Hobby Master 1/48 HA8609 Hawker Hurricane Mk.I V6665 of 303 Polish Sqn flown by Ft. Lt. John Kent, Northolt, Sept 1940

The Hawker Hurricane was the first British single-engine fighter and the first single wing aircraft with retractable landing gear as well as an enclosed cockpit and 8 machine guns. The Hurricane went into operational service in December 1937 with the RAF 111 Squadron. The Hurricane is usually over looked as a major player in the BoB because of the Spitfire but 80% of the 1,792 German aircraft shot down were because of the Hurricane. There were 14,533 Hurricanes produced in all variants.

The No. 303 (Polish) Squadron became operational on August 31, 1940. The first officers were from the RAF, S/L Kellett as the CO, J. Kent and Forbes as Flight Leaders. F/L Kent was a Canadian who moved to England in 1935 to join the RAF and John Kent was given the nickname Johnny Kentowski by the Polish staff. On September 7, 1940 No. 303 Squadron received Hurricane Mk.I V6665. This aircraft was flown by several pilots including Kent and on September 27, 1940 was shot down killing Sgt Tadeusz Andruszkow.