Aviation of WWII
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Pilot`s Notes Hurricane Pilot`s Notes

Hurricane IIA, IIB, IIC, IID and IV PILOT'S NOTES

Air Publication 1564 B

British Air Ministry, September 1943

13. Undercarriage and flap controls- The selector lever (76) Tor the undercarriage and flaps is on the right-hand side of the cockpit and works in a gate, having a neutral position and an UP and DOWN position for both undercarriage end flaps, the positions for operating the flaps being outboard.

The catch on the side of the lever must be pressed in order to release it for movement from an operative position, but the lever can be moved from the neutral position without first releasing the catch. To obviate inadvertent selection on the ground of the wheels up position, a safety catch (77) is provided on the gate which nust be turned in a clockwise direction to permit entry of the selector lever into the wheels UP slot. For emergency lowering of the undercarriage see Para.35.

14. Undercarriage indicator. - The electrical indicator (41) Is on the left-hand side of the instrument panel and haa duplicate pairs of lamps, the green lamps indicating when the undercarriage is locked in the DOWN position, and the red lamps when the undercarriage is fully retracted and locked. There are two switches to the left of the indicator, the left-hand one (38) being the ON-OFF switch for the green lamps, and the right-hand one (39) being the changeover switch for the duplicate sets of lamps. A dimmer switch is provided in the centre of the indicator. When the undercarriage is retracted, the wheels are visible through two small windows in the bottom of the cockpit.

15. Undercarriage warning light.- A red light on the instrument panel comes on at any time when the throttle lever is less than one-third open and the undercarriage is not locked down. When the throttle is opened again or the undercarriage is lowered the light goes out.

16. Flap indicator.- This (72) is mechanically operated, the pointer moving along a graduated scale marked UP and DOWN at its extremities. It is situated immediately below the hydraulic selector lever.

17. Wheel brakes.- The brake lever is fitted on the control column spade-grip and a catch for retaining it in the on position for parking is fitted below the lever pivot. A triple pressure gauge, showing the air pressure in the pneumatic system cylinder and at each brake, is mounted forward of the foot of the control column.

18. Flying control locking gear.- The locking struts, interference bar and bracket are stowed in a canvas bag in the starboard side of the wireless bay. The bracket clips on to the control column, just below the spade grip, for locking of the aileron control and the two strats, attached to the bracket by shackles, lock the rudder bar and control column. The spring loaded interference bar fits on to the bracket and is inserted in a slot in the back of the seat.

ENGINE CONTROLS

19. Throttle.- The throttle lever (7) works in a slot in the decking shelf on the left-hand side of the cockpit. The take-off position is gated. There is a friction adjuster (16) on the inboard end of the lever spindle. The mixture control is fully automatic and there is no pilot's control lever.

20. Boost control cut-out.- The automatic boost control may be cut out by pulling the knob (34) on the lef1 hand side of the instrument panel.

21. Propeller control.- The speed control lever (10) on the left-hand side of the cockpit varies the governed rpm from 3,000 down to 1,800. A friction adjuster is fitted on the inboard side of the control.

22. Supercharger control.- The push-pull control (17) is fitied below the left-hand side of the instrument panel, and must be pushed in for low (M) gear and pulled out for high (S) gear.

23. Radiator flap control.- The airflow through the coolant radiator and oil cooler is controlled by a lever (26) on the left-hand side of the pilot'seat. In order to release the lever for operation the thumb-button must be depressed.

24. Slow-running cut-out.- The control on the carburettor is operated by pulling out the knob (64) immediately to the right of the undercarriage and flap selector lever.

25. Cylinder priming pump.- The priming pump (59) is fitted below the right-hand side of the instrument panel.

26. Engine starting. The starter and booster coil pushbuttons (32 & 33) are to the left of the ignition switches (58) on the instrument panel. An external supply socket for the starter motor is accessible through a removable panel in the starboard engine cowling, and two handles for hand starting are stowed in the undercarriage wheels recess under the centre section*

27. Oil delution. - The (4) for operating solenoid valve is on the left-hand side of the cockpit.

OTHER CONTROLS

28 Gun controls. - The machine guns and cannon are normally fired by the pushbutton on the control column spade grip. The two 40 mm guns on Mk.IID and IV aircraft are fired electro-pneumatically by the pushbutton in the throttle lever; they cannot be fired, however, until the master switch (11) on the decking shelf, forward of the throttle quadrant, is switched on. The cocking lever (28) on the electrical panel to the left of the seat should be pushed down in the event of a misfire.

29. R.P.controls.- The projectiles are fired by the pushbutton in the throttle lever and a selector switch (40) below the left-hand side of the windscreen enables them to be fired in PAIRS or as a SALVO. They mist not be fired with the flaps lower

30. Bomb controls.- There are two selector switches and two nose and tail fusing switches on a small panel (67) on the right-hand side of the cockpit. The boms are released by the pushbutton in the throttle lever.

31. S.C.I. controls.- These are operated by the pushbutton in the throttle lever and there is a container jettison pushbutton (63) on the right-hand side of the cockpit.

32. Camera gun control. - The camera gun operates only when the guns and cannon or the R.P. are fired, or when the lover pushbutton on the control column spade grip is depressed.

33. Landing lamps. - Tho landing lamps, one in the leading edge of each wing, are controlled by a two-way switch (15) to the left of the instrument panel, which enables either lamp to be used; both lamps are off when the switch is in the upright position. A dipping lever (5) on the left-hand side of the cockpit can be held in any position by tightening the knurled wheel; when the wheel is unscrewed, the lever is pulled aft into the UP position by a return spring in each of the lamp units.

34. Recognition device. - The flares are selected and released by a single lever (25) immediately aft of the trimming tab control. The slot is marked SELECT and FIRE.

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