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All the Hurricane questions you want to ask here


Sean_M

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1 minute ago, 72modeler said:

pints all around

Look at the mountain range in the background, though. 

I don't think this is the UK, so maybe not uptight RAF rules. 

Canada, maybe?? When did they start making 'em? I mean, THEY aren't going to worry.... 😇 (meant in the nicest possible way, my Canadian friends...!) 

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Sorry to be of absolutely no help @dogsbody. I can't think what would be up there for adjustment or inspection.

There's one on the starboard side for an engine turning handle. 

But all there is up there is the prop hub gearbox. 

Unless there's a crank handle goes in to turn the prop manually? 

But then, the other handle would do that, turning the engine...... 🤔

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3 hours ago, dogsbody said:

Anyone know what this hole in the underside of the cowling was for?

mm, I think this got asked before (possibly in this thread?) ,  some kind of engine adjustment aperture IIRC, I think @Graham Boak or @Work In Progress  had an answer.

 

 

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Do these help?

 

https://www.agefotostock.com/age/en/Stock-Images/Rights-Managed/MEV-11951383

 

Oil seems to have leaked out from it into the slipstream.


On this example, the hole has been blocked off

 

https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:237_Squadron_RAF_Hurricane_in_Iran_WWII_IWM_E_11720.jpg

 

Trevor

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2 hours ago, rob Lyttle said:

Look at the mountain range in the background, though. 

I don't think this is the UK, so maybe not uptight RAF rules. 

Canada, maybe?? When did they start making 'em? I mean, THEY aren't going to worry.... 😇 (meant in the nicest possible way, my Canadian friends...!) 

 

Yes, Canada. In British Columbia, at Sea Island in 1939. This is # 313, the Hurricane that I am very slowly building, using the Airfix kit.

 

That hole only seems to be on early Hurricanes. I'll have to do a search of later Mk.I's to see if they have it.

 

According to IWM, this is a Mk.IIA. It has the hole.

 

large_000000.jpg?_ga=2.220871576.1099681

 

This IID has it.

 

large_000000.jpg?_ga=2.263420812.1099681

 

And this Mk.IIC.

large_000000.jpg?_ga=2.28022076.10996818

 

 

Still have no idea what it's for, but it's on all marks.

 

 

 

Chris

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12 hours ago, Crimea River said:

The hole in question is to access a plug in the crankcase behind which one can see the timing marks on the crankshaft. Essential for adjusting the magnetos.

 

Thanks! Another Hurricane mystery solved!

 

 

Chris

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On 9/26/2019 at 11:26 PM, Crimea River said:

Essential for adjusting the magnetos.

Wow! Neat fact to know- thanks for the reply. Reminds me of the hole in the flywheel cover that had a pointed rod attached that you lined up with a ball bearing pressed into the flywheel to set the ignition timing on my '69 Opel Kadett Rallye and  '72 Opel GT! Clever Bosche!

Mike

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  • 2 weeks later...

       Ok super crazy Hurricane question here. Quite sometime before I ever joined the Forum. I read or saw a documentary that claimed certain members of the British Aristocracy, two is what i recall. I think they were Lords or Dukes each given a Hurricane to fly around in and perform there jobs during the war. One was all white the other was a light or medium blue in color ? I think one was in charge of aircraft production at the various factories, he flew the white hurricane. Im not sure about the second’s job. Now was i reading/hearing  this wrong or was it fact ? If it was fact who were they and what exactly were there titles/responsibilities ? 
 

Dennis

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This sounds like a mish-mash of various facts.

 

The Minister for Aircraft Production, appointed in May 1940, was a Canadian media magnate, Max Aitken, ennobled in 1917 as the 1st Baron Beaverbrook, or Lord Beaverbrook in everyday parlance. 

 

He was not a pilot, though his son, confusingly also named Max Aitken and also eventually (briefly) Lord Beaverbrook in turn, was a service Hurricane pilot in 601 Squadron during 1940 before moving on to 68 Squadron and Blenheim night fighters.

 

I know of no all-white Hurricanes operating during WW2 but ACM Sir Keith Park used a camouflaged Hurricane with personalised markings to commute around his stations when commanding 11 Group, and generally wore a distinctive white flying helmet.

2afd7014bb2aa906ba6b82cf99f045e6.jpg

Edited by Work In Progress
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5 minutes ago, Corsairfoxfouruncle said:

Thanks @Work In Progress ... I suspected i either remembered incorrectly or the info was wrong. It was something that i needed to ask for a long time. I have never found any other references to the whole claim and was curious. 
 

Dennis 

Dennis,

Might they have been referring to the white flying suit that AVM Keith Park frequently wore when flying his Hurricane to various airfields during the war?

Mike

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The BoBMF example LF363 spent some time post war as a hack painted in a very light blue colour.

 

https://www.nostalgicpicturelibrary.com/shop/aviation/military/hawker-hurricane-lf-363/

 

This was discussed aright back at the beginning of the thread.

 

Trevor

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18 minutes ago, 72modeler said:

Dennis,

Might they have been referring to the white flying suit that AVM Keith Park frequently wore when flying his Hurricane to various airfields during the war?

Mike

No from what i remember they showed a computerized or profile image of hurricanes in the two different schemes. I just cant remember the program now. The more i think about it I'm pretty sure it was a TV documentary. Im just trying to remember the shows name ? 

13 minutes ago, Max Headroom said:

The BoBMF example LF363 spent some time post war as a hack painted in a very light blue colour.

 

https://www.nostalgicpicturelibrary.com/shop/aviation/military/hawker-hurricane-lf-363/

 

This was discussed aright back at the beginning of the thread.

 

Trevor

Thank you Trevor I'm not sure that was the plane but it is possible. 
 

Dennis

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2 hours ago, 72modeler said:

Dennis,

Might they have been referring to the white flying suit that AVM Keith Park frequently wore when flying his Hurricane to various airfields during the war?

Mike

I have heard rumours of this white flying suit,  but never seen a photo of it - he is wearing something else in alll the pics I have, though there are several of him in a white helmet

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2 hours ago, Max Headroom said:

The BoBMF example LF363 spent some time post war as a hack painted in a very light blue colour.

 

https://www.nostalgicpicturelibrary.com/shop/aviation/military/hawker-hurricane-lf-363/

 

This was discussed aright back at the beginning of the thread.

 

Trevor

It is painted Aluminium in that photo, not blue.  This is from the period when it was the personal transport of Air Commodore (later AVM) Sir Stanley Vincent.

Edited by Work In Progress
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Did not Hereward de Havilland use an old Hurricane [an early Mk.1] to get around the various squadrons to supervise the changing of the propellers to de Havilland types? He was noted for wearing pristine white flying overalls which he discarded whilst helping to change props at the squadrons

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22 minutes ago, Work In Progress said:

It is painted Aluminium in that photo, not blue.  This is from the period when it was the personal transport of Air Commodore (later AVM) Sir Stanley Vincent.

See post 313 for an explanation of it being blue.

 

Trevor

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37 minutes ago, Work In Progress said:

I have heard rumours of this white flying suit,  but never seen a photo of it - he is wearing something else in alll the pics I have, though there are several of him in a white helmet

I think you're right; in none of the photos of him I have been able to find,  are there any of him in white coveralls, but in several he does have a white leather flying helmet. I think actor Trevor Howard portrayed him in the Battle of Britain movie wearing a white flying suit, and that might be what I was thinking of. I did not realize that he was from New Zealand and was a WW1 ace until recently; another great Kiwi in the RAF!

Mike

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59 minutes ago, Work In Progress said:

I have heard rumours of this white flying suit,  but never seen a photo of it - he is wearing something else in alll the pics I have, though there are several of him in a white helmet

 

I have a photo of Keith Park wearing one. I'll have to find it and drag it out to post here.

 

The white flying suit is what was termed a "Prestige suit" in the RAF, it was common during the interwar years and was a summer weight flying suit and essentially a cotton overall. They actually came in black, navy and even tan although the white one was the one most recognised publicly as it was the default flying kit used by squadron aerobatic teams at air shows. They were used in small amounts during the first year or two of the war but disappeared pretty much after that no doubt due to being too visible for a downed airman in occupied territory.

 

Park also had a 1930 Pattern Sidcot as well which he used in colder weather.

Edited by Smithy
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