1/48 Hawker Hurricane IIc BE581 F/Lt Karel M Kuttelwascher No.1 Sqn. Tangmere 1942

The Hawker Hurricane was the first British single-engine fighter and the first single wing aircraft with retractable landing gear as well as an enclosed cockpit and 8 machine guns. The Hurricane went into operational service in December 1937 with the RAF 111 Squadron. The Hurricane is usually over looked as a major player in the BoB because of the Spitfire but 80% of the 1,792 German aircraft shot down were because of the Hurricane. There were 14,533 Hurricanes produced in all variants.

Karel Miloslav Kuttelwascher, nicknamed Kut, was a Czech fighter pilot who first served with the French Air Force until Germany occupied the country and then began serving with the RAF during WWII. At RAF Tangmere No. 1 Squadron was tasked with night intrusion over France. Painted all black and no radar these flights only took place on moonlit nights. During 1942 Kuttelwascher downed 15 aircraft and damaged 5. He was the RAF’s most successful Czechoslovak pilot with 18 victories and the recipient of the DFC and Bar.