Soviet Hurricanes - where, when, ...?

[Pilot]

Andrey Dikov- nice info, how could be possible to get a sample of the book you have mentioned?

[Andrey Dikov]

Originally Posted by Pilot

Andrey Dikov- nice info, how could be possible to get a sample of the book you have mentioned?

It wasn't published yet.

[Kari Lumppio]

Salut!

I think Graham has nailed it when he mentioned above that Hurricane was good performer at 20 000 ft (~ 6000 m).

I refer to FinnAF ace Hans Wind's war time lecture about fighter tactics:
http://www.virtualpilots.fi/hist/WW2...csLecture.html

(it's translation from Finnish to English)

I quote:
"The easiest one to shoot down of the enemy fighters is the Hurricane. It is totally helpless against us below 3,000 meters. It is slow and very clumsy and unmanoeuvrable...
...
The Hurricane and Spitfire are slow and clumsy fighters at low altitudes. They seek dogfights at high altitudes (over 5,000 m) where their characteristics are extremely good... "
(Emphasis shown is mine)

So Hurricane was sort of two planes in one package. This was the result of two gear compressor? What was the altitude when Hurricane Merlin's compressor second gear kicked in?

It looks like Hurricane was in it's best at high altitudes, preferably with radar leading. Like in Battle of Britain. In essence Hurricane had performance of an interceptor. In Soviet Union MiG-3 was designed for the same purpose. And both were used mainly as front line fighter. Soviets surely knew how to use the Hurricane properly as many were assigned to PVO (Murmansk) units where it was in it's own role.


Just my two cents worth,

Kari