Hurricane LB891 or LB893 - target tug - ?

[diamant]

Hi to all

I was reading the Apendix IV “Production, Allocation and History of Hurricanes” of the Manson’s book (page 245) when I found the following:

Quote

LB891: Mk IIC (target tug conversion; guns removed) N° 73 OTU, 1944

LB893: Mk IIC (target tug conversion; guns removed) N° 73 OTU, 1944

Unquote

I have never hear about a Hurricane converted to a target tug aircraft. I imagine that they had suffered some kind of modification in the rear part of the fuselage (below?).

Does anyone know something more about these two Hurricane. (Profiles or pictures) It would be really fantastic if we can add one of these to our project.

Many thanks in advance.

Kind regards

Santiago

[Dave Fleming]

73 OTU was based at Fayid, in Egypt (it was the Thunderbolt OTU) so that may make for some interesting markings!!

[Test Graham]

Postwar Tempests acted as target tugs with just a hook fitted under the fuselage for attaching the drogue. The full wartime target tug conversions required a powered winch and an additional operator, so I suspect the wartime Hurricane ones were closer to the simple hook approach.

[diamant]

73 OTU was based at Fayid, in Egypt (it was the Thunderbolt OTU) so that may make for some interesting markings!!

Hi Dave. You are right. I wonder if there is any picture of these Hurricane. If I remember well I saw a picture of one Thunderbolt overall black with a lightining all across the fuselage and there is a Spitfire painted in the same way.

Postwar Tempests acted as target tugs with just a hook fitted under the fuselage for attaching the drogue. The full wartime target tug conversions required a powered winch and an additional operator, so I suspect the wartime Hurricane ones were closer to the simple hook approach.

I didn't know that this kind of modification could be possible. Your probably right Graham the only problem is to know how these Hurricane were painted and which marking they carried.

kind regards

Santiago