World War II Database

1.  Bill says:
2 May 2016 08:55:53 PM

LEND-LEASE:

Did you know that the British shipped 2,952 Hawker Hurricanes to the USSR during WWII.

RUSSIKE KNOW HOW:

The Russians made good use of any aircraft supplied to help fight against the Germans, they even modified about (10) Hurricanes into two-seat artillery spotter aircraft, with open cockpits a rear gunner was added behind the pilot and was armed with 1 x 7.62mm ShKAS Machine Gun.
Armament was also reduced to (8) eight wing mounted machine guns for the pilot. During the winter it must have been freezing. With the added gunner I wonder about the center of gravity and those open cockpits must have created a lot of buffeting, it must have been very interesting flying but I guess the reds had all that factored in Da!

SOVIET ARMAMENT MODIFICATIONS:

The Russians modified about 1,200 Hurricanes
with 4 x ShVAK 20mm cannons, 7.62 mm ShKAS machine guns and 6 x RS-82 Ground Attack Rockets. The Hurricanes also continued service as glider tugs dropping supplies to partisan forces others went to flying schools. The Russians
kept the survivors on inventory until 1950

2.  Bill says:
29 Oct 2016 04:06:13 PM

HURRIBOMBER:

Another version of the Hurricane was the close support fighter-bomber armed with 2 x 111kg/250lb, 2 x 226kg/500lb bombs, 8 x under wing rockets, 2 x 40mm cannons and 2 x .303 machine guns.
14,533 were built, the USSR received 3,000 and 800 converted to Sea Hurricanes.

WINGS OF THE RED STAR:

The USSR receive 3,000 Hurricane MkIIB some Russian pilots felt the machine gun armament wasn't heavy enough, against German fighters and bombers, and were replaced with 2 x 12.7mm Berezin UBs
or 2 x 20mm ShVAK cannons mixed with 4 x .303's. or 4 x 7.62 mm machine guns.

MODIFICATIONS:

The Russians also made their own modifications to the Hurricane as a two-seat fighter wit an open cockpit for the gunner, I wonder what it did for the center of gravity besides being very cold for the gunner with his 1 x 7.62mm machine gun.

SURVIVORS:

Out of the 14,533 built during WWII, twelve survive
most are in museums around the world, with a few still airworthy...