Hawker Hurricane Mk XIIa

The Hurricane was the RAF's first monoplane fighter, going into service before its famous partner in RAF service the Spitfire. The Hurricane was available in greater numbers for its finest hour in the Battle of Britain, where it played a crucial role in the defence of this country, shooting down more enemy aircraft than the Spitfire.

About this aircraft

Originally built in 1942 by Canadian Car & Foundry, the airframe served with several Royal Canadian Air Force units during WWII, before moving to 1 Operational Training Unit at Bagotville Canada. It was Struck off charge in 1947.

Acquired by The Fighter Collection at Duxford in the 1980's, the aircraft flew again in 1989 under its civilian registration G-HURI, marking its return to the skies as a fully airworthy warbird. In 2002, G-HURI joined the Historic Aircraft Collection, where it underwent a major overhaul before emerging in 2004 in the colours of Hurricane Z5140/HA-C, honouring the aircraft that served with No.126 Squadron during the defence of Malta.

In 2005, it made history as the first Hurricane to return to Malta since the end of the war, participating in the celebrated ‘Merlins Over Malta’ project. In 2012, it flew to Russia for the centenary of the Russian Air Force, the first Hurricane to do so since the wartime Arctic convoys. In 2018 it featured in the Polish prduced Film ‘Dywizjon 303’.

On 11 November 2019, volunteers from the Historic Aircraft Collection formed the Polish Heritage Flight, to preserve and share the stories of the Polish pilots and crews who came to Britain to fight after their homeland was occupied. The initiative - under the motto ‘Remember. Inspire. Unity’- is supported by dedicated volunteers and the aeroplane’s owner at the Historic Aircraft Collection.

Today Hawker Hurricane G-HURI wears the markings of 302 'City of Poznan' (Polish) Squadron which took part in the Battle of Britain. Uniquely it represents two Hurricanes that flew on the 15 September 1940. P3935 WX-D was flown by Julian Kowalski and P9254 WX-E by Tadeusz Chłopik. Only Kowalski would return from a Scramble that day, Chłopik died in combat when his parachute failed to open near Raweth in Essex.

Specification