Corgi AA27608 Aviation Archive

Corgi Aviation Archive series AA27608 is a 1/72 scale diecast model of the Hawker Hurricane Mk I, serial number P2798, squadron code LK-A. As flown by Sqn Ldr Ian Richard ‘Widge’ Gleed of No. 87 Squadron, RAF, during night intruder operations while based at RAF Colerne, England, February – April 1941.

During night operations, this aircraft had the day camouflage overpainted black, except for the cockpit canopy, rudder and Gleed’s markings.

Ian Gleed

Ian Richard Gleed DSO, DFC (1916 – 1943) was a World War II ace of the Royal Air Force who achieved Ace status in two days, quicker than any other WWII RAF pilot. He was killed on April 16, 41, while attacking German transport aircraft. At the time of his death, he was credited with 13 aerial victories and held the rank of wing commander.

Hawker Hurricane

The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat, single-engine monoplane fighter that first took to the skies on November 6, 1935, and entered service with No. 111 Squadron of the Royal Air Force (RAF) on December 25, 1937.

The Hurricane demonstrated its ruggedness and stability as a gun platform, remaining in service throughout World War II. It was adapted for various roles, including night fighting, fighter bombing, and ground support. Additionally, the Hurricane could be launched from modified merchant ships using a catapult. By 1944, over 14,500 Hurricanes had been built, and they served in all major theatres of World War II.

The design of the Hawker Hurricane featured a retractable undercarriage and an enclosed cockpit. Its fuselage was constructed with a metal frame that was mechanically fastened, rather than welded. A secondary structure, composed of wooden formers and stringers, was covered with doped linen, which gave the fuselage a rounded shape. Most of the external surfaces were made of linen, except for a section between the cockpit and the engine cowling, which utilised lightweight metal panels.

The wings were primarily covered with fabric, although some lightweight metal sheets were used on the inner wing and its leading edge. The majority of the flight control surfaces also had fabric coverings. In April 1939, an all-metal, stressed-skin wing made of duraluminium was introduced.

The Hurricane IIC is powered by a single Rolls-Royce Merlin V-12 liquid-cooled piston engine, which drives a three-bladed constant-speed Rotol propeller. Its armament consists of four wing-mounted cannons, and underwing racks can carry a payload of up to 460 kg (1,000 lb).