Smithsonian Air and Space Museum / The Hawker Hurricane design was one of the most important aircraft designs in military aviation history. Designed in the late 1930's, when single-wing Richard Erwin                                           planes were still considered unstable, the Hurricane became the first British monoplane fighter and the first British fighter to exceed 300 miles per 8/10/2009                                                  hour in level flight. The Hurricane was a major player in the Battle of Britain during the summer of 1940.