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Post by svenfromsweden on Jun 6, 2015 5:34:17 GMT -5
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2nd Bat
Master sergeant
Posts: 11,813
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Post by 2nd Bat on Jun 6, 2015 14:00:36 GMT -5
Sven,
Cool pictures of a variant I had certainly never seen. Since unfortunately I can't read the text, I am curious what the purpose of the double wing arrangement was for?
Was it an early variation or a specialized purpose built modification?
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Post by thunderw21 on Jun 6, 2015 19:43:41 GMT -5
From what I understand, this was a prototype where the upper wing was mainly just a fuel tank. It was meant to give the Hurricane added range when being ferried. It never made it beyond prototype stage.
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Post by volkssturm on Jun 6, 2015 20:11:54 GMT -5
From Google Translate: We present an unusual version of the British fighter Hawker Hurricane, developed by Hillson company and called FH.40. The proposed model turned the monoplane fighter in a biplane, with the addition of an upper wing in order to improve landing and takeoff operations on semi-prepared runways and expand the scope for long-haul flights, as the upper wing also served as the fuel tank. Once used fuel, the upper wing could be ejected through the plane to its original configuration, or as a biplane took off and at the end of its mission rested as a monoplane. The first flights were conducted in spring 1941, and July 16, 1941 made the first successful launch of the higher plane. However the project was not accepted by the UK Department of War and was abandoned.
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Post by volkssturm on Jun 6, 2015 20:16:56 GMT -5
An interesting concept, but for ferrying drop tanks make a lot more sense. The Hurricane itself was not far removed from its Hawker biplane predecessors, which was one of its strengths, easier to build, easier to repair, lighter weight. www.historicaircraftcollection.ltd.uk/fury/
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