DTAM Hawker Hurricane Flying

[JohnTerrell]

The Dakota Territory Air Museum has shared photos to their Facebook page of their recently completed Hawker Hurricane, with it having now arrived at the museum in Minot, North Dakota. This Hurricane Mk.XII, RCAF 5708 (registered as N96RW), is the same one that used to be owned by the Lone Star Flight Museum. Following the landing incident and collision with Spitfire TE308 in April 2008, and being submerged in ocean water by Hurricane Ike later that year, it underwent restoration at Ray Middleton's QG Aviation in Fort Collins, Colorado, where it had originally been restored. In my opinion, it is great to see it still painted in the same desert markings it had previously. Warren Pietsch has been the one to do the honors of flying it.

I believe there are now fifteen Hawker Hurricanes flying world-wide (would be sixteen if the FHCAM collection were still active). Hurricane V7497 should be flying again very soon as well, having been under repair since the ground loop that occurred at Duxford last year. I've also been looking forward to seeing Mike Potter's Hurricane taking flight soon in Canada as well.

Here is one of the photos shared on the Dakota Territory Air Museum FB page (https://www.facebook.com/DTAMMinotND/):

[C VEICH]

Absolutely beautiful machine.

[Hooligan2]

I recall when there were just two, maybe three Hurricanes airworthy... PZ865, LF363 and I think the Strathallan aircraft either in Scotland or with Canadian Warplane Heritage. How lucky we are now.

[airnutz]

Kewwwwlll! Saw her in the air at an LSFM show before the accident. Nice to see her back. Wish someone would render a two-seater...

[Zac Yates]

That's wonderful and long-awaited news!

Wish someone would render a two-seater...

Do you mean like this?

[airnutz]

Thanks Zac! So BE505 did it! She don't look so bad with the long canopy as some naysayers said. Tho Biggin Hill is a bit of a drive for a ride...but knowing she's there is good for my Lotto bucket list.

[Zac Yates]

Happy to help!

[Hooligan2]

Thanks Zac! So BE505 did it! She don't look so bad with the long canopy as some naysayers said. Tho Biggin Hill is a bit of a drive for a ride...but knowing she's there is good for my Lotto bucket list.

I live five or six miles from Biggin and see the Spitfires regularly but have yet to see the Hurricane in her new guise...

[dhfan]

I seem to remember reading a few years ago, and a few Hurricanes ago, that Hawker Restorations were getting towards the end of their stocks of new spar material.

I wonder if we might now be approaching "peak Hurricanes"?

[Firebird]

I seem to remember reading a few years ago, and a few Hurricanes ago, that Hawker Restorations were getting towards the end of their stocks of new spar material.

I wonder if we might now be approaching "peak Hurricanes"?

Yes, I remember reading that somewhere....and must be quite a few years ago now as well. I can't remember how much it was they had left then, but it was single figures IIRC, in terms of rebuilds left, and I think they've turned out a couple more since that time.

So, I think you're probably right in terms of 'peak' Hurricanes.

Will be ever get to see 20 airworthy in the world I wonder?

[JohnTerrell]

With regard to further airworthy Hurricane restorations, just a few come to my mind:

- V7497 to fly again shortly, following repairs at Hawker Restorations in the UK
- RCAF 5447 at Vintage Wings of Canada, soon to fly (if it hasn't already?)
- RCAF 323 at Hawker Restorations in the UK (unrestored fuselage tubular structure was used to prototype the two-seat BE505 conversion)
- AM274 at FAST Aero in Belgium (ex-John Normon, a well-advanced project)
- Z5207 at Kaelin Aero Technologies in Germany (last location I saw mention of this project being, but I haven't heard anything for a few years)

I'm curious to see what becomes of the partial Hawker Hurricane Mk.II (identity unknown) that was acquired by the Indian Air Force Museum earlier this year.

[FuryFB11]

The two seat tubular fuselage section at Hawker Restorations is Mk.I L2005. An ex 151Sqn machine that was shot down in August 1940.

[JohnTerrell]

Thank you, Fury. That information I posted was based on what had been stated by Gordon Riley on his Hawker Hurricane Survivors FB page, as he had been told. I see now that there are a couple other sources that state that it is L2005. It will be good to see at least one or two more Hurricanes come from Hawker Restorations.