'Can Someone Explain To Me How...'

Engine and metal (al-you-minium) control surfaces.


The Spitty had some fabric covered surfaces. That would take a huge (many pounds) of weight out of the equasion.


Thats my theory and I am sticking with it. I had always thought the Spit was a smaller bird then a Hurry.

Bill
 
Lionheart said:
Engine and metal (al-you-minium) control surfaces.


The Spitty had some fabric covered surfaces. That would take a huge (many pounds) of weight out of the equasion.


Thats my theory and I am sticking with it. I had always thought the Spit was a smaller bird then a Hurry.

Bill
Click to expand...

I cheated...I read up a bit, and the first thing I read was that the Hurricane is a larger airplane...I figured larger is heavier...:kilroy:
 
The Hurri was larger, had steel tube fuselage, stronger gear, and thicker wings, which equals more structural weight.
 
I've been told, by someone who's flown both, that the Hurricane was the last of the bi-planes with an older style of construction e.g. fabric covered surfaces and an internal structure that takes all the loads. Hawker just forgot to put a second wing on.
The Spitfire was in essence the first of the jet age with a monocoque structure where the skin shares the structural load allowing a lower overall weight for the same expected g/aerodynamic forces.
Supermarine just couldn't get a jet because they hadn't been invented.
He preferred the Wildcat interestingly enough, couldn't stand the Hurricane.
 
If you look at most of the inter-war Hawker biplanes, you can see the basic shape of the Hurricane well before the monoplane flew.

The Hurricane is also significantly larger than the Spitfire all round, although the Spit (particularly later ones) is longer from spinner tip to tail light. If you ever stand next to the two, one of the first things that strikes you is how small a Spitfire really is - then you find out that the Bf109 is even smaller! You couldn't have wide shoulders and actually get into a 109, let alone fly the thing.
 
Spitfire pilots were denied access to the donut bar, while Hurricane pilots were allowed full access.
 
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