The Hawker Hurricat.

Discussion in 'The War In The Air' started by Peter Clare, May 15, 2009.

  1. Peter Clare

    Peter Clare Very Senior Member

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    The Hawker Hurricat was a ship based Hurricane launched from a catapult powered by a cluster of thirteen solid fuel rockets. It was developed to counter the Focke Wulf FW 200 Condor in what was a one way mission since there was no place were the plane could land afterwards, because of that it was flown only by volunteers. The first battle between a Hurricat and a Condor occurred on the 3rd of August 1941 and ended with the destruction of the Condor. For shooting down the Condor, the pilot, Lt. Robert Everett was awarded the DSO. He was killed the following year while on active service.
     
  2. Za Rodinu

    Za Rodinu Hot air manufacturer

    ' Takes balls!
     
  3. skyhawk

    skyhawk Senior Member

    The first operational launch was from HMS Pegasus on 11 january 1941. After chasing away the condor, the Fulmar flown by petty officer J Shaw made a safe landing an Aldergrove. Subsequently another landed at Sydenham on the 7th june, a third crashed into a hillside on 7th july. On the 27th August Fulmar N4072 was launched from HMS Ariguani and after engaging the enemy sub- lieutenant Birrell / Leading Airman Sykes flew for 2 hours to make a landing at Tramore Strand Co Donegal. He was able to take off again and made his way to Eglinton.
    Hawker sea hurricanes were also allocated to the task and were to prove much more affective in the role. HMS Maplin which was based in Belfast soon became the only ship manned by FAA pilots and crew. On 3rd april 1941 whilst escorting a convoy from Sierra Leone and 450 miles from Lands End , Squadron senior pilot Lieutenant Bob Everett was catapulted off to attack an approaching Focke-Wolf Condor. His shooting down of the condor was the first destruction by any CAM ship pilot of an enemy aircraft attacking a convoy. After the engagement he ditched his hurricane and was picked up by the convoy escort destroyer HMS Wanderer.

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    On the 14 september Lieutenant Cecil Walker destroyed a second condor after being launched from Maplin and baled out into the sea to be picked up by escort destroyer HMS Rochester. Sub-Lieutenant David Right RNVR 804 Squadron joined as a junior pilot in October 1941, being twice embarked in Maplin on convoy protection duty, between which he was based at Sydenham, which later changed its name to RAF Belfast. While at Sydenham he spent many an evening in the bar of the Grand Central Hotel in Belfast, which was the in-place at the time. After 1942 CAM ships activity ceased in favour of small aircraft carriers, which were becoming available to protect convoys under the American lease/lend agreement.

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  4. nicks

    nicks Very Senior Member

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