Wars and ConflictsΒ permalink
Spitfire v Hurricane
This discussion has been closed.
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Message 1.Β
Posted by Goldfinches (U2947535) on Saturday, 4th March 2006
This weekend is a celebrated anniversary for the Spitfire fighter plane of world war two.
However, the Hurricane fighter plane to have been more effective in a variety of ways.
I would welcome comments from those that know these aircraft well. To my knowledge the Hurricane appears far less recognised/celebrated than the Spitfire - why might this be?
Cheers, Goldie -
Message 2
Posted by marduk-slayer of tiamat (U2258525) on Saturday, 4th March 2006
cos its less easily identifiable-if you see a spit, evena silhuoette of one, you know its a spit.
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Message 3
Posted by Goldfinches (U2947535) on Saturday, 4th March 2006
This site offers a pretty conclusive reason....
Strengths:
Structural strength, able to survive damage
Great reliablility, few mechanical failures
Adequate performance in the Far East, and North Africa
Excellent handling characteristics
Weaknesses:
Inadequate performance in the European Theatre of Operations (ETO) -
Message 4
Posted by Goldfinches (U2947535) on Saturday, 4th March 2006
Feature on Spitfire too - but no conlcluding statement.......... -
Message 5
Posted by Local Hero (U3080508) on Saturday, 4th March 2006
The Spitfire was a much more glamourous aeroplane to fly. It was a racing thoroughbred, while the Hurricane was a more of a work horse, if you get my drift. The Spit was faster, sleeker, handled better, and was a much more advanced design that the Hurricane and had much more room for improvement. Production of the Hurricane halted in 1941, but the Spitfire design evolved right up until the end of the war. It was used mainly to tackle enemy fighters, rather than shoot down enemy bombers, which was the preserve of the Hurricane during the Battle of Britian. This again made it more glamourous to the public at the time.
In saying that, the Hurricane shot down vastly more enemy planes than that Spitfire during the BofB (some stats attribute 80% of all kills made to the Hurricane) and Spitifres were proportionally more likely to get shot down.
The Hurricane deserves a better reputation for the Battle of Britian than popular perception gives it, but ultimately, the Spitfire was at the cutting edge of propeller-driven fighter design by the end of the war, whereas the Hurricane had been abandoned years before.
Michael -
Message 6
Posted by Grand Falcon Railroad (U3267675) on Saturday, 4th March 2006
The Hurricane was in many ways just a monoplane Hawker Fury as as such was going to be obsolete much sooner than the Spitfire with it's rather hi-tech approach.
The fact that Hurricanes were used in the main after 1941 as ground-attack aircraft shows that they were less able air-to-air combat fighter but highly capable "workhorses" especially somewhere where Spitfires could help with air superiority e.g. North Africa.
The Spitfire by the end of the war could only be matched by FW-190D's and P-51's (land based fighters) and probably the Sea Fury and Corsair (sea based). -
Message 7
Posted by FormerlyOldHermit (U3291242) on Saturday, 4th March 2006
The Spitfire was a much more glamourous aeroplane to fly. It was a racing thoroughbred, while the Hurricane was a more of a work horse, if you get my drift. The Spit was faster, sleeker, handled better, and was a much more advanced design that the Hurricane and had much more room for improvement. Production of the Hurricane halted in 1941, but the Spitfire design evolved right up until the end of the war. It was used mainly to tackle enemy fighters, rather than shoot down enemy bombers, which was the preserve of the Hurricane during the Battle of Britian. This again made it more glamourous to the public at the time.
In saying that, the Hurricane shot down vastly more enemy planes than that Spitfire during the BofB (some stats attribute 80% of all kills made to the Hurricane) and Spitifres were proportionally more likely to get shot down.
The Hurricane deserves a better reputation for the Battle of Britian than popular perception gives it, but ultimately, the Spitfire was at the cutting edge of propeller-driven fighter design by the end of the war, whereas the Hurricane had been abandoned years before.
²ΡΎ±³¦³σ²Ή±π±τΜύ
You mentioned the vastly different amounts of planes shot down. However, the Hurricanes had more targets to shoot down (bombers) than the Spitfires. Also the likelihood of Spits being shot down greatly increased because Spits were designated to attack the German fighters not the bombers. -
Message 8
Posted by Grand Falcon Railroad (U3267675) on Saturday, 4th March 2006
With regards with to Spitfire losses it would matter also whether or not you were flying a new or early model Spitfire and if you had machine guns or MG and 20mm cannon armament.
I guess it would also matter what was trying to get you down in regards to the German aircraft as well - Me109's or Me110's etc. -
Message 9
Posted by MB (U177470) on Saturday, 4th March 2006
You mentioned the vastly different amounts of planes shot down. However, the Hurricanes had more targets to shoot down (bombers) than the Spitfires. Also the likelihood of Spits being shot down greatly increased because Spits were designated to attack the German fighters not the bombers.Β
But the bombers were the ones dropping the bombs so they were the ones that needed shooting down. A group of bombers, even the small German ones, could put out a lot of ammunition so you needed an aircraft that could take some punishment.
Both the Hurricane and Spitfire had their own functions and played important parts in the Battle of Britain.
It was said that every German shot down claimed he had been shot down by a Spitfire so it tended to exaggerate their importance.
MB -
Message 10
Posted by Grumpyfred (U2228930) on Sunday, 5th March 2006
I may have said this before, but if the Spitfire ahd had the same lead in time as both the Merlin Chopper, and the new Typhoon, the R A F would have received the first ones about 1956/7
Fred -
Message 11
Posted by Grand Falcon Railroad (U3267675) on Sunday, 5th March 2006
Yeah - in 1956/57 Adolf Galland now Chief of Staff of the Lutwaffe took delivery of the Mk1 Spitfire from Sumpermarine GmBH and said they were the finest aircraft he'd ever seen with a propeller and hope they'd compliment the new Messerschmit fighter jets just delivered in 1954/5.
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Message 12
Posted by Local Hero (U3080508) on Sunday, 5th March 2006
The Spitfire was a much more glamourous aeroplane to fly. It was a racing thoroughbred, while the Hurricane was a more of a work horse, if you get my drift. The Spit was faster, sleeker, handled better, and was a much more advanced design that the Hurricane and had much more room for improvement. Production of the Hurricane halted in 1941, but the Spitfire design evolved right up until the end of the war. It was used mainly to tackle enemy fighters, rather than shoot down enemy bombers, which was the preserve of the Hurricane during the Battle of Britian. This again made it more glamourous to the public at the time.
In saying that, the Hurricane shot down vastly more enemy planes than that Spitfire during the BofB (some stats attribute 80% of all kills made to the Hurricane) and Spitifres were proportionally more likely to get shot down.
The Hurricane deserves a better reputation for the Battle of Britian than popular perception gives it, but ultimately, the Spitfire was at the cutting edge of propeller-driven fighter design by the end of the war, whereas the Hurricane had been abandoned years before.
²ΡΎ±³¦³σ²Ή±π±τΜύ
You mentioned the vastly different amounts of planes shot down. However, the Hurricanes had more targets to shoot down (bombers) than the Spitfires. Also the likelihood of Spits being shot down greatly increased because Spits were designated to attack the German fighters not the bombers.Β
You make an excellent point.
Michael -
Message 13
Posted by Grumpyfred (U2228930) on Sunday, 5th March 2006
The last Hurricane was delivered PZ 865, was delivered Sept. 1944.
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Message 14
Posted by Grumpyfred (U2228930) on Sunday, 5th March 2006
Sorry that should read Was PZ 865, and was delivered Sept. 1944.
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Message 15
Posted by Goldfinches (U2947535) on Sunday, 5th March 2006
I have been told that the 'wrong' Spitfire is often used in movies. Something to do with the design or length of wing.
So a latter design of the aircraft is seen flying in , e.g . Battle of Britain or similar scenes.
Anyone have more detail on this? -
Message 16
Posted by MB (U177470) on Sunday, 5th March 2006
I have been told that the 'wrong' Spitfire is often used in movies. Something to do with the design or length of wing.
So a latter design of the aircraft is seen flying in , e.g . Battle of Britain or similar scenes.
Anyone have more detail on this?Β
Bit like the Me109 being Spanish Hispano HA-1112 Buchons. They have to use whatever they can get their hands on though nowadays they will be mainly computer animations of course.
More in Spitfires in the movies here
MB
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