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Hurricane in Combat - Mk I - Mk II - Mk III - Mk IV - Mk V - Mk X-XII
The final production version of the Hurricane was the Mk IV. This was a dedicated ground attack aircraft, normally armed with either 40 mm cannon or rocket projectiles, although it had the same universal wing as the Mk IIE, which meant it could also take bombs or extra fuel tanks as required. It was equipped with the Merlin 24 or Merlin 27 engine, both of which gave 1,620 hp. The extra power meant that the Hurricane Mk IV could still reach a speed of 284 mph at 13,500 feet even when carrying eight 60lb rockets and 350 lbs of armour. Of the 524 Mk IVs used by the RAF, the majority served in the Mediterranean and Far East, where they were the only RAF aircraft capable of carrying the 40 mm anti-tank gun.