Hawker Hurricane MK1 P3700 | Historic Aircraft Collection

  • STATUS: Airworthy
  • LOCATION: IWM, Duxford
  • OWNER: Historic Aircraft Colllection
  • ROLE: Fighter
  • BUILT: 1943
  • LENGTH:  32.2ft\9.81m
  • WINGSPAN:  40.0ft\12.19m
  • ENGINE: Packard built Rolls Royce Merlin 29 1,460hp
  • MAXIMUM SPEED:  322mph\518km/h
  • RANGE: 900miles\1,448km
  • ARMAMENT: 12x 0.303 Browning machine guns

The Historic Aircraft Collection’s Duxford-based Hurricane P3700 (G-HURI) was built in 1942 by the Canadian Car Foundry and delivered to the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1943. Rebuilt in the 1980’s from various original Hurricane parts from all over Canada, it was given the identity of 72036 as that aircraft was the source of the airframe used in the rebuild. Historic Aircraft Collection acquired the Hurricane in 2002 and after an 18 month extensive programme of repairs and maintenance the Hurricane reappeared in 2004 as Z5140 coded HA-C of No 126 Sqdn. This paint scheme was previously worn by a Gloster-built Hurricane IIB, flown with 126 Squadron during the siege of Malta. The following year she became the first Hurricane to fly over Malta since the Second World War.

In 2015 to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Britain and with the support of the Polish Embassy G-HURI was repainted in RAF markings of Hurricane P3700. This Mk1 Hurricane of No 303 (Polish) Sqdn as abandoned by Sgt Kazimierz Wunsche over Poynings, Kent on 9th September 1940 after sustaining damage from a Bf 109 during combat over Beachy Head.