ok, this is from "Hurricane at War" Author - Chaz Bowyer 1974
Tom Gleave, Commander 253 Sq, Biggin Hill, 1940
To fly the Hurricane was sheer pleasure. She had no vices, other than the stall, from which even her feathered friends were not immune. She answered every call made on her with will, sharing with the Spitfire the joy of having the impeccably mannered Roll-Royce Merlin to attend to her every whim. She took off without any marked swinging tantrum from which other, less well-bred types suffered. She was unbelievably stable, and in cloud or at night, when rudder and elevator tabs were properly adjusted, she would settle down in a rut of her own making whether going up or down. And at no time was this virtue more precious than when taking off on a pitch dark night and climbing into a coal black void.
In a dogfight the Hurricane could almost turn on her tail as her guns spat tracer, lead, and incendiary at anything that dared try to join the circle. In pursuit she could cut corners, and only when the superior climb of the Me109 took it out of danger had she to look for other "game". When making her own getaway, she took without complaint the quickest of flick-rolls and U-turns, and 'standing on the rudder bar' held no terrors for her or her pilot. ... close-knit melees ensuing in which her magnificent manoeuvrability and control paid handsome dividends.
Graham Leggett, E Flight, Aston Down. His first flight.
At take-off power the Hurricane needs a fair bit of right rudder, then, almost unexpectedly, she leaps eagerly off the grass and flies. Unconsciously moving the stick when reaching for the undercarriage lever, I immediately have to pick up the nose and port wing --- God! these controls are sensitive! But what a beautiful aeroplane -- instant obedience to the controls, superb view, and what power. ....
Easing back on the stick the nose follows the horizon effortlessly -- in fact she almost flies herself and the rudder seems superfluous.
For the next 15 minutes I have the time of my life. Diving and climbing turns, rolling, stalling -- the Hurricane flies like the thoroughbred bird she is. There's much to learn, but already I know the Hurricane's secret -- superb manoeuvrability
J. W. Brooks. Manston
Once in the air with the wheels up, the Hurricane was a delight. You didn't so much fly it as 'wear' it. At high speeds the controls did tend to stiffen up and this was common on all aircraft. Yet the Hurricane could still be manoeuvred quite adequately. It was better than the Spitfire in this respect and far superior to the ME 109. It could literally 'turn on a six-pence'
yea the Hurricane isnt very manoeuvrable
