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The first monoplane fighter and thefirst with a top speed of over 483 km/h(300 mph) to enter RAF service, theHawker Hurricane was designed bySydney Camm and first flown on 6November 1935, joining the RAF in December1937. The Hurricane Mk I with768-kW (1,030-hp) Rolls-Royce MerlinII and an armament of eight 7.7-mm(0.303-in) machine-guns was FighterCommand's principal fighter in theBattle of Britain in 1940, and destroyedmore enemy aircraft than all other defencescombined. It was followed bythe Hurricane Mk IIA with 955-kW(1,280-hp) Merlin XX before the end of1940, the Hurricane Mk IIB with 12machine-guns and the Hurricane MkIIC with four 20-mm cannon during1941. These versions were also able tocarry up to two 227-kg (500-lb) bombs,drop tanks or other stores under thewings; they served as fighters, fighterbombers,night-fighters, intruders andphoto-reconnaissance aircraft on allfronts until 1943, and in the Far Eastuntil the end of the war. The HurricaneMk IID introduced the 40-mm anti-tankgun in 1942. Two of these weaponswere carried under the wings, and thisversion was particularly successful inNorth Africa. The Hurricane Mk IV featureda 'universal wing' which allowedcarriage of up to eight 27,2-kg (60-lb)rocket projectiles or any of the externalstores carried by the Mk II. It isbelieved 14,231 Hurricanes were produced,including 1,451 built in Canada(Hurricane Mks X, XI and XII). Thistotal, also included many Sea Hurricanemodels of which early versionswere catapulted from merchant shipsand flown from converted merchantaircraft carriers, and later servedaboard Royal Navy fleet carriers. Alwaysregarded as somewhat slowamong RAF fighters, the Hurricanewas highly manoeuvrable and capableof withstanding considerable battledamage.SpecificationHawker Hurricane Mk IICType: single-seat fighter and fighterbomberPowerplant: one 955-kW (1,280-hp)Rolls-Royce Merlin XX V-12 pistonenginePerformance: maximum speed541 km/h (336 mph) at 3810 m(12,500 ft); climb to 6095 m (20,000 ft) in9.1 minutes; service ceiling 10850 m(35,600 ft); range on internal fuel
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