Spitfire DH propellor on Hurricane - any ideas when?

[PaulR]

Dear all,

Am aiming to build Hurricane SD*A (L2039) of 501 sqn from the Xtradecal sheet for early hurricanes. The sheet shows it as having the two blade Watts prop, but the only picture I can find online shows it post crash, and with what is clearly a three blader propellor hub lying next to it. I understand from other threads that early hurricanes were retrofitted with both spitfire and hurricane type De Havilland props (the former being slighly blunter and bigger in diameter than the latter), but I haven't been able to find out when these were issued to squadrons. When did three blade props start to be retrofitted to early hurricane? The picture caption has the date as being May 1st 1939; assuming that is correct, is it more likely that it was the spitfire DH propellor used than the purpose built hurricane DH propellor?

Any clues appreciated!

P

[Graham Boak]

More likely the contrary, with the DH prop being fitted on the production line prewar and thus being available.  Photos of Hurricanes with the DH prop are common - in my experience (i.e. as far as I've noticed) those with the Spitfire spinner are comparatively rare.  

[Troy Smith]

good question, answer,  don't know.

 

From what I have noted from photos,  the DH Spitfire prop seems to be first,  then the DH Hurricane  prop.

 

what confuses the matter is that older L**** serial planes seem to get the DH Hurricane prop as a replacement for the Watts unit.

 

Anyway,  the plane in question

 

I'd not even be sure it's fabric winged, as the landing light look further out (though it's hard to tell) 

EDIT

L2047  (so eight planes later on the line)

 

metal winged,  DH Hurricane prop

a couple more shots here

http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234963507-all-the-hurricane-questions-you-want-to-ask-here/&do=findComment&comment=1673827

also

Block 1, First Hawker Produced Block

Serial Range L1547 - L2146 600 Aircraft Built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd., of Kingston and Brooklands, to specification 15/36 under contract No. 527112/36. The first 430 aircraft were manufactured with fabric covered wings; the remaining 170 with metal covered wings, some aircraft later re-fitted with metal wings at Maintenance Units within the R.A.F. Aircraft deliveries commenced on the 15th December, 1937, and were completed on 6th October, 1939. L1547 was first flown on 12th October, 1937.

 

2146-1547 = 599

1547+430 = 1977,  so Hurricane L1978 on have metal wings (sorry, away from books) 

@tango98 may know the answer to this.

 

I suggest more poor research from Xtradecal... 

 

I'll leave the rest below as it maybe of use.

 

the spinner is visible.

One thing that is also different between the DH Spitfire unit, and the DH Hurricane  unit is backplates

 

Spitfre type,  spinner sits on  backplate

 

Hurricane type

sits over the backplate

 

the photos should enlarge when clicked, and it look as if the spinner on L2039 has a small lip at the base,  which looks closer to the Spitfire type 

FWIW there is also this,  L2142, 

 

after some head scratching,  i think the above is DH Hurricane unit, here's the comparison pic

 

3 hours ago, Graham Boak said:

More likely the contrary, with the DH prop being fitted on the production line prewar and thus being available.  Photos of Hurricanes with the DH prop are common - in my experience (i.e. as far as I've noticed) those with the Spitfire spinner are comparatively rare.  

 

they are,  but also they are only seen on early aircraft, L**** and N**** planes.

the DH Hurricane unit was widely used,  being preferred in the Middle East and also on Sea Hurricanes.

 

the DH Spitfire unit is seen on a fair few Battle of France planes, (eg the famous 85 Sq planes in May 1940, N2358 above) the ones exported to Romania and Finland,  all early Mk.I's

I've not seen a DH Spitfire unit on a Hurricane after 1940, (apart from the Romanian and Finnish)   anyone seen one? 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited September 18, 2017 by Troy Smith
add details

[Graham Boak]

One other approach is that the Spitfire wing production was badly delayed, so a stock of the propeller/spinners may well have built up, whereupon putting them on Hurricanes would be an obvious step.  This would suggest an early date compatible with Troy's comments, but doesn't help as to the likelihood of being one rather than the other in this period.