109 And Hurricane

This is the Heinkel He 162 Volksjager, positioned beneath the other wing of the Lancaster. This jet powered plane was a wood and metal fighter, quickly designed and built, but the program was initiated late in the war and never saw much combat action. This one was captured in Germany at war's end, exhibited in Hyde Park, and sent to Canada, ultimately ending up in the collection of the Aviation Museum.

This is the Messerschmitt Bf 109, the primary fighter in the Luftwaffe during the Second World War, one of the best of its time. This one crash landed near Murmansk, Russia, in 1942, and was acquired by the Museum in the 1990s.

Here we have one of the great Allied fighter planes of the war, a Hawker Hurricane XII. The Hurricane design started in 1934 and would see several variants built over time. They were somewhat outclassed by the 109, but really what won the day was the skill of the pilot. By the end of the Battle of Britain, it was young Allied pilots in Hurricanes and Spitfires who prevailed, and in fact the Hurricane was responsible for the bulk of downed enemy aircraft in that particular fight. This one was built in Canada and used in training and defensive patrol duties during the war.

A statue stands nearby of George Frederick "Buzz" Beurling, a highly decorated Canadian fighter pilot who served with the RAF and the RCAF during the war. He was called the Falcon of Malta for his extraordinary exploits there in 1942 in bringing down Axis aircraft.