Sea Hurricane Mk IB
This page is about the British naval fighter Sea Hurricane Mk IB. For the other navalised Hurricane, see Sea Hurricane Mk IC. For other versions, see Hurricane (Family). |
Contents
Description
The Sea Hurricane Mk IB is a rank II British naval fighter with a battle rating of 2.0 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced in Update 1.49 "Weapons of Victory".
As the name implies, this is a carrier based version of the Hurricane. The Mk I/L is the closest counterpart, however several key differences are present. First off, this version can operate from carriers. This grants a massive improvement in versatility, as you can launch from both airfields and carriers. In addition, this variant features reinforced landing gear in order to survive hard carrier landings. However, the extra weight of the landing gear is also the Sea Hurricane's biggest flaw. In Arcade, this makes minimal difference to performance, but Realistic and Simulator are a different story. Climb rate, turning ability, and minimum take-off speed are all noticeably worse. That doesn't mean this is a bad aircraft though. It just takes a pilot with the knowledge of these facts and how to counter them to succeed with the plane. Boom and zoom tactics can be used to greater effect than the Hurricane Mk I/L thanks to improved dive acceleration from the extra mass. The only problem is getting up there. Still, this is a very good aircraft when used properly.
General info
Flight performance
Due to the extra weight, the Sea Hurricane Mk IB has an slightly inferior flight performance compared to the Hurricane Mk I/L.
Characteristics | Max Speed (km/h at 3,962 m) |
Max altitude (metres) |
Turn time (seconds) |
Rate of climb (metres/second) |
Take-off run (metres) | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
AB | RB | AB | RB | AB | RB | |||
Stock | 492 | 476 | 10700 | 17.0 | 17.7 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 350 |
Upgraded | 549 | 519 | 15.5 | 16.0 | 14.7 | 8.6 |
Details
Features | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Combat flaps | Take-off flaps | Landing flaps | Air brakes | Arrestor gear |
✓ | ✓ | ✓ | X | ✓ |
Limits | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Wings (km/h) | Gear (km/h) | Flaps (km/h) | Max Static G | |||
Combat | Take-off | Landing | + | - | ||
660 | 320 | 268 | 246 | 202 | ~11 | ~6 |
Optimal velocities (km/h) | |||
---|---|---|---|
Ailerons | Rudder | Elevators | Radiator |
< 370 | < 250 | < 380 | > 410 |
As a naval plane, it comes equipped with arrestor gear.
Compressor (RB/SB) | ||
---|---|---|
Setting 1 | ||
Optimal altitude | 100% Engine power | WEP Engine power |
4,953 m | 1,030 hp | 1,535 hp |
Survivability and armour
- 38 mm Bulletproof glass in cockpit front.
- 12.7 mm Steel plate behind the pilot.
- 6.35 mm Steel plate between fuselage fuel tank and cooling system.
Modifications and economy
Armaments
Offensive armament
The Sea Hurricane Mk IB is armed with:
- 8 x 7.7 mm Browning .303 machine guns, wing-mounted (350 rpg = 2,800 total)
Usage in battles
The Hurricane is one of the first monoplane fighters in the British tech tree. As such it will face a mix of biplanes and monoplanes with a different playstyle required for each.
Against biplanes, the Hurricane plays similarly to a heavy fighter. The large number of guns allows you to down anyone in your crosshairs quickly even if you don't have the best aim. Do not try to dogfight biplanes. While it is possible to win a dogfight against biplanes, it will bleed all of your plane's energy forcing you to continue to turnfight any enemies that decided to join the fight even if it is not in your best interest. You are better off BnZing biplanes. They might be able to tickle your rear as you extend away due to their quick turn time and your relatively slow speed but the Hurricane is durable enough to survive some MG fire.
Against monoplanes, the Hurricane must be played in the complete opposite fashion. Your plane will likely be slower and climb far worse than your opponent however your turn rate will likely be better, so try to force them into a turnfight. Monoplanes also generally carry heavier armament so your durability advantage is negated.
Overall the Hurricane is a novice-friendly plane with high firepower and predictable flight characteristics that can be taken to the next level with careful energy management.
Manual Engine Control
MEC elements | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mixer | Pitch | Radiator | Supercharger | Turbocharger | ||
Oil | Water | Type | ||||
Controllable | Controllable Not auto controlled |
Not controllable Not auto controlled |
Controllable Auto control available |
Combined | Not controllable 1 gear |
Not controllable |
Pros and cons
Pros:
- A lot of firepower for its rank
- Flight similarity to the land-based Hurricane means it's easy to transfer skills
- Good turn time
- Excellent over-the-nose visibility ensures easy tracking and leading in cockpit view
- Very smooth handling in simulator
Cons:
- Slower climb due to extra weight
- Quite slow in overall speed
- Engine overheats extremely fast while using WEP
- Loses energy quickly in turns
History
The Hawker Sea Hurricane Mk IB was the first carrier-capable Hurricane; the previous Mk IA Sea Hurricane was designed only for catapult assisted takeoff, with no means of recovery back onto the ship. The Mk IB featured catapult spools and an arrestor hook. Starting in July of 1941, the Sea Hurricane Mk IB operated from HMS Furious and starting in October 1941 they operated from Merchant aircraft carriers (cargo ships modified with a flight deck). On 31 July 1941, Sea Hurricanes of 880 Squadron, operating from HMS Furious, shot down a Do 18 flying boat - the first aerial victory of the aircraft. From testing, the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) preferred de Havilland propellers to the Rotol propellers. This was because the heavier Rotol propeller could cause the plane to dip forward and the propeller would hit the carrier deck, while the lighter de Havilland propellers could avoid this issue.
Media
- Skins
See also
Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:
- reference to the series of the aircraft;
- links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.
External links
Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:
- topic on the official game forum;
- other literature.
Hawker Aircraft Limited | |
---|---|
Biplane fighters | |
Fury | Fury Mk I · Fury Mk II |
Nimrod | Nimrod Mk I · Nimrod Mk II |
Scout plane | Osprey Mk IV |
Piston fighters | |
Hurricane | Hurricane Mk I/L · Hurricane Mk.I/L FAA M · Sea Hurricane Mk IB · Sea Hurricane Mk IC · Hurricane Mk IIB/Trop · Hurricane Mk IV |
Typhoon | Typhoon Mk Ia · Typhoon Mk Ib · Typhoon Mk Ib/L |
Tempest | Tempest Mk V · Tempest Mk V (Vickers P) · Tempest Mk II |
Fury | Sea Fury FB 11 |
Jet fighters | |
Hunter | Hunter F.1 · Hunter F.6 · Hunter FGA.9 |
Sea Hawk | Sea Hawk FGA.6 |
Harrier | Harrier GR.1 · Harrier GR.3 |
Export | ▄Hurricane Mk I/L · ▂Hurricane Mk IIB · ◘Sea Fury FB 51 |
◘Sea Hawk Mk.50 · ◄Sea Hawk Mk.100 · ◘Hunter F.6 · ◌Hunter F.58 · J34 · AV-8A · AV-8C · ▄AV-8S | |
Captured | ▀Tempest Mk V |
See Also | Fokker |