Starter Set Hurricane Mk1

Airfix Hawker Hurricane Mk.l Starter Set contains everything you need to start modelling. Although somewhat less glamorous than the Supermarine Spitfire, it was the Hawker Hurricane that proved to be the backbone of the UK's air defences during the summer of 1940. Designed in 1935, the Hurricane was relatively advanced compared to other fighters in service at that point. It featured a fully enclosed cockpit, retractable undercarriage, 8 303 inch machine guns, a powerful liquid-cooled V12 engine and, most importantly, a single cantilever wing as opposed to a biplane configuration.

Despite its modern appearance, the design and manufacturing techniques were thoroughly conventional. This proved useful when it came to manufacturing, as the aircraft was easy to produce, repair and maintain. Early Hurricane Mk.Is had fabric wings. This feature limited dive speeds, and so by 1940 they had been replaced with superior metal skinned versions. These made a dramatic improvement, increasing dive speeds by around 80mph. The Hurricane's first kill was achieved on 21st October 1939 when 46 Sqn found and attacked a squadron of Heinkel He115s over the North Sea.