Imperial War Museum Duxford

With 7 examples of the Hawker Hurricane under one roof for the first time (only fourteen airworthy Hurricanes remain in the world) in an exhibition running from 27 Dec 2022 to 19 Feb 2023, it seemed appropriate to make another visit to IWM Duxford.  This exhibition, in the Conservation Hall in the AirSpace super hangar, celebrates one of the Second World War’s most hard-working fighter aircraft, the Hawker Hurricane; it is often overlooked in favour of the Spitfire, yet the Hurricane accounted for sixty percent of air victories in the Battle of Britain. 

The Hurricane's design was derived from the Hawker Nimrod and the Hawker Fury, both earlier biplane fighters that flew in the 1930s that had wood and metal framework covered in fabric. Although essentially out of date, despite later improvements, the Hurricane was a stable and rugged aircraft that could be maintained and repaired more easily than the metal bodied Spitfire.  There is a Spitfire in the hangar for comparison purposes; the Spitfire is smaller and weighs less but is more susceptible to gun damage. Other differences are shown in the pictures.

It has been another interesting and educational visit.Read more