Royal Air Force 501 squadron Hawker
Hurricanes led by Sgt Ginger Lacey in aviation art print by Keith
Woodcock, Dawn Scramble. The Hawker Hurricane, one of the two great
British fighter aircraft of the Battle of Britain. Aviation art prints
available from Cranston Fine Arts.
Royal Air Force Fighter, the Hawker
Hurricane had a top speed of 320mph, at 18,200 feet and 340mph at 17,500,
ceiling of 34,200 and a range of 935 miles. The Hurricane was armed with
eight fixed wing mounted .303 browning machine guns in the Mark I and
twelve .303 browning's in the MKIIB in the Hurricane MKIIC it had four
20mm cannon.
All time classic fighter the Hurricane was designed in
1933-1934, the first prototype flew in June 1936 and a contract for 600
for the Royal Air Force was placed. The first production model flew ion
the 12th October 1937 and 111 squadron of the Royal Air Force received the
first Hurricanes in January 1938. By the outbreak of World war two the
Royal Air Force had 18 operational squadrons of Hurricanes. During the
Battle of Britain a total of 1715 Hurricanes took part, (which was more
than the rest of the aircraft of the Royal air force put together) and
almost 75% of the Victories during the Battle of Britain
went to hurricane pilots. The Hawker Hurricane was used in all
theatres during World war two, and in many roles. in total 14,533
Hurricanes were built.
Ground Force by Ivan Berryman Routine, though essential, maintenance is carried out on a 501 Sqn
Hurricane at the height of the Battle of Britain during the Summer of
1940.
One to One by Ivan Berryman A Messerschmitt BF109 E of JG27 closes on a 501 squadron Hawker
Hurricane during the typical combat in the skies over southern England
during the Battle of Britain, in the summer of 1940.
Dawn Scramble by Keith Woodcock May 1940 and Hawker Hurricanes of No 501 squadron with the leading
aircraft being flown by Sgt. Ginger Lacey, take off from their
base in France to engage advancing enemy.
Battle Above Dover by Adrian Rigby on 29th July 1904, the Luftwaffe launched what they believed was a
surprise attack on the port of Dover and the shipping in the area. RAF
controllers however were quick to react and Spitfire from Manston along
with twelve Hurricanes from Hawkinge intercepted nearly fifty Stukas and
no less than eighty fighter escorts. the battle was intense and made even more dangerous for the RAF by
the heavy flak, which the gunners of Dover used to some success, shooting
two Stukas out of the sky. at the end of the action, seven German aircraft
were lost to just one Spitfire. more significantly, Dover was spared
serious damage and no ships were lost. Signed by Wing Commander K W MacKenzie
DFC AFC, Pilot Officer with 43 and 501 Sqns.
