 |
BACK | | From Outback engineer to motorcar mogul
Austin’s finest hour |
|
| | |
|
DESCRIPTION Hawker fighter aircraft Hurricane Mark IV, Serial No KX 829
MANUFACTURER Hawker Aircraft Ltd, Kingston & Langley, Britain
INVENTOR/DESIGNER Sydney Camm (1893-1966), British
DATE 1943
MATERIAL Steel, duraluminium, glass, wood, rubber, textile, paint, copper alloy
DIMENSIONS 3970x9600x12260
PROVENANCE Gift from Loughborough College of Technology in 1961
LOCATION Thinktank
CAT. NO 1961.S.01421 | |
|
A Hawker Hurricane aeroplane | © Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery | Come and see it in the Move It gallery at Thinktank
War loomed over Europe in the late 1930s, but the RAF had too few aircraft to defend the country. Aircraft makers could not produce them fast enough. Herbert Austin was asked to organise the leading motorcar manufacturers to help.
One of his great successes was arranging construction of Sydney Camm’s new Hawker Hurricane. Camm’s simple design was ideal for building quickly in large numbers. 300 were made at Longbridge.
Herbert received the title Lord Austin in 1936 for his support of cancer research. He worked until his death in May 1941. |
|
|
| |
|
