Iranian Hawker Hurricane Mk.I
With an air force of mainly Hawker combat aircraft, the choice of the Hurricane as the next Iranian fighter in 1939 was obvious.
A single Hurricane was sent to Iran for testing in mid 1939, leading to an order for 30 Hurricane Mk.I aircraft. With the start of war in Europe, Britain only agreed to release 15 aircraft, and then only after March 1940. However the order was further delayed due to slow work in developing the required tropical air filter. In December 1940 the order was finally cancelled by Britain.
Meanwhile it was decided that Hurricanes could instead be assembled locally at the Iranian Shahbaz Aircraft Factory, from British supplied components in early 1941. As tensions built in the Middle East the supply of the parts and materials was held up, and finally in August the export licence for the equipment was cancelled.
With the British delays, in November 1939 an Iranian delegation was sent to the USA and instead ordered 10 Curtiss H-75A-9 Hawk fighters - all but 1 of which were still in their packing crates in Ahvaz when Britain invaded Iran.
Illustrated is a speculative Hurricane Mk.I Trop. in 1941 Iranian colours.