The Hawker Hurricane was the first monoplane to join the Royal Air Force as a fighter aircraft, capable of reaching speeds in excess of 300-mph in level flight. Often compared with the sleek-looking Supermarine Spitfire, the Hurricane, in actuality, shouldered the brunt of the fighting during the "Battle of Britain", equipping more than three-fifths of the RAF's Fighter Command squadrons. When it lost its edge as a dogfighter in 1941, the Hurricane took on a number of other roles, including ground attack missions and maritime combat air patrols.

Pictured here is a 1:72 scale replica of a RAF Hawker Hurricane Mk. I fighter that was flown by Plt. Off. Alois Vasatko, who was attached to No.312 (Czechoslovak) Squadron, during 1940. Now in stock!

Dimensions:
Wingspan: 6-inches
Length: 5-inches

Release Date: June 2011

Historical Account: "Czech-Mates" - No.312 Squadron RAF was a Czechoslovakian-manned fighter squadron of the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. It was first formed at Duxford in July 1940, equipped with Hurricane I fighters and crewed mostly by escaped Czechslovakian pilots. Its first victory was a Junkers Ju 88 above Liverpool by Alois Vatko, Denys Gillam and Josef Stehak on October 8th,1940. It transitioned to Hurricane IIs in May 1941, and to Spitfires in October. It operated the Spitfires from the west of England during 1942 mainly operating coastal patrols and shipping reconnaissance flights. In September 1943, it joined the 2nd Tactical Air Force as a fighter-bomber unit with the Spitfire IX. The squadron operated over France softening up targets in preparation for the invasion and then supporting the landings. In July 1944,the squadron moved to RAF Coltishall and operated daytime bomber escort flight over continental Europe. Following the end of the war the squadron moved to Prague in August 1945 before being disbanded on transfer to the Czechoslovakian air force in February 1946.

Among other major operations, it flew in cover of the Operation Jubilee raid on Dieppe in 1942, losing one aircraft.