Sunday, October 20, 2013

Hawker Hurricane



A Royal Air Force Hawker Hurricane Mark IIC (s/n BE500, 'LK-A', "United Provinces Cawnpore") being flown by Squadron Leader Dennis Smallwood, the Commanding Officer of No. 87 Squadron RAF based at RAF Charmy Down, Somerset (UK).

No. 87 Squadron was one of the first RAF night fighter squadrons. Sqn Ldr Smallwood led the squadron in 1941-42, when most intercepts were made entirely without on-board radar. The aircraft is painted in an overall black scheme known in the RAF as "Special Night". BE500 subsequently served with No. 533 Squadron RAF and finally in the Far East.

This artistic work created by the United Kingdom Government is in the public domain. Date: early 1942. This is photograph COL 186 from the collections of the Imperial War Museums. Crown copyright protection in published material lasts for fifty years from the end of the year in which the material was first published. HMSO has declared that the expiry of Crown Copyrights applies worldwide.

Hawker Hurricane

Hurricane Mk1, RAF serial R4118, squadron code UP-W, UK civil registration G-HUPW, at the Royal International Air Tattoo, Fairford, Gloucestershire, England.

The aircraft was delivered new to 605 (County of Warwick) Squadron in August 1940. It flew 49 combat sorties from Croydon, England, destroying 3 enemy aircraft and damaging 2 others. Still painted in its original markings, R4118 is the only Hurricane from the Battle of Britain still flying.

This picture was taken at RIAT Fairford on the Thursday before the show days of Saturday and Sunday. Later the show was cancelled, due to waterlogged car parks.

Hawker Hurricane

Photographed by Adrian Pingstone in July 2008 and placed in the public domain. July 2008

This work has been released into the public domain by its author, Arpingstone. This applies worldwide. In some countries this may not be legally possible; if so: Arpingstone grants anyone the right to use this work for any purpose, without any conditions, unless such conditions are required by law.

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