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This 1940 Hawker Hurricane Was Shot Down and Lost for 50 Years, Back in the Air

If you happen to have some $2.6 million lying around the house and you’re tired of investing them in cars, maybe a battle-proven fighter aircraft might be the right choice for you. Like say this here Hawker Hurricane built eight decades ago.
1940 Hawker Hurricane 6 photos
Photo: Boschung Global/John Dibbs
1940 Hawker Hurricane1940 Hawker Hurricane1940 Hawker Hurricane1940 Hawker Hurricane1940 Hawker Hurricane
For World War II connoisseurs, the Hawker Hurricane needs no introduction. The single-seat fighter aircraft was introduced in 1937 and played a pivotal role in the air battles over Europe. With close to 15,000 of them made until 1944, and deployed by the Air Forces of the British, Canadians, and even the Soviets, it saw action in almost all major fights of the war.

Hurricanes took part in the Battle of France, the evacuation of the British, French and Belgian troops out of Dunkirk (Operation Dynamo), the Battle of Britain, and many many others. This particular one, assembled in 1940, not only took part in most of these operations, but was also shot down once.

This Hurricane we have here was produced in 1940 and was immediately dispatched to Europe, where as part of the 73 Squadron of the Royal Air Force it covered the retreat of the Allied forces out of Dunkirk. Once that was over, it was assigned to the 72 and later 32 Squadron, where it helped defend the Islands from the Nazi Luftwaffe. It also spent some time with one of the three American Eagle Squadrons that fought alongside the British before America actually joined the war.

In 1942, the airplane was shipped to Russia to fight over the Arctic Front. One year later, it would be shot down, and was lost for half a century, before being rescued.

Sporting the original airframe it had back during the war, but Rolls-Royce Merlin engines made in 1945, the 1940 Hawker Hurricane is now for sale on a specialized website. Located in France, the fighter needs 2.25 million euros to change hands, or the equivalent of $2.66 million at today’s exchange rates.
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About the author: Daniel Patrascu
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Daniel loves writing (or so he claims), and he uses this skill to offer readers a "behind the scenes" look at the automotive industry. He also enjoys talking about space exploration and robots, because in his view the only way forward for humanity is away from this planet, in metal bodies.
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