In 1939 Hawker turned to the creation of an improved Hurricane Mk II with an uprated powerplant, heavier armament and enhancements such as metal-skinned wings, three-blade propeller and better protection. These features were also incorporated on later Mk I aircraft. Mk II production reached more than 7500 aircraft for service from September 1940 in variants such as the Mk IIA with eight 0.303in machine guns, the Mk IIB with 12 0.303in machine guns, the Mk IIC with four 20mm cannon and 454kg (1000lb) of external stores, and the anti-tank Mk III) produced in small numbers. The Mk II thus marked the Hurricane's transition to the fighter-bomber role, and many of the aircraft were tropicalised for North African and Far Eastern service with a special chin air filter to prevent sand being ingested into the carburettor. Canadian production added Mk IIB and Mk IIC equivalents as 248 Mk XII and 150 Mk XIIA aircraft.

Country of origin: United Kingdom
Type: (Hurricane Mk IID) single-seat anti-tank warplane
Powerplant: one 1460hp (1088.5kW) Rolls-Royce Merlin XX 12-cylinder Vee engine
Performance: maximum speed 518km/h (322mph); climb to 6095m (20,000ft) in 12 minutes 24 seconds; service ceiling of 9785m (32,100ft); range 1448km (900 miles)
Weights: empty 2586kg (5700lb); normal take-off 3493kg (7700lb); maximum take-off 3674kg (8100lb)
Dimensions: span 12.19m (40ft Oin); length 9.81 m (32ft 2.25in); height 3.98m (13ft 1 in )
Armament: two 40mm fixed forward-firing cannon under the wing, and two 0.303in fixed forward-firing machine guns in the leading edges of the wino

Specs and description from: Aircraft of WWII by Chris Chant (Fiedman/Fairfax, 1999, ISBN: 1-58663-303-1), a handy book covering 300 aircraft.

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