Editing Hawker Hurricane (section)

===Prototype and trials===
[[File:Hurricane mockup.jpg|thumb|An early mock-up for the Hurricane's fuselage, showing side fuselage-mounted [[Synchronization gear|synchronised]] machine gun, like earlier British biplane fighters.]]

By the end of August 1935, work on the airframe had been completed at Hawker's [[Kingston upon Thames]] facility and the aircraft components were transported to [[Brooklands]], [[Surrey]], where Hawker had an assembly shed; the prototype was fully re-assembled on 23 October 1935.<ref name="mason 4" /> Ground testing and taxi trials took place over the following two weeks. On 6 November 1935 the prototype ''K5083'' took to the air for the first time at the hands of Hawker's chief [[test pilot]], [[Flight Lieutenant]] [[George Bulman (pilot)|George Bulman]].<ref name=greatac>Cacutt 1989, pp. 204–212.</ref> Bulman was assisted by two other pilots in subsequent flight testing; [[Philip Lucas]] flew some of the experimental test flights, while [[John Stuart Hindmarsh|John Hindmarsh]] conducted the firm's production flight trials.<ref>Bader 2004, pp. 37, 40.</ref> As completed, the prototype had been fitted with [[ballast]] to represent the aircraft's armament prior to the acceptance of the final multi-gun wing armament.<ref>{{cite book |last=Mason |first=Francis K. |date=1962 |title=The Hawker Hurricane |location=London |publisher=MacDonald |page=21 }}</ref>

By March 1936, the prototype had completed ten flying hours, covering all major portions of the flight envelope. Early testing had gone reasonably well, especially in light of the trial status of the Merlin engine, which had yet to achieve full flight certification at this time and thus severe restrictions had been imposed upon use of the engine.<ref name="mason 4" /> In early 1936, the prototype was transferred to [[RAF Martlesham Heath]], [[Suffolk]], to participate in initial service trials under the direction of Squadron Leader D.F. Anderson. Sammy Wroath, later to be the founding commandant of the [[Empire Test Pilots' School]], was the RAF test pilot for the Hurricane: his report was favourable, stating that: "The aircraft is simple and easy to fly and has no apparent vices" and proceeded to praise its control response.<ref>McKinstry 2010, p. 52.</ref>

[[File:Hawker Hurricane before maiden flight 1935.jpg|thumb|''K5083'', the prototype, photographed before its first flight in November 1935]]
In the course of RAF trials, despite the problems with the Merlin engine, which had suffered numerous failures and necessitating several changes, enthusiastic reports were produced on the aircraft and its performance. The trials had proved the aircraft to possess a maximum level speed of {{cvt|315|mph}} at an altitude of {{cvt|16200|ft}}, climb to  {{cvt|15000|ft}} in 5.7 minutes, and a stalling speed of {{cvt|57|mph}} (only marginally higher than the Gladiator biplane), the last achieved using its [[Flap (aeronautics)|flaps]].<ref name="mason 4" />

In the course of further testing, it was found that the Hurricane had poor [[Spin (aerodynamics)|spin]] recovery characteristics, in which all [[rudder]] authority could be lost due to shielding of the rudder.<ref name="mason 5" /> Hawker's response to the issue was to request that spinning tests be waived, but the Air Ministry refused the request;<ref>McKinstry 2010, p. 64.</ref> the situation was resolved by the [[Royal Aircraft Establishment]] (RAE), who established that the aerodynamic problem had been caused by a breakdown of the airflow over the lower fuselage, and could be cured by the addition of a small ventral [[aircraft fairing|fairing]] and extension of the bottom of the rudder. This discovery had come too late for the changes to be incorporated in the first production aircraft, but were introduced upon the 61st built and all subsequent aircraft.<ref>Mason 1992, p. 254.</ref>

In early 1936, the Hawker [[board of directors]] had decided, in the absence of official authorisation and at company expense, to proceed with the issue of the design drawings to the production design office and to start tooling-up for a production line capable of producing a batch of 1,000 Hurricanes.<ref>"World Encyclopedia of Aero Engines – 5th edition" by [[Bill Gunston]], Sutton Publishing, 2006, p. 188.</ref><ref name="mason 4 5">Mason 1967, pp. 4–5.</ref>