Hawker Hurricane even more prolific and versatile?

[tomo pauk]

The backbone of RAF FC when mattered, while later serving as attack aircraft, tank buster, and as navalized fighter. So let's have another 5000-10000 examples made in the whole world before 1945, while also fulfilling the roles you can think it will be at least decent in doing + what was already doing. Expand user base if needed.
No, Spitfire does not get cancelled

To start the ball rolling - Henley does not get built, while Gloster phases the Gladiator earlier so it can make Hurricanes.

 

[Peg Leg Pom]

The Typhoon is cancelled due to engine problems and the fact the tail keeps coming off in a dive. With no other option for a ground attack fighter production of the Hurricane not only continues but is stepped up to fill the gap. Hurricane variants receive all the Merlin upgrades.

The Sea Hurricane is built from scratch as a fully navalised fighter with folding wings and increased range, entering service in November 1939 it serves until the end of the war. These are new build aircraft, not rehashed and worn out RAF castoffs. A Sea Hurricane variant is briefly built in the US by Brewster with Twin Wasp radial engines for use on Escort Carriers in the Atlantic. Some 150 are built before common sense prevails. RN complaints about build quality bring very unwelcome attention to the company.

 

[Cryhavoc101]

My usual Castle Bromwich pulls its finger out earlier POD results in more Spitfires for FC allowing for a 50/50 split in Squadrons (24 each as opposed to 19/29 mix) rather than the 60/40 split not including Defiant (2 Squadrons) and Blenheim (8 Squadrons).

This results in fewer Hurricane Squadrons (24 vs 29 OTL) allows for the full allocation of 24 aircraft on strength for each squadron on June 1st as opposed to the average of just 18 OTL.

This results in far less burden on each squadron keeping 12 aircraft operation at any given moment (on average 1/4 of all aircraft would be undergoing routine planned maintenance at any given moment and 18 aircraft provides a very small margin)

With the burden on the Hurricane 'estate' of aircraft and supporting industry's much reduced the Royal Navy's request for a decent single engine fleet defence fighter is more easily responded too and on the same day the Fairey Fulmar enters service full development begins on the Sea Hurricane

(Note this is in addition to the 'CAM Hurricanes' of OTL)

An unholy triumvirate of Hawkers, Vickers and Fairey designers very quickly designs a simple folding wing and 6 months later final assembly for 300 fighters is given to Folland Aircraft on the Hamble in Hampshire near Southampton with production/final assembly starting from April

Although Folland Aircraft only manage to construct 70 odd airframes before the fall of France resulting in Sea Hurricane production halting with all efforts for the next 4 months quite rightly focused on supporting the Hurricane 'fleet' for Fighter command - with those 70 aircraft being used to form 2 operational RN FAA Squadrons used to defend Scapa Flow and free up FC assets for the rest of the UK.

During Oct with the Battle of Britain won production resumes on the Sea Hurricane and by the new year 5 FAA Squadrons (each with a shadow squadron) are stood up and operating from the Carriers Formidable, Ark Royal, Furious and 2 'land based squadrons' 1 each based at Scapa Flow and Gibraltar.

The Navy had also decided that the Sea Hurricane being a superior fighter to the Fulmar, request that this plane replaces further Fulmar Orders and so a further 600 Sea Hurricane IIA are ordered in late 1940.

This version of the aircraft benefitting from the improved engine and leveraging improvements made to the 'land' based variant such as the armament of 4 x HS404 20mm cannon and the first Squadrons convert to this plane in mid 41 and it is this aircraft upon which the burden of the Mediterranean battles fall

It is primarily through the Navy's insistence on 20mm cannon armed fighters that all RAF produced Hurricanes are also built with the Cannon wing and the 12 machine gun version is never put into production.

Aware that the Performance gap of the MKIIA verses the latest German fighters is increasing the Navy seeks to leverage development of the Griffon Engine resulting in the Sea Hurricane MkVc - the most produced variant of the Sea Hurricane - which enters operational service in mid 42 with a 1700 HP Griffon - 450 are ordered

It is 24 of these aircraft operating from the escort carriers Avenger and Biter that inflicted so many losses on Luftflotte 5 during the defence of PQ18

Again the improved Navy version leverages further improvements to the RAFs fighters and with serious issues being experienced with the Typhoon, a griffon engine version of the Hurricane also named the Hurricane Vc is produced as a fighter bomber, the difference being the aircraft being slightly better armoured against ground fire, with several thousand made between late 1942 and 1944 and Rocket equipped MKVs are a common feature in the skys above Normandy and in Burma.

The last variant of the Sea Hurricane is the MK X with a full blown bubble canopy and 2200 HP Griffon is seen as the best of the Hurricane fighters - with over 340 delivered to the RN before VJ day but with the US made Hellcats and Corsairs being provided in large numbers, both having superior performance, particulalrly in range, the MK X is mainly used on Escort carriers and primarily as fighter bombers in the closing stages of the Pacific war

 

[Driftless]

Have a change of armament philosophy in 1938, or so, range; where a pair of 20mm guns are designed in to replace two pairs of .303 guns on the Hurricane? That version of the Hurricane would be planned as a bomber killer, maybe as "Plan B" for the intended 4x20mm Cannon fighters - just in case they don't pan out, or are delayed in development.

 

[CanveyFanNumberOne]

The Hurricane having a better performance may impact on how much funding the Luftwaffe gets for their own fighter development, especially after September 3rd 1939.

 

[GrahamB]

If the Fleet Air Arm cancels their requirement for naval fighters to carry a navigator early (perhaps with some improvements in radio navigation and/or a toning down of the paranoia about radio interception I keep running across) I think the Sea Hurricane would do quite well, likely to become the mainstay of the fleet. Merlin production in the early war might become the limiting factor in availability though, would you still count it as a Hurricane if the FAA commissions a radial version like the RAF did for their bombers or would a new name be in order?

I'm now imagining the Typhoon and Tempest designed from the start as naval aircraft, but that's outside the scope of this thread.

It is primarily through the Navy's insistence on 20mm cannon armed fighters that all RAF produced Hurricanes are also built with the Cannon wing and the 12 machine gun version is never put into production.

I rather like this, not only is 4x20mm a good and versatile payload, I fancy it'd be lighter than the wing stuffed full of MGs!

 

[NOMISYRRUC]

An unholy triumvirate of Hawkers, Vickers and Fairey designers very quickly designs a simple folding wing and 6 months later final assembly for 300 fighters is given to Folland Aircraft on the Hamble in Hampshire near Southampton with production/final assembly starting from April.

Quote from Page 235 of British Naval Aircraft since 1912 by Owen Thetford.

Although a scheme was prepared for a Hurricane with folding wings, this modification was never incorporated, and all sea Hurricanes had fixed wings.

My guess is that the wingspan would be reduced from 40 feet to the diameter of the propeller disc, which I estimate to be 12 feet 6 inches by measuring the drawing in the book.

However, the folding panels are 15 feet long, which will make it difficult for a folded aircraft to fit inside the hangars. That is unless they fold backwards instead of upwards.

 

[Driftless]

Sideline the turret fighters. Just don't make them (either the Defiant nor the Roc). That would free up material resource and factory floor space.

 

[andys]

I wonder if Sea Hurricanes could mean more aircraft sent to Malta on the Club Runs, if their wing fold means they take up less deck space than a Spitfire?

 

[BlackDragon98]

The Hurricane was a good fighter in Southeast Asia because it wasn't of all metal construction and the plane itself was rather modular.
Maybe a lot more Hurricanes are dispatched to Malaya and Singapore and they manage to hold off the Japanese advance for reinforcements from India to arrive?
Maybe there could be a Hurricane factory in India even?

 

[Peg Leg Pom]

The Hurricane (and Henley) would have been a good choice for production in India due to its relatively unsophisticated structure. Setting up engine production for it would be a problem though.

 

[Driftless]

The Hurricane (and Henley) would have been a choice for production in India due to its relatively unsophisticated structure. Setting up engine production for it would be a problem though.

Perhaps, early days, the engines are shipped in crates from Britain to India, for installation there? Crated engines would be fairly condensed, but particularly high-value cargo shipped a great distance across contested waters.

*edit*
A further question: with any of the Merlins shipped off-shore for use as replacements, how complete were the engines? Meaning, were they needing exterior electrical, cooling system plumbing hardware, other add-ons to be installed on site?

 

[BlackDragon98]

Perhaps, early days, the engines are shipped in crates from Britain to India, for installation there? Crated engines would be fairly condensed, but particularly high-value cargo shipped a great distance across contested waters.

*edit*
A further question: with any of the Merlins shipped off-shore for use as replacements, how complete were the engines? Meaning, were they needing exterior electrical, cooling system plumbing hardware, other add-ons to be installed on site?

Power-egg - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Apparently the UK had such provision back in 1937.
The Merlin X was made into such power-eggs but the X was only used on bombers.

And the whole power egg system was made for multi-engine aircraft, not single engine fighters.
So TBH, I dunno.

 

[Cryhavoc101]

Quote from Page 235 of British Naval Aircraft since 1912 by Owen Thetford.
My guess is that the wingspan would be reduced from 40 feet to the diameter of the propeller disc, which I estimate to be 12 feet 6 inches by measuring the drawing in the book.

However, the folding panels are 15 feet long, which will make it difficult for a folded aircraft to fit inside the hangars. That is unless they fold backwards instead of upwards.

They could fold backwards - it was all the rage with earlier war Carrier fighters (Wildcats F4F-4, Skua, Roc and Fulmar)

So an earlier Sea Hurricane might very likely have been a fold back design?

Or folding wingtips like the Seafire

Or the fold is further 'outboard' perhaps where the landing lights are positioned outboard of the machine guns/cannon

 

[NOMISYRRUC]

They could fold backwards - it was all the rage with earlier war Carrier fighters (Wildcats F4F-4, Skua, Roc and Fulmar)

So an earlier Sea Hurricane might very likely have been a fold back design?

Or folding wingtips like the Seafire

Or the fold is further 'outboard' perhaps where the landing lights are positioned outboard of the machine guns/cannon

If that's how the wings were to be folded two or three "Folding Sea Hurricanes" could be stored in the same space as the OTL Sea Hurricane. Which suggests to me that there was a very good reason why it wasn't done. All I can think of is that the extra weight reduced its performance too much.

 

[USS_Ward]

I think the Sea Hurricane would do quite well, likely to become the mainstay of the fleet

I can definitely see that. The Sea Hurricane could be the RN equivalent of the Wildcat and could even depending on performance compared to the wildcat perhaps replace the Martlet/Wildcat in RN service?

 

[tomo pauk]

Sideline the turret fighters. Just don't make them (either the Defiant nor the Roc). That would free up material resource and factory floor space.

Right on the money there. BP making 1000+ Hurricanes instead of 1000+ Defiants is a big gain for the Allied side in 1940-41 - right when it was needed most.

 

[Cryhavoc101]

If that's how the wings were to be folded two or three "Folding Sea Hurricanes" could be stored in the same space as the OTL Sea Hurricane. Which suggests to me that there was a very good reason why it wasn't done. All I can think of is that the extra weight reduced its performance too much.

The F4F-4 with its folding wing and additional 2 machine guns suffered a marginal performance hit over the none folding F4F-3

Whatever the performance hit might be I would think that a folding wing Hurricane would still have a marked performance superiority over the Fulmar in every aspect except pure range

 

[Driftless]

They could fold backwards - it was all the rage with earlier war Carrier fighters (Wildcats F4F-4, Skua, Roc and Fulmar)

So an earlier Sea Hurricane might very likely have been a fold back design?

Or folding wingtips like the Seafire

Or the fold is further 'outboard' perhaps where the landing lights are positioned outboard of the machine guns/cannon

The wing folding joint would have to be outboard of the landing gear, where there isn't much room between the landing gear anchor and the most inboard of the guns. Is there enough room to engineer in a joint there, or would it need to be further outboard?

 

[marathag]

The Hurricane (and Henley) would have been a good choice for production in India due to its relatively unsophisticated structure. Setting up engine production for it would be a problem though.

radial power is a way out of that