It seems that “new” Spitfires are turning up at a fair rate(and I am very pleased to see them) but what about the poor old overshadowed Hurricane?
If I remember correctly there are about a dozen flyable examples worldwide.
This for an aircraft that was responsible for 60% of the kills in the BoB and sterling service in all theatres of WW2.
Anybody building/rebuilding any or is it just a case of no one loves the dowdy sister?
By: mackerel - 14th October 2011 at 21:28
Fantastic effort, the website rebuild diary is brilliant, would make a good “How to build your own Hurricane” book. The guy doing the work is one hell of an engineer.
Wow , have to agree fantastic effort. Have done hurricane wings in the past & I know how much work goes into them .
Steve.
By: Toddington Ted - 14th October 2011 at 21:14
Wow – thats amazing. Thanks for posting.
Indeed, a fantastic photographic album of aeronautical engineering!
By: PanzerJohn - 14th October 2011 at 20:50
Just wow. Really shows just how much of an original airframe can be reused in a rebuild – quite a staggering amount given the airframe’s condition on arrival!
Fantastic effort, the website rebuild diary is brilliant, would make a good “How to build your own Hurricane” book. The guy doing the work is one hell of an engineer.
By: Rocketeer - 14th October 2011 at 20:49
there is a lower skin….not a FOD friendly aircraft….drop something and it is annoying to recover!! There are two small windows so you can look at the gear, by small….I mean small, 4x2inch approx
By: Moggy C - 14th October 2011 at 19:20
Not tubes as such (in the sense of the fuselage structure)
Ah.. ok then Mike, apologies.
I was just quoting what Tony Ditheridge called them. I’ll correct him next time I see him.
Moggy
By: ERNIE - 14th October 2011 at 18:55
Robs Lamplough has a Hurricane restoration project with I believe a 6Sqn. pedigree.
By: Mike J - 14th October 2011 at 18:25
Tubes.
Yes, but they have a few sets still.
Moggy
Not tubes as such (in the sense of the fuselage structure) but the specially roll-formed spring steel used for the wing and tailplane spars, particular to Hawker’s unique construction method and carried over from the structure of their earlier biplanes.
They had a batch produced in the ’90s, the source for which is no longer operating I believe, so it would be extremely difficuly to get another batch done.
By: joefuturepilot - 14th October 2011 at 18:21
This one is progressing well..
http://www.jneaircraftrestoration.com/AM274/2010.html
Just wow. Really shows just how much of an original airframe can be reused in a rebuild – quite a staggering amount given the airframe’s condition on arrival!
By: Moggy C - 14th October 2011 at 17:47
… when their current supply of specially formed fittings (or whatever) are used up, that’s it.
Tubes.
Yes, but they have a few sets still.
Moggy
By: bananasplits - 14th October 2011 at 17:41
Defiant
What about the poor neglected unglamorous Boulton Paul Defiant as a flyer, now that would be something.
Now if they ever get a Defiant back in the air,bagsy i get first trip in the turret as i have my outfit ready and waiting! 😀
I can even supply my own turret rotataion handle and control column 😀
BS
By: Jayce - 14th October 2011 at 16:50
Is the bare airframe that was in the Yugo Air Force Museum still there?
(Edit: The one in Zagreb not Belgrade.)
Edit 2: The best google nets me is a tail section in the Croatian Technical Museum but I don’t know if its the same one. Anybody know more?
By: mmitch - 14th October 2011 at 09:47
I seem to remember that somewhere (Hawker Restorations?) there were
the components of a two seat Hurricane?
Or was that just a rumour? 🙂
mmitch.
By: pagen01 - 14th October 2011 at 09:44
He certainly can on R4118.
Quick and concise, thank you:)
By: paulmcmillan - 14th October 2011 at 09:14
Defiant locations – The UK, of course, India, and the Eastern coastal area on Northern Europe – Holland and France. Not likely!
I seem to remember one was lost on Takoradi Route so East Africa is a possiblity as well
By: adrian_gray - 14th October 2011 at 09:12
can the pilot see down through the underside when the gear is down, or is there a floor panel fitted?
He certainly can on R4118.
Adrian
By: pagen01 - 14th October 2011 at 09:11
Yep second that Elliott, fantastic detail, especially like the devised pipe/tube straightening ‘tool’!
numpty question, I can’t see with all the tubing etc, but can the pilot see down through the underside when the gear is down, or is there a floor panel fitted?
By: adrian_gray - 14th October 2011 at 09:10
Hawker Restorations Limited, responsible for around half the Hurricanes currently flying, have several restorations in their shop at the moment including two Mk 1 Battle of Britain veterans, both at an advanced state.
Including one in the Spitfire tradition of being rebuilt from a data plate and a carrier bag of bits.
I’d scan the pic I have of the recovered remains, but the copyright holder wouldn’t be impressed. Suffice to say that it hit rock from 30,000 feet.
Adrian
(wonder if I can sell my fragment of Form 700 as a rebuild project?)
By: Whitley_Project - 14th October 2011 at 07:37
This one is progressing well..
http://www.jneaircraftrestoration.com/AM274/2010.html
Wow – thats amazing. Thanks for posting.
By: JDK - 14th October 2011 at 06:52
Defiant locations – The UK, of course, India, and the Eastern coastal area on Northern Europe – Holland and France. Not likely!
By: J Boyle - 14th October 2011 at 06:52
Well if you could find a few BPD wrecks in Russia that could be a good start in providing both the data plates and the myriad of little fittings necessary to any cost effective rebuild
Moggy
Agreed.
A recent FlyPast article about Hurricane restorations makes it pretty clear that compared to a Spitfire, Hurricanes are much more difficult to rebuild. (Am I the only one here that actualy reads the magazine? 🙂 )
They quoted Hawker Restoraton officials as saying when their current supply of specially formed fittings (or whatever) are used up, that’s it.
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October 13, 2011 at 10:26 pm