Oxford AC069 RAF Hawker Hurricane Mk. I Fighter - 11 Group, 6 OUT, Sutton Bridge, England, 1940 (1:72 Scale)
"Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few."
- British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, commenting on the British airmen in the Battle of Britain
The Hawker Hurricane was the first monoplane to join the Royal Air Force as a fighter aircraft, capable of reaching speeds in excess of 300-mph in level flight. Often compared with the sleek-looking Supermarine Spitfire, the Hurricane, in actuality, shouldered the brunt of the fighting during the "Battle of Britain", equipping more than three-fifths of the RAF's Fighter Command squadrons. When it lost its edge as a dogfighter in 1941, the Hurricane took on a number of other roles, including ground attack missions and maritime combat air patrols.
Pictured here is a 1:72 scale replica of a RAF Hawker Hurricane Mk. I fighter that was attached to 11 Group, 6 OUT, then deployed to Sutton Bridge, England, during 1940.
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Dimensions:
Wingspan: 6-inches
Length: 5-inches
Release Date: July 2017
Historical Account: "The Dowding System" - No.11 Group was organized with the Dowding System of fighter control. Group Headquarters was at Hillingdon House, located at RAF Uxbridge in the London Borough of Hillingdon. The Group operations room was underground in what is now known as the Battle of Britain Bunker. Commands were passed to the sector airfields, each of which was in charge of several airfields and fighter squadrons. The sector airfields were:
The most famous period of the Group was during the Battle of Britain when it bore the brunt of the German aerial assault. Pilots posted to squadrons in 11 Group knew that they would be in constant action, while pilots and squadrons transferred from No.11 Group knew that they were going to somewhere comparatively safer. During the Battle of Britain, the Group was commanded by New Zealander Air vice-marshal Keith Park.[6] While supported by the commanders (AOCs) of No.10 Group and No.13 Group, he received insufficient support from the AOC of 12 Group, Air Vice Marshal Trafford Leigh-Mallory, who used the Big Wing controversy to criticize Park's tactics. Leigh-Mallory's lack of support compromised Fighter Command at a critical time and the controversy caused problems for Park. When the Battle of Britain was over, Leigh-Mallory, acting with Air marshal Sholto Douglas, conspired to have Park removed from his position (along with the Commander-in-Chief of Fighter Command, Air chief marshal Hugh Dowding). Leigh-Mallory then took over command of 11 Group.