The Hurricane was Great Britain's first 'modern' fighter of the 1930's, and introduced to British service features such as the low-wing monoplane layout, retractable landing gear, and an armament of eight machine guns in the wings to fire outside the disc swept by the propeller.  A less advanced feature was the steel-tube primary structure covered in fabric, but this feature eased construction and facilitated repair.  The Hurricane flew in prototype form during November 1935, and soon received large production orders for a service debut in December 1937.

By the outbreak of the Second World War in September 1939, some 497 Hurricane Mk.Is had been built as equipment of 18 British Squadrons, and some exports had been made.  Production continued to accelerate, and despite the more publicised role played by the Spitfire in the Battle of Britain, it was the Hurricane that played the more decisive part, concentrating its efforts on the German bombers and downing more aircraft than the rest of the defences combined.  Production eventually totalled 14,232 including large numbers of later models used increasingly for the ground-attack role.