HURRICANE MK 1 V7497 (G-HRLI) | Hawker Restorations Ltd

  • STATUS: Airworthy
  • LOCATION: IWM Duxford
  • OWNER: Hawker Restorations Ltd
  • ROLE: Fighter
  • BUILT: 1940
  • LENGTH:  32ft 3in\9.82m
  • WINGSPAN:  40ft 0in\12.19m
  • ENGINE: Rolls-Royce Merlin III
  • MAXIMUM SPEED:  484 kph\301mph
  • RANGE:  465 miles\748km
  • ARMAMENT: 10 x 0.303″ Browning Machine Guns, 2 x 250lb or 1 x 500lb bombs

Manufactured in August 1940 by Hawker Aircraft Ltd at Kingston, Hawker Hurricane V7497 is a Mk 1 Hurricane who saw action at the height of the Battle of Britain for only 5 days before being destroyed by enemy action.

Assigned to the 501 (County of Gloucester) Squadron at Kenley, in East London on 19th September 1940 she was first flow by Sgt. Sayward on the afternoon of 24th September. This was followed by 5 further sorties over the next 3 days before being shot down by a BF109 on the 28th September over Kent. Her pilot P/O E B Rogers survived by bailing out and parachuting to safety.

Found during an aviation archaeology dig, Hawker Hurricane Mk1 V7497 went to Hawker Restorations for a in-depth restoration which completed on 31 August 2018 and is now based at IWM Duxford.

 

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