Hurricane Mk IIB/Trop
Contents
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This page is about the aircraft Hurricane Mk IIB/Trop. For other uses, see Hurricane (Disambiguation) |
Description
The Hurricane Mk IIB/Trop is a Rank II British fighter
with a battle rating of 2.3 (AB/RB/SB). This aircraft has been in the game since the start of the Open Beta Test prior to Update 1.29.
The aircraft can fulfil two roles once its suspended armament is unlocked and purchased. It either can take the role of a fighter or take the role of a fighter-bomber or attack aircraft.
As a fighter, its flight characteristics and performance are sufficient for the fighter role within its rank. Although the Hurricane IIB’s speed and more importantly turn time are considerably lower than the Spitfire and its other Hurricane relatives, it can stand its ground. It's forgiving and retains good turning characteristics at low speeds, though has a rather slow roll rate. With its forward centre of gravity, the Mark IIB is inclined to climb at full power. The plane is fairly easy to manoeuvre, and it often out-manoeuvres other planes at its level: even novice Japanese pilots can't quite escape a Hurricane that is under the control of a skilled pilot.
While it is agile against many other planes at its rank, it can easily be outclassed by planes above in an uptier in terms of armament, guns, and agility. Overall, the Hurricane IIB is a rugged multipurpose aircraft and a joy to fly. If you want to know more about the ins and outs of flying the Hurricane, have a look at the historic pilot's notes. A great and forgiving fighter aircraft to fly for beginners and a deadly tool for those who know it well!
With its twelve .303 Browning machine guns, the Hurricane IIB is well suited for the fighter role as it packs a tremendous punch at this rank. The sheer number of guns compensates adequately for the lack of higher calibre armament. The number of guns comes at a price though: with 350 rounds per gun, ammunition can be expended rather quickly in RB and SB. Trigger discipline is key here and will benefit both ammunition conservation and fire accuracy. Nonetheless, the Hurricane is a very stable gun platform. The fact that it can be equipped with either bombs or rockets allows the plane to play the role of ground attack or attack interceptor without missing a beat. When attacking ground units, the two GP Mk.IV 250lb bombs can quickly destroy targets such as tanks, pillboxes and certain ships. When it is equipped with six RP-3 rockets, it can become a very deadly plane against ground targets, but also bombers, heavy attackers and - with a bit of luck - other fighters.
However, its advantages don't come without its disadvantages, the biggest concern is its rather fragile engine and airframe. Its soft skin and little protection mean the Mark IIB can't take too much damage before it takes on critical damage. Once the aircraft is damaged, the plane often loses controllability, making survival far harder, as manoeuvrability is key for the British aircraft.
Furthermore, the Hurricane's heavy weight, due its outdated box-girder structure, results in good vertical energy retention allowing the plane to engage in energy fighting. Boom & Zoom manoeuvres are possible, though the relative low speed of the Hurricane makes this a risky business on longer stretches. Utilise them as a form of fighting in both Realistic and Simulator modes, as unlike in Arcade, regaining energy and speed after a turn fight takes some time, leaving you vulnerable to fighters which didn't join the furball. Keep in mind that the speed of the aircraft is not high and you can be easily caught by swifter enemies. If the player does press for turn-fighting keep your situational awareness up: you can turn on a penny, but once you get hit and get damaged – controllability issues may lead to you being unable to avoid anything.
General info
Flight Performance
Describe how the aircraft behaves in the air. Speed, manoeuvrability, acceleration and allowable loads - these are the most important characteristics of the vehicle.
| Characteristics | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stock | |||||||
| Max Speed (km/h at ?,000 m) |
Max altitude (meters) |
Turn time (seconds) |
Rate of climb (meters/second) |
Take-off run (meters) | |||
| AB | RB | AB | RB | AB | RB | ||
| ? | ? | 11500 | ??.? | ??.? | ??.? | ??.? | ??? |
| Upgraded | |||||||
| Max Speed (km/h at ?,000 m) |
Max altitude (meters) | Turn time (seconds) | Rate of climb (meters/second) |
Take-off run (meters) | |||
| AB | RB | AB | RB | AB | RB | ||
| ? | ? | 11500 | ??.? | ??.? | ??.? | ??.? | ??? |
Details
| Features | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Combat flap | Take-off flap | Landing flap | Air brakes | Arrestor gear |
| X | X | X | X | X |
| Limits | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wing-break speed (km/h) |
Gear limit (km/h) |
Combat flap (km/h) |
Max Static G | |
| + | - | |||
| 660 | 320 | ??? | ~?? | ~? |
| Optimal velocities | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Ailerons (km/h) |
Rudder (km/h) |
Elevators (km/h) |
Radiator (km/h) |
| < ??? | < ??? | < ??? | > ??? |
| Compressor (RB/SB) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Setting 1 | ||
| Optimal altitude | 100% Engine power | WEP Engine power |
| ?,??? m | ??? hp | ?,??? hp |
Survivability and armour
Examine the survivability of the aircraft. Note how vulnerable the structure is and how secure the pilot is, whether the fuel tanks are armoured, etc. Describe the armour, if there is any, and also mention the vulnerability of other critical aircraft systems.
Armaments
Offensive armament
The Hurricane Mk IIB/Trop is armed with:
- 12 x 7.7 mm Browning machine guns, wing-mounted (350 RPG = 4,200 total)
Suspended armament
Describe the aircraft's suspended armament: additional cannons under the wings, bombs, rockets and torpedoes. This section is especially important for bombers and attackers. If there is no suspended weaponry remove this subsection.-->
The Hurricane Mk IIB/Trop can be outfitted with the following ordinance:
- Without load
- 2 x G.P. 250 lb Mk.IV bombs (500 lb total)
- 6 x 60 lbs RP-3 rockets
Usage in battles
The twelve machine guns can be very deadly against planes at this rank, spewing what comes to be a massive wall of lead toward enemy pilots, as long as the pilot gets into a fairly close range of their target (100m - 250m is optimal) and firing at gun convergence. However, the twelve guns can burn through ammo fairly quickly, which can lead to constant reload in Arcade Battles and ammunition depletion in Realistic and Simulator Battles if the pilot doesn't manage his fire.
The Hurricane IIB is unique at its rank due to its ability to use either two 250lb GP bombs, or six HRC rockets. This allows the pilot the choice between playing ground attack roles against heavy targets such as ships, pillboxes, and tanks, or in the spirit of the attacker role, intercepting larger planes such as heavy fighters or bombers and quickly putting them out of the fight. However, both weapons have a fairly long reload time (in AB).
When utilising the rockets in Arcade, the pilot must be able to carefully predict with great precision their enemy's movement. Leading their shots long enough to have the rocket make contact with any part of the plane; along with resisting the urge to spam all six at once only to miss or not be able to go after other planes. One rocket is sufficient against fighters and other small aircraft, but some bombers and larger planes can take up to two rockets directly and not be immediately put down. For RB & SB rocket armament is not advised for air to air fights. They slow the already sluggish Hurricane down even more. Against bombers, the main target of rockets in AB, crippling one engine will either result in devastating fires or will cause the plane to eventually crash on its long trip back to base. However, in ground-attack duties, they still excel and once fired, a great fighter aircraft with great dodge ability remains to fight on.
The Hawker Hurricane Mark IIB can be used in two roles with relative ease: as a fighter-bomber and a fighter. In the ground-attack fighter-bomber role, the aircraft packs a punch with both its primary and pylon armament. It can attack soft targets with its .303 Browning guns, though tougher, armoured targets cannot be destroyed with it primary armament. The rockets and bombs allow the player to crack these targets as well with relative ease. Experience will allow the player to deploy these weapons with accuracy and to great effect. As with the use of the primary armament to engage air targets, the use of ammo should be kept in mind when engaging ground targets as well. It’s very easy to deplete the available rounds on a bothersome artillery emplacement only to find a bogey on your tail with no rounds left to engage.
As a fighter, the Hurricane stands its ground, though it is somewhat limited by its armament. It is not as nimble as its Hurricane relatives or the Spitfires. The latter has a turn-time of 15 seconds when fully upgraded, whereas the Mark IIB only manages a turn time of 23.7 seconds. This is something to keep in mind when fighting more manoeuvrable adversaries. The above mentioned limited amount of ammunition should also be considered when engaging as a fighter. The 350 rounds per gun can be spent in quick succession, so pay attention to the usage. Furthermore, the killing power of the guns is highest when engaging targets ‘’only’’ in the gun convergence zone. Combining the two means that holding fire until finding a target at a suitable lead angle within the gun convergence zone results in a more accurate, more deadly and more conservative fire. Not combining the two means unnecessarily spending limited ammunition, losing accuracy and lacking lethal power.
Specific enemies worth noting
Fighters
- Bf 109s & Fw 190s: Although the latter are not commonly encountered at its BR, both the 109 and the 190 pose a large threat due to the tremendous firepower and boom-and-zoom characteristics. Whilst German pilots that allow themselves to lured into turn-fighting can be quickly destroyed, the boom-and-zoom tactics are harder to counter. The Hurricane packs a punch but is easily defeated by cannon power in a head-on engagement. It’s more advisable to evade a head-on attack and try to engage after a quick turn. The Mark IIB pilot should avoid boom and zoom attacks and try to lure the opponent into a turn to follow or a complete turn fight in order to get a gun solution on the target. The Hurricane IIB isn’t fast enough nor has the high-altitude performance its German opponents have, so don’t think about winning such a race in the long run.
- BF-110: Again, the most dangerous scenarios include head-on and boom-and-zoom attacks. The BF-110 packs one of the biggest punches at its tier, so be prepared to aggressively evade its guns. It is rather slow in turning and is a big target though, so if you do get a lead angle within convergence range, the BF-110 can be taken out quite easily.
- Chaika’s & Ishak’s: In general, the Russians have the advantage here. Being more manoeuvrable and having heavier firepower available, the I-153 and I-16 can be a tough nut to crack. Avoid turn fights with these aircraft. You have the advantage of speed, but only marginally so. Avoid getting too close, unless you are leading the target. Do not engage multiple Russian bogeys when lacking support by other teammates.
- American fighters: Although you wouldn’t guess it at first, the US fighter aircraft at this tier are faster turners than the Hurricane Mk IIB. These opponents also often surpass your aircraft's capabilities in terms of maximum speed and firepower. Turn fighting is key here, but avoid prolonged dogfights with your nimbler American opponents, as they will out turn you in the end.
- Bombers: For all bomber targets you may encounter the tactics are bound by two main considerations: lack of ammunition and vulnerability of the Hurricane IIB. Engaging targets with speed advantage and firing within the convergence zone allows you to really do damage. The Mark IIB is a great bomber hunter, though in the hands of a novice pilot this will likely mean many return trips to base to reload those guns. Get accurate and await a powerful shooting solution.
Manual Engine Control
| MEC elements | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mixer | Pitch | Radiator | Supercharger | Turbocharger | ||
| Oil | Water | Type | ||||
| Controllable | Not controllable | Not controllable | Not controllable | Separate | Not controllable | Not controllable |
The plane is very forgiving when using Manual Engine Settings
Prop pitch: this can safely be set to 100% when climbing but when flying level you should reduce it to 90%. This will not only give the engine a bit of a rest and reduce the amount of heat generated but it will also give you a few km/h in speed.
Radiator: if set to 30-40% you can climb without burning overheating your engine (will get orange but not red) to about 3.5km. After that, you should cut back a bit on the throttle and let the engine cool down.
Supercharger: this should be switched at 3.5km (11,482 feet) altitude for optimal performance.
Modules
| Tier | Flight performance | Survivability | Weaponry | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | Fuselage Repair | Radiator | |||
| II | Compressor | Airframe | |||
| III | Wings Repair | Engine | |||
| IV | Engine Injection | Cover | |||
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Multi-role: fighter and fighter-bomber roles can be fulfilled
- Quite manoeuvrable: suitable for turn fighting
- Decent vertical energy retention: suitable for limited Boom & Zoom tactics
- "Heavy" armament: 12x .303 Browning machine guns
Cons:
- Fragile: engine and frame (fabric coated tube frame) are prone to damage
- High rate of fire: high ammo consumption if not cautious
- Not a true fighter: not as manoeuvrable as its siblings and the Spitfire
- Additional armament is limited: reload time is slow in arcade battles
- Convergence is key: additional guns are mounted further out on the wing, resulting in a high convergence and beyond or below the target - the distance may result in a lot of missed shots.
- Due to the Hurricane having a carburettor, inverted manoeuvres will cause the engine to fail due to fuel starvation.
History
The plain one. The dumpy one. The unsexy sister of the glamorous Spitfire, its partner in the Battle of Britain. The plane that took, according to some sources, roughly 60 percent of the accounted kills during that air campaign in World War II. The plane in which the only Victoria Cross for Fighter Command was won by Ft Lt. James Nicolson. The plane in which a foreigner, the Czech Sgt. Josef František gained the third most victories of all pilots during the Battle of Britain: he gained 17 victories. The history of the Hurricane is not only interesting as it tells us something about the plane, it is equally important as it tells us about the desperate struggle in which it took part.
The Hurricane thus has a long, but rather overshadowed history during the first years of the War. It served in all the theatres of World War II. In many variants, the workhorse fighter continued to serve until the end of the War - although its large-scale and frontline use effectively ended by 1943. It was a front line fighter, night fighter, intruder, fighter-bomber, naval fighter, reconnaissance aircraft and also had various non-combat roles.
Although a highly successful and popular fighter, by 1940 the Hurricane Mk I was already showing itself to be inferior to enemy fighters such as the Messerschmitt 109. Experience from the Battle of Britain had also proved that the Hurricane’s rifle-calibre 0.303 machine guns were inferior to larger calibre weapons being operated by enemy aircraft.
The Hurricane II was the result of further development of the earlier Mark I versions. Powered by an improved and supercharged twelve-cylinder Merlin XX engine, the Mark II entered service at the end of the summer of 1940 -at the height of the Battle of Britain. It was further modified by adding the ‘universal wing’ to allow the use of under wing stores such as bombs and rockets. Later the plane would be known as the Mark IIA Series 1. Hawker experimented with various armament configurations, leading to the Hurricane Mk. IIA Series 2 having either twelve .303 (7.7 mm) Browning Mk II machine guns, or four 20 mm Hispano Mk II cannons. Whilst the problem of rifle calibre bullets still existed with the .303 Brownings, the Hurricane’s weight of fire had at least been increased as an interim measure whilst more powerful weapons were being refined.
This configuration and the new Merlin XX engine made the production of the ageing Hurricanes worthwhile, as Spitfire production continued to increase. The series 2 with 12 Brownings would later become designated as the Mark IIB in 1941. 56 Squadron were the first RAF squadron to be equipped with the new Hurricane Mk IIB in February 1941, and by the summer of the same year, 20 squadrons were operating the new Hurricane.
The series 2 with four Hispano cannons would become the Mark IIC. A tropical version of the Mark II was developed for service in the North African theatre of operations alongside naval versions designated Sea Hurricane and cannon armed versions, such as the Mark IID and Mark IV. The latter showed that as the war progressed, the fighter role was abandoned in favour of a more suitable attack role.
Whilst the Hurricane was no longer effectively employed in its original role as a fighter by the end of 1942, it would go on to serve in many other capacities until it was finally retired from the RAF in January 1947.
Media
Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.
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;
- encyclopedia page on the aircraft;
- other literature.
