The Hawker Hurricane was one of Britain’s most important fighter aircraft of the Second World War, entering Royal Air Force service in 1937 as the RAF’s first monoplane fighter with retractable landing gear and an enclosed cockpit. Designed by Sydney Camm at Hawker Aircraft, the Hurricane combined modern performance with relatively simple construction, making it rugged, easy to repair, and ideal for mass production. Although often overshadowed by the Supermarine Spitfire, the Hurricane bore the brunt of the fighting during the 1940 Battle of Britain, accounting for more enemy aircraft destroyed than any other RAF fighter in the campaign. The type later served across multiple theaters as a fighter-bomber, night fighter, and naval Sea Hurricane, remaining in frontline use until the later years of the war and cementing its reputation as a dependable wartime workhorse.