAF’s first monoplane fighter (fighter with one pair of wings) in late 1937. Earlier warplanes were mostly biplanes, with two pairs of wings. The Hurricane was also the first RAF fighter with an enclosed cockpit, retractable landing gear, and a top speed above 300 miles (480 kilometers) per hour.
The Hurricane’s most famous role was defending against German air attacks during the 1940 Battle of Britain. By 1941, the Hurricane, along with the Supermarine Spitfire, formed the backbone of RAF Fighter Command. The faster Spitfire soon replaced most Hurricanes in air-to-air combat. But the Hurricane’s durability and ease of maintenance kept it in use—largely in ground attack roles—throughout World War II.
The British Royal Navy version of the fighter, the Sea Hurricane, operated from aircraft carriers. Hurricanes also flew in British Commonwealth, Soviet, and other Allied air forces. More than 14,000 Hurricanes were built. The last RAF Hurricane was retired in 1947.
