Though the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) operated a number of Hawker Hurricanes during the Second World War, only one actually made it to Australia. Hurricane Mk.I Trop V7476 was crated and shipped to Australia in mid-1941, arriving in Sydney on 23 August. Assigned to the Central Flying School, V7476 was used primarily to familiarize new RAAF pilots with "modern" fighters and, later, for testing of new technologies such as a pneumatic anti-G suit. After passing through several other units, notably 1 and 2 Communication Flights, V7476 was sent back to the Central Flying School in January 1945 but was nothing more than a curiosity due to the introduction of Spitfires, Mustangs, and Tomahawks. Left to rot at RAAF Base Point Cook, V7476 was eventually scrapped in 1946.
Captions:
- The top scheme shows V7476 on 29 August 1941, only six days after delivery, still wearing its original RAF camouflage.
- Scheme two shows V7476 in the RAAF standard operational scheme of foliage green and earth brown over sky blue. Many sources identify V7476 as wearing just foliage green over sky blue during this time, but because the aircraft was assigned to 1 Aircraft Depot at the time it was repainted (and standing orders required the three tone scheme), this is unlikely.
- The final scheme shows V7476 as she appeared parked at Point Cook in 1945/46, wearing a bear metal scheme with RAAF markings.
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Portugal, Hawker Hurricane
Portugal operated Hurricanes from 1943 to the early 1950s, mainly Mk. IIB and Mk. IIC models.
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Latvia, Hawker Hurricane (Never-Were)
Latvia ordered and paid for 30 Hurricanes in 1939, but the outbreak of war stopped the order before any were delivered.
