(Image: UK Government, public domain)
It may not have been as fast or glamorous as its more famous counterpart the Spitfire. But the Hawker Hurricane‘s relatively low cost, simple construction and ease of manufacture – not to mention the fact that it was an excellent aircraft that could hold its own against the German Luftwaffe – made it the workhorse of RAF Fighter Command during the Battle of Britain. Its reliability and adaptability were such that between 1937 and 1944, an impressive 14,583 were built.
The main Hawker plant and its satellites in the UK and overseas employed both men and women on the factory floor. Above, Winnie Bennett, Dolly Bennett and Florence Simpson work on the forward fuselage of a partially assembled Hurricane, one of many lined up side-by-side awaiting the fitting of major components. Below, Winnie and Dolly Bennett work on what is possibly the same aircraft. Both of these photos were taken in 1942.
(Image: UK Government, public domain)
Meanwhile, the Canada Car and Foundary in Fort William, Ontario, produced over 1,400 Hurricane Mk Xs. The factory’s chief engineer was Elsie MacGill, the world’s first female aircraft designer. Following the successful production run, MacGill was crowned ‘Queen of the Hurricanes’ and later became the subject of a US comic book.
(Image: National Archives of Canada, public domain)
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