The Hawker Hurricane was the RAF's first fighter-bomber with a monoplane configuration, it was designed by Sydney Camm who started the project as a private venture. The structure of the Hurricane was of rigidly braced steel and light alloy tubing with fabric skinning. The first contract of 600 Hurricanes was signed on July 20, 1936.

The first production example flew on October 12, 1937 with a two bladed propeller, the first testing with a three bladed propeller began on January 24, 1939. The first deliveries of the Hurricane with metal stressed-skin in place of fabric on the wings commenced on September 29, 1939.

In total 12.975 Hurricanes were built in a wide number of varieties, the main varieties were:

• Mk I:                                     1.850 built by Gloster and 1.924 by Hawker.

• Mk II:                                     8.406 (including around 3.000 that were delivered to the Soviet Union).

• Mk IV:                                   2.575.

• Sea Hurricanes Mk I + Mk II:   825 (300 land-based Hurricanes were refitted as such.).

• Mk X + Mk XI + Mk XII:            937 in total, Canadian built.