Crimea_River
Marshal
Username: Crimea River
First name: Andy
Category: Judge – Non competing
Scale: 1/48
Manufacturer: Hasegawa
Model Type: Hawker Hurricane Mk. IIb
Aftermarket addons: Ultracast resin conversion set for RCAF Hurricane spinner/propeller, Ultracast Hurricane MkI exhausts
The subject of this build will be Hawker Hurricane 5389 as it served with 133 (F) Squadron, RCAF at Tofino British Columbia in July 1943.
The history of the Hawker Hurricane covering its service over the fields and towns of England, the sands of the desert, and the jungles of Burma is well known and documented. More obscure is the use of the Hurricane by the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) Home War Establishment (HWE). The following summary was has been compiled using information provided in a series of articles written by Jim Bates for the magazine "Random Thoughts" which comes with membership in IPMS Canada. In addition, images and other facts are pulled from The Calgary Mosquito Society
With increasing tensions in Europe, the RCAF in the late 1930s began casting about for a modern single engine fighter aircraft to build its home defenses, the fighter complement consisting then of just 6 Armstrong-Whitworth Siskin IIIAs which had been in service for over a decade. The RAF was approached to explore the possibility of making available some Spitfires or Hurricanes and, though an arrangement involving the former was rejected, a deal was reached which saw the delivery to Canada of an initial batch of 10 Hurricanes in February/March 1939 with a second batch arriving later in the same year. These aircraft made up Canada's home defense fighter force until May 1940, at which time No. 1 Fighter (F) Squadron packed up all of their Hurricanes and moved to England to help defend the island against the Luftwaffe.
Shortly before Canada received its first Hurricanes from the RAF, the British Air Ministry (BAM) recognized the need to expand its production of fighters and awarded a contract in November 1940 to Canadian Car and Foundry (CC&F) to build 40 Hurricanes for the RAF. The first Canadian built Hurricane, P5170 took to the skies on January 10, 1940 and the CC&F went on to build some 1451 Hurricanes during the war as additional orders came in. As Jim Bates says in his article, "One can only imagine the RCAF's frustration in late 1940 and early 1941 while trying to acquire a modern fighter aircraft, given that hundreds of an acceptable design were being built locally, but the BAM would not release a single aircraft to the RCAF."
There then occurred a convoluted series of diversions of Canadian-produced Hurricanes to serve in local units and these stories could fill many pages. These aircraft were eventually returned and modified by the CC&F and, along with new Hurricanes that eventually became designated as Mk XIIs as part of an order for 400 from the RCAF delivered beginning in 1942, finally enabled the RCAF to bolster its home defenses. Six Hurricane Squadrons eventually formed Eastern Air Command and were all deployed along the Atlantic seaboard whereas two squadrons, 133 (F) and 135 (F) were placed in the Western Air Command (WAC). A further number of Hurricanes were placed in training squadrons.
The two WAC squadrons were deployed to a number of bases along Canada's west coast at various times (135 squadron even had its Hurricanes based in Alaska in the latter half of 1943) and were charged with defending the west coast of Canada from possible attack by Japanese forces. As we all know, Japanese military activity in this regard was very limited so missions largely consisted of patrols, weather flights, and drills. For further reading, an interesting article on 135 (F) Squadron can be found here.
As the war continued, the Hurricanes of the WAC eventually were replaced by P-40s and the Hurricanes became surplus with many ending up in "Stored Reserve". Whereas many ended up being converted and sent overseas to Russia and Burma, a number of stored Hurricanes were reactivated in 1944 as "Prairie Hurricanes". To quote Bates again, "In late 1944, the Japanese started launching balloon bombs that would drift along the upper atmospheric currents toward North America. There was much concern in U.S. and Canadian military and political circles not only that these bombs would drop on civilian populations and invoke terror, but that they would drop on unpopulated, but heavily wooded areas, and the small bomb load would ignite the surrounding vegetation which could result in large forest fires in western and central North America. To combat this threat, a number of Hurricanes were removed from storage, assigned to No. 2 Air Command, and based at BCATP [Bomber Command Air Training Plan] stations in Alberta and Saskatchewan. The intent was to base one or two aircraft at designated stations to intercept any balloons that drifted toward the prairies. Eight of these Hurricanes were modified by 8 Repair Depot (RD) at RCAF Stn. Winnipeg. Here they 'were stripped of machine guns and camera guns. One machine gun being reinstalled and harmonized.' This was done to lighten the aircraft and afford them the highest possible climb rate. These modifications certainly must have created quite a 'hot-rod' Hurricane. While many sightings and interceptions were carried out, it is unclear if any Hurricanes were successful in shooting down a balloon. (There is an unconfirmed report that a balloon landing in Strathmore, Alberta, on March 28 1945, was shot down by an RCAF fighter. Logically this could only be one of the Prairie Hurricanes.) By the summer of 1945, the balloon threat had lessened and the Hurricanes stood down from their watch."
The subject of my build will be a Canadian-built Hurricane bearing the RCAF serial number 5389. This Hurricane was built in 1942 by the Canadian Car & Foundry, Fort William (now Thunder Bay), Ontario and was taken on strength on June 23, 1942. On July 3, 1942, 5389 was assigned to No. 133 (Fighter) Squadron, Lethbridge, Alberta and coded as FN*M. The Squadron code FN was typically not displayed on the aircraft at this time; only the individual aircraft letter was carried.
Lethbridge is a two hour drive from where I live and, to this day, their professional hockey team is still called the Hurricanes. Until recently, their logo actually showed the aircraft:
On Oct 5, 1942, No. 133 (F) Squadron was transferred to the Western Air Command and relocated to RCAF Station Boundary Bay, British Columbia for home defense. It is at this location that the only known period photograph of 5389 exists (source Library and Archives Canada):
During its service, 5389 was flown by a number of Canadian pilots, two of whom became aces in Europe: Don Laubman ( 15 victories) and Buck McNair (16 Victories).
The Squadron transferred to Tofino on July 1, 1943 and two weeks later, 5389 suffered a crash, was sent for repairs, and ended up in "Stored Reserve". In March of 1945, 5389 was flown to No. 23 EFTS, Yorkton, SK to intercept and shoot down Japanese fire balloons. The aircraft was struck from service in August of 1946 and purchased by a farmer in Southern Saskatchewan. After a private purchase in 1962 to be displayed in a museum in Calgary, my home town, the aircraft became the property of the City and is now being restored to mechanically functional but non-flying condition by the Calgary Mosquito Aircraft Society, of which I am a member.
The aircraft today, nearing completion:
And with me in my favourite seat:
First name: Andy
Category: Judge – Non competing
Scale: 1/48
Manufacturer: Hasegawa
Model Type: Hawker Hurricane Mk. IIb
Aftermarket addons: Ultracast resin conversion set for RCAF Hurricane spinner/propeller, Ultracast Hurricane MkI exhausts
The subject of this build will be Hawker Hurricane 5389 as it served with 133 (F) Squadron, RCAF at Tofino British Columbia in July 1943.
The history of the Hawker Hurricane covering its service over the fields and towns of England, the sands of the desert, and the jungles of Burma is well known and documented. More obscure is the use of the Hurricane by the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) Home War Establishment (HWE). The following summary was has been compiled using information provided in a series of articles written by Jim Bates for the magazine "Random Thoughts" which comes with membership in IPMS Canada. In addition, images and other facts are pulled from The Calgary Mosquito Society
With increasing tensions in Europe, the RCAF in the late 1930s began casting about for a modern single engine fighter aircraft to build its home defenses, the fighter complement consisting then of just 6 Armstrong-Whitworth Siskin IIIAs which had been in service for over a decade. The RAF was approached to explore the possibility of making available some Spitfires or Hurricanes and, though an arrangement involving the former was rejected, a deal was reached which saw the delivery to Canada of an initial batch of 10 Hurricanes in February/March 1939 with a second batch arriving later in the same year. These aircraft made up Canada's home defense fighter force until May 1940, at which time No. 1 Fighter (F) Squadron packed up all of their Hurricanes and moved to England to help defend the island against the Luftwaffe.
Shortly before Canada received its first Hurricanes from the RAF, the British Air Ministry (BAM) recognized the need to expand its production of fighters and awarded a contract in November 1940 to Canadian Car and Foundry (CC&F) to build 40 Hurricanes for the RAF. The first Canadian built Hurricane, P5170 took to the skies on January 10, 1940 and the CC&F went on to build some 1451 Hurricanes during the war as additional orders came in. As Jim Bates says in his article, "One can only imagine the RCAF's frustration in late 1940 and early 1941 while trying to acquire a modern fighter aircraft, given that hundreds of an acceptable design were being built locally, but the BAM would not release a single aircraft to the RCAF."
There then occurred a convoluted series of diversions of Canadian-produced Hurricanes to serve in local units and these stories could fill many pages. These aircraft were eventually returned and modified by the CC&F and, along with new Hurricanes that eventually became designated as Mk XIIs as part of an order for 400 from the RCAF delivered beginning in 1942, finally enabled the RCAF to bolster its home defenses. Six Hurricane Squadrons eventually formed Eastern Air Command and were all deployed along the Atlantic seaboard whereas two squadrons, 133 (F) and 135 (F) were placed in the Western Air Command (WAC). A further number of Hurricanes were placed in training squadrons.
The two WAC squadrons were deployed to a number of bases along Canada's west coast at various times (135 squadron even had its Hurricanes based in Alaska in the latter half of 1943) and were charged with defending the west coast of Canada from possible attack by Japanese forces. As we all know, Japanese military activity in this regard was very limited so missions largely consisted of patrols, weather flights, and drills. For further reading, an interesting article on 135 (F) Squadron can be found here.
As the war continued, the Hurricanes of the WAC eventually were replaced by P-40s and the Hurricanes became surplus with many ending up in "Stored Reserve". Whereas many ended up being converted and sent overseas to Russia and Burma, a number of stored Hurricanes were reactivated in 1944 as "Prairie Hurricanes". To quote Bates again, "In late 1944, the Japanese started launching balloon bombs that would drift along the upper atmospheric currents toward North America. There was much concern in U.S. and Canadian military and political circles not only that these bombs would drop on civilian populations and invoke terror, but that they would drop on unpopulated, but heavily wooded areas, and the small bomb load would ignite the surrounding vegetation which could result in large forest fires in western and central North America. To combat this threat, a number of Hurricanes were removed from storage, assigned to No. 2 Air Command, and based at BCATP [Bomber Command Air Training Plan] stations in Alberta and Saskatchewan. The intent was to base one or two aircraft at designated stations to intercept any balloons that drifted toward the prairies. Eight of these Hurricanes were modified by 8 Repair Depot (RD) at RCAF Stn. Winnipeg. Here they 'were stripped of machine guns and camera guns. One machine gun being reinstalled and harmonized.' This was done to lighten the aircraft and afford them the highest possible climb rate. These modifications certainly must have created quite a 'hot-rod' Hurricane. While many sightings and interceptions were carried out, it is unclear if any Hurricanes were successful in shooting down a balloon. (There is an unconfirmed report that a balloon landing in Strathmore, Alberta, on March 28 1945, was shot down by an RCAF fighter. Logically this could only be one of the Prairie Hurricanes.) By the summer of 1945, the balloon threat had lessened and the Hurricanes stood down from their watch."
The subject of my build will be a Canadian-built Hurricane bearing the RCAF serial number 5389. This Hurricane was built in 1942 by the Canadian Car & Foundry, Fort William (now Thunder Bay), Ontario and was taken on strength on June 23, 1942. On July 3, 1942, 5389 was assigned to No. 133 (Fighter) Squadron, Lethbridge, Alberta and coded as FN*M. The Squadron code FN was typically not displayed on the aircraft at this time; only the individual aircraft letter was carried.
Lethbridge is a two hour drive from where I live and, to this day, their professional hockey team is still called the Hurricanes. Until recently, their logo actually showed the aircraft:
On Oct 5, 1942, No. 133 (F) Squadron was transferred to the Western Air Command and relocated to RCAF Station Boundary Bay, British Columbia for home defense. It is at this location that the only known period photograph of 5389 exists (source Library and Archives Canada):
During its service, 5389 was flown by a number of Canadian pilots, two of whom became aces in Europe: Don Laubman ( 15 victories) and Buck McNair (16 Victories).
The Squadron transferred to Tofino on July 1, 1943 and two weeks later, 5389 suffered a crash, was sent for repairs, and ended up in "Stored Reserve". In March of 1945, 5389 was flown to No. 23 EFTS, Yorkton, SK to intercept and shoot down Japanese fire balloons. The aircraft was struck from service in August of 1946 and purchased by a farmer in Southern Saskatchewan. After a private purchase in 1962 to be displayed in a museum in Calgary, my home town, the aircraft became the property of the City and is now being restored to mechanically functional but non-flying condition by the Calgary Mosquito Aircraft Society, of which I am a member.
The aircraft today, nearing completion:
And with me in my favourite seat:
