OUR AMAZING HAWKER HURRICANE RESTORATION
13/11/2023
Where it all began - 1969
Back in 1969, Paul's dad, Jeff, took Paul to see the Battle of Britain film. One of the first things that fired Paul's imagination was news of the Hawker Hurricane fighter aircraft that had been placed on the Lincoln Odeon cinema's roof to promote the film, which was set in the summer and autumn of 1940. From that point onwards, Paul's interest in WW2 and all things military grew, and grew. Some 54 years later, and 6 years after opening the We'll Meet Again Museum with his wife, Linda, Paul got up-close and personal with a pair of replica aircraft exhibits (a WW2 Spitfire and a Hurricane) that were on loan from a film props company, via Bradley Cooper the friend of Darren Avison, one of the Museum's Trustees and a long-term volunteer. The aircraft looked brilliant on the Museum's outside display area, and Paul and Linda decided that a life-size RAF fighter plane would make a great centrepiece for the museum to display as an important part of the role of the RAF during WW2. So the hunt began. After much searching, Paul met the owner of one of the replica Hawker Hurricanes in the Battle of Britain film, it was the replica that had been set on the cinema roof and Paul, asked if he would consider selling it. He agreed. Needless to say, that after spending a very long time partially dismantled in storage and with very little attention to its condition, quite a significant restoration was required.
Initial Restoration work
The Hawker Hurricane was collected using two trailers, one for the fuselage and the other for the wings. After much thought and the purchase of a couple of secure containers (very kindly paid for by Richard one of our Trustees), space was then made available for the fuselage to be reversed into the storeroom. Work then began by removing the existing skin. This revealed the poor state of the formers and stringers (that created the shape of the fuselage), of rusted nails, nuts and bolts and even woodworm, which had significantly weakened the construction. The rather sad looking sliding cockpit canopy was sent to be refurbished. The original panels of the cockpit and the engine bay were carefully refurbished and riveted back into place, the wings checked, repaired where needed and given a base coat of paint, Work was started on the attachment of the wings to the fuselage, there were a couple of issues that needed some significant undertaking to keep the dihedral (upward angle of the wings from the wing root where attached, to the wing tip) correct. Then, to ensure they were of sufficient strength to carry the aircraft, the two main undercarriage legs and wheels and the steerable one at the rear were checked, refurbished and reattached to the fuselage at the wing root. The rudder and elevator of the tailplane were also checked and prepared for their re-fitting. When all was ready, and the fuselage construction had been returned to a better than original finish, Irish Linen was attached to the formers and stringers of the fuselage and a non-flammable dope applied to tighten the finish before adding the undercoat. Back in 1935, for the first four years of Hawker Hurricane's existence during WW2, wings were made the same way too, but covered in canvas. Once all of this was completed, it was time to add the camouflage livery and add the Squadron code and RAF roundels. The roundel used on our Hurricane denotes that (if it were not a replica) it would have been built between 1937 and 1942.
Completed Restoration
On the day before the museum's annual remembrance service was held, the Hurricane's fuselage was moved to the rear grassed display area and wings were finally attached. It was then a case of checking that all fitted properly, and that the moving parts were all unrestricted. The final job was a complete clean to ensure all traces of sawdust and metal shavings were removed, and that areas like the new cockpit canopy, the newly painted propeller and exhaust pipes looked fresh. Good friend David Brooks has since rebuilt the non-retractable tail wheel, so we could attach a genuine WW2 wheel.
The Unveiling 15th November 2023
The unveiling was a private event. On the 15th of November, We’ll Meet Again WW2 Homefront Museum saw the unveiling of its beautifully restored replica Hawker Hurricane - that was previously one of four featured in the 1969 film Battle of Britain and then, as part of the promotion of the film, was displayed for two months in 1969 on the roof of Lincoln’s Odeon Cinema. Hosted by the museum’s owners, Paul and Linda Britchford were proud to welcome the Lord-Lieutenant of Lincolnshire, Mr Toby Dennis; The Mayor of Boston Cllr David Brown and the Mayoress, plus Councillor Dale Broughton, and numerous museum friends and suppliers. Not forgetting our brilliant volunteers, who were also present and who work very hard to keep the museum open and do their utmost to ensure all our visitors leave with a big smile on their faces.
