1942 Hawker Hurricane Mk. XII

Manufacturer: Original Design - Hawker Aircraft Corporation, London, UK; Builder - Canada Car and Foundry Ltd. (CanCar), Fort William (Thunder Bay), Ontario, CA
Engine: Packard Merlin 29, V12, water-cooled
Power: 969.4 kW (1,300 hp)
Weight: Empty - 2605 kg (5,743 lb); Full - 3480 kg (7,672 lb)
Wing Span: 12.2 m (40 ft)
Maximum Air Speed: 531 km/h (330 mph)
Range: 483 km (300 mi)
Capacity: 1 pilot

This 1942 Hawker Hurricane was built in July 1942 as a 12-gun Mk. XII variant, with twelve 7.7 mm (0.303 in) Browning machine guns; however, eight of the 12 guns were removed, in order to decrease the aircraft’s overall weight, allowing it to achieve a higher altitude. It was part of Number 135 “Bulldog” Squadron, which was posted at Patricia Bay, British Columbia on August 8, 1943 and was used in coastal defence until November 2, 1944. It was involved in two accidents during this time; one resulted in a fatality. Later, it was assigned to Number 2 Air Command and converted to intercept Japanese fire balloons. In 1946, it was sold as surplus with less than 477 flight hours to a farmer in southern Saskatchewan. It was purchased by Stan Reynolds in 1960 and was restored to flight-worthy condition in 1989; it went through a second, more recent restoration in 2019-2020 which gave it back its original military styling.

By 1937, the Hawker Aircraft Corporation was a well-established manufacturer of both civilian and military aircraft. Due to limited production facilities, Hawker awarded a contract to Canada Car and Foundry (CanCar) in Fort William (Thunder Bay), Ontario to produce the Hurricane. From the British point of view, Canada’s remoteness from Europe would ensure an uninterrupted supply of aircraft. Production began in 1938 using largely imported components. The majority of the aircraft produced were Marks X, XI and XII, which were all strictly Canadian-built. Production ended in 1943 after 1450 Hurricanes were built. CanCar then switched to producing the Curtiss Helldiver, making 833 before the end of the war.

From late 1944 through the spring of 1945, after discovering that the “jet stream” could propel a small balloon across the Pacific in only three days, the Japanese launched nearly 9000 fire balloons in an attempt to set fire to the forests of western Canada and the USA. The balloons were made of rice paper and filled with hydrogen, and were equipped with an altimeter that allowed for ballast to be discharged or hydrogen to be vented, maintaining the proper altitude. The balloons were 10 m (33 ft) in diameter and carried 453.4 kg (1,000 lb) of gear, including an incendiary device. They were largely unsuccessful, because forests were too wet to ignite. They were found from Mexico to the Yukon and California to Michigan.

Chronology:
1920 - Harry Hawker, Thomas Sopwith and three others establish H.G. Hawker Engineering.
1933 - The company is renamed Hawker Aircraft Limited.
1935 - Hawker merges with Armstrong Siddeley and is renamed Hawker Siddeley Aircraft; it continues to produce designs under the "Hawker" name.
1936 - After the successful flight of the prototype, the Hawker Hurricane is put into production.
1937 - The first production Hurricane is flown by Flight Lieutenant Philip Lucas.
1938 - Canadian Car and Foundry (CanCar) Ltd. in Fort William (Thunder Bay), Ontario begins manufacturing Hurricanes under license.
1942 - This Hurricane Mk. XII is manufactured
1943 - This Hurricane is stationed at Patricia Bay, British Columbia where it patrols the coast with Number 145 "Bulldog" Squadron.
1943 - CanCar ceases production of Hurricanes.
1944 - This Hurricane is retired from service.
1946 - This Hurricane is sold as surplus to a farmer in southern Saskatchewan.
1960 - Stan Reynolds acquires this Hurricane.
1989 - Stan restores this Hurricane to flight worthy condition.
2001 - This Hurricane is added to the Reynolds-Alberta Museum Collection.
2019-2020 - This Hurricane is re-restored by Museum staff and volunteers.