Hurricanes and Rolls Royces: magnificent machines of yesteryear

 A Hawker Hurricane: the very essence of power, beauty and dangerous purpose

This is a story about two fighter aircraft of World War II, namely the RAF’s Hurricane and the Luftwaffe’s Messerschmitt 109. But in writing it, I found myself remembering other wonderful aeroplanes of the time and then drifting off into post-War India and vintage Rolls Royce automobiles … and back again. I am not sure how this happened but stay with me.

The Hawker Hurricane was an aeroplane of power and beauty, with a proud warrior history.  It would be easy to underestimate its contribution to the war effort. In the legends of WW2 fighters, the Hurricane has mostly played second fiddle to its more glamorous compatriot, the Spitfire. It is often forgotten that more German aircraft were shot down by Hurricanes in the Battle of Britain than by any other aircraft, including the Spitfire.

Yes, it is true that one of the reasons for this is that there were initially a great many more Hurricanes, and that the Hurricane squadrons were directed to attack the Luftwaffe bomber fleets while the Spitfires took on their accompanying fighter swarm … these mainly comprised the dangerous Messerschmitt 109 (referred to henceforth by its code name of Bf 109). But Hurricane pilots also did their share of dogfighting and, on the whole, they handled it very well.

The data speaks for itself:  in the Battle of Britain in 1940 the RAF downed 1185 German aircraft. Of these 656 were shot down by Hurricanes, and of that number, 222 were Bf 109s.

I need to correct a misapprehension of mine about the Hurricane. In an earlier story in these chronicles [Endnote 1] I made a comment that at the start of the war the Bf 109 fighter was about on a performance par with the Spitfire but was superior to the Hurricane. This was true in relation to the Mark I Hurricanes which came up against the Bf 109 in France in 1939 and in the early battles over England in 1940. But the situation changed after about May 1940 when Hurricanes were fitted with a Constant Speed propeller and had access to higher octane aviation fuel; both greatly enhanced their performance. The earlier version had also been fabric, rather than metal-covered, and had not been fitted with an amour shield behind the pilot. By the time of the Battle of Britain in August/September 1940, the Hurricane was a much-improved aircraft to the one that had suffered in France (although to be fair, a lot of the RAF’s problems in France were due to the fact that their airfields were basically undefended and were continually being dive-bombed by Stukas and overrun by German armour).

The immediate pre-War and the early War years of the 1940s saw an unprecedented intensity of research, innovation and upgrading of fighter aircraft capability, as the respective air forces strove for superiority in the air. This work was helped for both sides by analysis and trials of each-other’s aircraft using captured machines, enabling performance comparisons and parallel development.

The report of one trial has recently been published [2] and makes fascinating reading. The test was conducted by the RAF in 1940 and pitted a Hurricane against a Bf 109.  The RAF had acquired a fully intact Bf 109, and their engineers had made a detailed study of it. This was a stage in the air war where the Spitfire was emerging as the RAF’s favoured fighter, but their numbers were small and most of the RAF’s fighter squadrons were still equipped with Hurricanes. It was the Hurricane therefore against which the Bf 109 would be pitted.

I will go into this trial in some detail, as it is the only one that I have seen where the original report is publicly available. It is also interesting in its own light.

The test had three components: (i) take-off and rate of climb to 15,000 feet; (ii) a dogfight; and (iii) line astern formation flying with evasive manoeuvres.  Flying height was restricted to 15,000 feet because at that time the Bf 109 was not equipped with oxygen.

Both aircraft were flown by experienced fighter pilots who later submitted written reports. These were consolidated into the one Trial Report that remains in the archives today. I will summarise (and slightly paraphrase) this for modern-day readers:

1. In both the take-off and climb to 15,000 feet, the Bf 109 was superior to the Hurricane, in spite of the fact that the Hurricane was at full throttle (and was equipped with the Constant Speed propellor).

2. At 15,000 feet the aircraft separated and approached one-another head-on for a dogfight. The Hurricane pilot performed the classical dog fighter’s manoeuvre of a stall followed by a quick vertical turn. This put him on the 109's tail. The pilot of the 109 expected but was unable to prevent this manoeuvre succeeding. From that point, while basically maintaining level flight, the Hurricane pilot had no difficulty remaining on the tail of the Bf 109. The pilot of the 109 tried all possible manoeuvres but could not lose the Hurricane, until he finally adopted the usual tactic employed by German pilots, namely a sudden half-roll and vertical dive. The Hurricane followed this manoeuvre, but the Bf 109 with its superior speed, rapidly drew away. The 109 pilot “felt that had he continued his dive he might have got away”. However, he also found that it was all that he could do to pull the machine out of the dive, as fore and aft it had become very heavy. In fact, the pilot was of the opinion that “had he not used the tail adjusting gear, which itself was extremely heavy, he would not have got out of the dive at all” but would have plunged to the earth.

 The pilot of the Hurricane, on the other hand, found that he had no difficulty in pulling out of his dive, and did so inside the 109. However, in doing so he began to black-out, which was not experienced by the pilot of the 109. The tendency to black-out in the Hurricane when pulling out of high-speed dives was already well-known and was thought to be due to the rather vertical position in which the pilot sat. It was noted that in the 109 the pilot reclines, with his legs well up in front of him. The RAF pilot flying the Bf 09 reported: “German pilots pull their aircraft out of dives at very high speeds, and I think the position in which the pilot sits is the main reason that black-out is avoided, I feel that this is a point which should be duly considered when future fighters are designed”.

3. After the dogfight the 109 took position in line astern on the Hurricane and the Hurricane carried out a series of climbing turns, and diving turns at high speeds. In the ordinary turns the Hurricane lapped the 109 after four complete circuits, and at no time was the pilot of the 109 able to get his sights on the Hurricane. In the climbing turns, though the 109 could climb faster he could not turn as fast, which enabled the Hurricane again to get round on his tail. In climbing turns after diving, the weight on the elevators and ailerons of the 109 was so great that the pilot was unable to complete the manoeuvre, and in the diving turns he was unable to follow the Hurricane for the same reason.

4. During these tests another point became clear, namely that the 109 had better underwing camouflage and was very much more difficult to spot from below than the Hurricane. This difference gave the 109 a definite tactical advantage, the Hurricane pilot reporting “when they are below us they can spot us at long distances, while when we are below them [they are difficult to see]. As initial surprise is the ideal at which we aim, I strongly recommend that the underside of Hurricanes should be painted a duck-egg blue, the roundels remaining the same, as it is the contrast between black and white only which is so noticeable from below”.

A Bf 109 with its characteristic yellow nose and duck-egg blue fuselage, difficult to spot from below

The Squadron Leader commanding 67 Wing RAF who organised the test and prepared the report, came to two main conclusions. These were forwarded to the brass at Fighter Command:

Firstly:

the Bf 109 is faster than the Hurricane by some 30 to 40 miles an hour on the straight and level. It can out-climb and initially out-dive the Hurricane. On the other hand, it does not have the maneuverability of the Hurricane, which can turn inside the Bf 109 without difficulty.

The Squadron Leader went on to observe:

After this clear-cut demonstration of superior maneuverability there is no doubt in my mind that provided Hurricanes are not surprised by 109s and that the odds are not more than two to one, and that pilots use their heads, the balance will always be in favour of our aircraft, once the 109s have committed themselves to combat.

Second, he concluded that

… judging from the tactics at present [in May 1940] being employed by the 109s, namely sitting above us and only coming down when they can surprise a straggler, and then only completing one dive attack and climbing away, I am fairly certain that the conclusion of the German pilots is the same as our own …

The Germans also had an opinion, having conducted their own tests and analyses. Luftwaffe ace Werner Molders test-flew a captured Hurricane in 1940 and described it as “very good-natured” and observed that it could out-turn all of the German fighter planes at that time, including the Bf 109, confirming the results of testing by the RAF at about the same time [3].

Hurricane in its RAF fighting garb – easily spotted from above or below

The other remarkable feature of the Hurricane was the degree of punishment it could survive. With its thin skin and open internal metal framework, machine gun bullets would go straight through, without rendering the machine unflyable. There were many accounts of Hurricanes arriving back at their home airfield riddled like a colander but still airworthy.

In the wake of the Battle of Britain (in which the RAF deployed 28 Hurricane squadrons, and these were responsible for 60% of all German aircraft shot down), things moved on. Unlike the Spitfire (and the Bf 109) the Hurricane was not continuously improved and upgraded. By 1943 the Spitfire had completely taken over as the RAF's number one fighter and by 1945 was clearly superior to the Bf 109. By then production of Hurricanes in Britain had almost ceased (but continued in Canada). For one thing, they were last on the priority for supply of precious Merlin engines, behind Spitfires, Lancasters, Mosquitos and Mustangs. 

For a while after the Hurricane had been phased out as the Number 1 fighter, the RAF tried to use them as night fighters, but this was not successful as they were not equipped with radar. However, the Hurricane could carry small bombs and rockets and so became more of a fighter-bomber used in ground-support and, in the western desert, as a “tank buster”.

here was even a Sea Hurricane (known as the ‘Hurricat’), launched by catapult from armed merchant ships in mid-ocean. They flew a one-way mission as they could not land back on the ship. The pilot had to ditch in the ocean nearby and hope to be picked up.  

A Hurricat being catapulted from a merchant ship. The mission was to locate and attack surfaced U-Boats

The Hurricat was always a stop-gap concept, rapidly superseded by purpose-designed naval air fighters operating from aircraft carriers. Eventually, at least in the war in Europe, the Hurricane was phased out altogether, replaced by the Typhoon and the Tempest, both superior fighters and fighter-bombers.

Having said all that, Hurricanes were the only allied fighter plane that fought in every theatre of World War II, finding their way eventually to the Pacific and the far east. General Slim loved the Hurricane squadrons that supported his troops in the Burma campaign, referring to them as his “Hurribombers”. They played a significant role in the recapture of Burma from the Japanese.

An aside: the Focke Wulf 190

In September 1941, a new German fighter appeared in the skies over France and southern England. This was the Focke Wulf 190, or Fw190. It came as a tremendous shock to the pilots of the RAF, especially the Spitfire pilots who had become accustomed to having the best aircraft in the sky, or at least to being on equal terms with the Bf 109. Suddenly they found they were up against a machine that was markedly superior in the dive, climb and rate of roll, was faster at all heights by up to 40 mph, and had better acceleration under all conditions of flight. Only in having a tighter turning circle was the Spitfire (at that time the Mark V) superior.

An Fw190

Compared with the sleek dart-like Bf 109 and the graceful Spitfire, the Fw190 was an ugly beast, short, chunky and with square tipped wings. But it out-performed everybody and carried massive fire power.  You could be excused for thinking that the Luftwaffe was suddenly well on top in in the air war.

However, there are two factors to be considered. First, in 1942 the RAF captured a fully operational Fw190, and this was intensively analysed and tested [4]. Amongst other things this led to some significant modifications to the new Spitfire (the Mark IX) which was being developed at the time, and which ultimately turned out to be capable of mixing it on equal terms with the Fw190, especially at high altitudes. Second, production of Fw190s coincided with the opening of the eastern front, when Hitler invaded the USSR. The bulk of the new Fw190s went east to fight the Russians, rather than west to fight the RAF. Furthermore, Hermann Goering, the chief of the Luftwaffe, always fancied and favoured the Bf 109, even after it had clearly been made obsolete by the advent of the Fw190 (on the German side), and the Spitfire IX and the Mustang (on the side of the Allies). Goering had been a friend of Willie Messerschmitt since the days of the First World War, and ensured his company received favourable treatment when contracts for aircraft construction were being handed out, to the detriment of the Focke Wulf 190.

Moreover, despite its superiority in combat, the Fw190 was not without flaws. It was an unforgiving plane to fly, and many pilots died in accidents, on the ground, in the air and especially on landing (it had a rotary engine that generated massive torque) … and this was at a time when Germany was running short of fighter pilots.

Later in the war, a newer version of the Fw190 evolved. These were bigger and more heavily-armed, but less nimble than the predecessor. Eventually the 190 became more of a fighter-bomber, used against the Superfortress bombers or in ground support. By then it could not compete in dogfighting with the Spitfire IX or the Mustang.

RAF fighter ace “Johnny” Johnson has an excellent photograph in his wartime memoir Wing Leader. The caption for the top photograph is The Challenge: Focke Wulf 190. The picture below is captioned The Reply: Spitfire 9. Johnson flew a Spitfire IX in many a confrontation with the Fw190 and survived to tell the tale.

Illusltrations from "Johnny" Johnson's wartime memoirs

Back to Hurricanes

I turn now to Peter Vacher’s book on Hurricane R4118. I will get to the essence of Vacher’s story in a moment, but first I would like to quote from the dedication to the Hurricane fighter from retired Wing Commander “Bunny” Current:

I flew [Hurricanes] almost daily for just short of three years, from December 1938 to August 1941, when I took command of a Spitfire squadron in Hampshire. The Hurricane was a magnificent war-horse, with its unsurpassed gun platform in the leading edge of the wings, which had a deadly promise. It had no vices whatsoever, with superb reliability, and was so easy to fly in all weather conditions.

Totally trustworthy in all respects, it was a confidence-giving aeroplane, loved by all who flew it.

I confess to having always regarded the Spitfire as the most beautiful of all aircraft – an impression gained mostly from photographs and video clips, although I did see one once, screaming low overhead one ANZAC Day a few years after the war. It did a slow roll as it crossed Freshwater Bay and flashed towards Fremantle, and I can still remember the throat-gripping roar of the mighty Merlin engine.

Off to India

Peter Vacher is an English-born Australian, now living in England, with a passion for restoration of vintage cars and planes. He became well-known for writing a wonderful book about the discovery in India, and the recovery and restoration of a World War II Hurricane [5]. The story about how he first located the plane is especially charming:

“John Fasal and I were on our travels from Calcutta to Delhi in March 1982. John, an intrepid researcher into the fate of older Rolls-Royce and Bentley motor cars, was continuing to find material for his book Rolls-Royce and Bentley in Princely India. For me it was a privilege to travel with him, meeting the princely families who owned the cars in the nineteen tens, twenties and thirties. In the palace garages still lurked such fine, forgotten cars. For myself, a vintage car enthusiast, these vehicles represented the epitome of engineering excellence and of the coachbuilders' art. The fact that many of the cars were covered in layers of grime and sat on rotting tyres only added to their romanticism. Here were the untouched relics of a bygone era, an era of pomp and circumstance, of splendour and majesty.

For the most part, the palaces we visited mirrored the condition of the cars. The chandeliers still hung, but the cobwebs obscured their sparkling beauty. In the libraries, the illiterate termites devoured volume after volume.”

The two enthusiasts find themselves on the campus of the Banara Hindu University where there is a famous engineering department. John had been there before many years before and remembered that there were two wonderful old Rolls-Royces stored in one of the outbuildings. These were eventually tracked down.

Vacher recalls:

To say that I was stunned when the doors opened would be an understatement. Sitting proudly in the middle of the engineering workshop there lay a 1924 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost, formerly belonging to His Highness the Maharaja of Jodhpur. A polished all-aluminium tourer with coachwork by Barker & Company, it was the most beautiful car I had ever set eyes on. Behind the long bonnet, a V windscreen protected an interior in which everything was exactly as it had been in 1924. Alongside stood an equally fine Rolls-Royce Phantom I of 1928, bodied by Hooper & Company.

Beautifully restored. A 1924 RR Silver Ghost

Vacher goes on to recall:

After the sheer excitement of finding such exceptional cars, I was ready for a little light relief. Coming out of the workshop, we saw in an adjacent compound the remains of two aeroplanes. With a bit of clowning around, we took it in turns to sit in the cockpit of one of them and take a photograph. We knew little about aircraft then, but we did recognise one as a British fighter and we could see through the cowling that it was powered by a Rolls-Royce Merlin engine. There were no wings and no covering to the fuselage - just a network of tubes. Must be a Spitfire we said to each other. When I got home I put the photo in my album.

Vacher in the cockpit of the derelict aircraft discovered on an Indian university campus

The remains turned out to be Hurricane R4118, sent to a pilot training school in India in 1943 after it had been superseded as a fighter with the RAF in Britain. Vacher acquired it, shipped it back to England and arranged for its complete restoration. This is a fascinating story, too long to go into here, but suffice it to say, the outcome was extraordinary. Hurricane R4118 took to the air in December 2003, once more a thing of beauty, and no doubt more than a match for any passing Bf109 ….

Hurricane R4118, once more in the skies over Cambridge. For the video see:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6m7z2HPW34

I have never seen a Hurricane in flight [6], but I did once get up close and personal with a superbly restored one in a flight museum in the USA.  This reverential experience reminded me of how I have always loved and admired this aircraft. The Hurricane was indeed the “war-horse” of the Battle of Britain. It is a more muscular aeroplane than the Spitfire, more the pugnacious prize fighter than the graceful matador, but equally deadly. And you can still admire its beautiful lines, those of a classic World War II fighter.

The image (above) of restored Hurricane R4118 is a fitting end to a story about one of history’s most heroic machines.  

 Endnotes

1.     In my story about Herman Goering, I wrote: “…the Messerschmitt 109, which in 1940 had been just superior to the Hurricane and about equal as a fighter to the Spitfire ..”  This does not give credit to the upgrading of the Hurricane in the months before the Battle of Britain.

2.      There is a copy of the original report on the internet at:

http://www.wwiiaircraftperformance.org/hurricane/hurricane-109.pdf

3.      In his book Fighter – the true story of the Battle of Britain, Len Deighton makes a conflicting statement: “Pilots of Spitfires, Hurricanes and Bf 109s all claimed that their aircraft had the tightest turning circles but the 32-foot wing span of the Bf 109 gave it the advantage over its rivals … it had a turn radius of only 750 feet, compared with the Hurricane 800 feet and the Spitfire 850 feet”. It is not clear which versions of each aircraft were being compared here, and I have to say I have faith in the opinion of Molders and the findings of the trial of Hurricane versus Bf109 reported in this story.

4.      In June 1942 a Luftwaffe pilot landed his Fw190 on an RAF airstrip in Wales, having become lost and thinking he was landing in France. Expecting a pat on the back (he had just shot down a Spitfire) he was surprised to find a revolver at his head, in the hand of one of the ground staff. The machine was intact and fully operational and was immediately transferred to the RAF’s aircraft research establishment for analysis and testing.

5.      Vacher, Peter (2005):  Hurricane R4118: the extraordinary story of the discovery and restoration of a great Battle of Britain survivor. Grin St, London

6.      Readers interested in the history of the development of the Hurricane might enjoy this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0V92LssUQnk. 

A highlight is a glimpse of a restored Hurricane chased by (what looks to me like) a restored Bf 109 in the skies above Everett, a city of beauties in the Pacific NW of the USA.