Hurricane G-AFKX question

Read the forum code of contact

Member for

19 years 3 months

Posts: 125

hello all

Does anyone know if Hurricane G-AFKX, as used by Hawker for engine & propeller tests, ever received metal wings? And what became of this aircraft?

cheers

gv

Original post

Member for

16 years 6 months

Posts: 92

Apparently it was WFU in May 1941 and it received metal wings in June 1940. I have seen a picture somewhere of it in camouflage but I don't know when the picture was taken.

I hope this helps.

FC

Member for

17 years 7 months

Posts: 1,861

.... and it received metal wings in June 1940.

Hi Fatcivvy, where do you have these info from? Would be nice to know?
Martin

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 10,029

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v634/Mark12/Album%203/HurricaneG-AFKX002.jpg

Member for

17 years 11 months

Posts: 2,605

Different...

Oooohhhh Shiney!!!:eek:
Cheers Mark12...Nice one..

Member for

16 years 6 months

Posts: 92

Hi Fatcivvy, where do you have these info from? Would be nice to know?
Martin

Martin,

I got the info from the Putnams' book, British Civil Aircraft 1919-1972: Volume II by A.J. Jackson.

FC

Member for

17 years 7 months

Posts: 1,861

Martin,

I got the info from the Putnams' book, British Civil Aircraft 1919-1972: Volume II by A.J. Jackson.

FC

FC, thanks! :)
Martin

Member for

18 years 1 month

Posts: 274

G-AFKX

Was this the machine known as the langley defence hurricane!!!

Member for

19 years 3 months

Posts: 125

excellent Gents, thanks for all the responses, and the pic is great!

So can I correctly assume then that this machine went back to the RAF (or RN) at some point with metal wings, which were installed after its time spent as a Hawker test machine?

I have seen a couple of different versions of the civil reg from a few different sources; were they blue or black?

cheers, and thanks again!

greg v.

P.S. Pardon my ignorance, but what does "WFU" stand for? (edit: got it, "withdrawn from use"; I was thinking in terms of RAF acronyms...)

Attachments

Member for

19 years 3 months

Posts: 125

G-AFKX was ex L1606 and I believe still in use in 1943. AJJ has one photograph of it.

http://www.ajjcollection.co.uk/AFAA.HTM

Ok, it took me a decade but I contacted David at AJJ... turns out they had three pics of G-AFKX, two of which clearly show the black civil reg (black was noted on the back of one of the photos) on the underside of the wings. There are no shots showing the topside of the wings, but I'm going on the assumption that the civil reg was there as well. I asked David if I could post the pics here but there's some issue with 3rd party websites etc. Sorry gents.

All the pics are of the aircraft still in it's fabric wing phase, and clearly show no trace of gun ports or ejection chutes, plus an early pitot under the wing as well as early tailwheel leg and windshield.

cheers

gv

Member for

19 years 9 months

Posts: 1,777

There is a picture taken 'in the second half of 1943' of it in Day Fighter camouflage, but with G-AFKX marked where the serial would be on a service aircraft. It was published in Gordon Swanborough's 'British Aircraft at War 1939-1945' (The book version of the Air Pictorial series)

Quite a fuzzy pic, so you can't really tell what wing it has, but if pushed I'd say metal, as the landing light looks a little further outboard

Member for

19 years 3 months

Posts: 125

Cool, thanks for the info Dave.

Member for

19 years 9 months

Posts: 1,777

As I had the book out[ATTACH=CONFIG]250953[/ATTACH]

Attachments

Member for

15 years 4 months

Posts: 957

It is difficult to be certain from the photo, but could this aircraft have had its non-standard nose ring replaced in its final state? Originally the nose ring was a one-off designed to match the diameter of the early Rotol spinner.

Member for

12 years 4 months

Posts: 98

[ATTACH=CONFIG]250958[/ATTACH]

Could G-AFKX be the Langley Defence Hurricane?.
Image taken from Aircam Aviation Series No.24

Attachments

Member for

15 years 4 months

Posts: 957

It would seem not, as this would require a new fuselage as well as a new wing, to cope with the Merlin XX. Presumably it would also have been listed amongst those aircraft converted from Mk.I to Mk.II standard: memory suggests that none were of such an early build standard.

I believe that a serial has been suggested for the Langley Hurricane, though I don't recall which. Could this have been featured in the AFAIK section of Air Britain, or on their website?

Member for

12 years 4 months

Posts: 98

G-AFKX was based on Mk.I airframe (contrary to the usual photo captions) originally allocated serial L1606 and I believe a replacement L1606 was built, because it seems to have the shorter wing root fairing associated with the shorter Mk.I nose. It should, on the other hand, have had a performance similar to the Mk.II, as G-AFKX had by 1941 been fitted with a Merlin 45 engine and metal wings.

Member for

15 years 4 months

Posts: 957

As the Merlin 45 was a single stage single geared Merlin, like the original Mk.III, then that's another hint that it wasn't the same aircraft as the Langley Hurricane. Though of course it would be possible to put the shorter engine into a Mk.II airframe - as was indeed done once for 880 Sq on HMS Indomitable - it must have been rare.