Sea Hurricane Mk IA
The Hawker Sea Hurricane Mk IA was a Hurricane Mk I modified by General Aircraft Limited. They were modified to be carried by CAM ships (catapult armed merchantman). These were cargo ships equipped with a catapult for launching an aircraft, but without facilities to recover them. Thus, if the aircraft were not in range of a land base, pilots were forced to bail out and be picked up by the ship. They were informally known as “Hurricats”.
The majority of the aircraft modified had suffered wear-and-tear from serving with front-line squadrons, so much so that at least one example used during trials broke up under the stress of a catapult launching. A total of 50 aircraft were converted from Hurricane Mk Is. CAM launched Hurricanes were used on eight operational sorties and the Hurricanes shot down six enemy aircraft, for the loss of one Hurricane pilot killed. The first Sea Hurricane IA kill was an Fw 200C Condor, shot down on 2 August 1941.
Testing
Hawker Sea Hurricane I Launching 
Hawker Sea Hurricane being catapulted from the catapult armed merchant (CAM) ship at Greenock. Note the long flame from the rocket assistors. A 9423 Part of Admiralty Official Collection Hampton, J A (Lt) Royal Navy official photographer 
Hawker Sea Hurricane I KEM Z4936 being lowered onto a training catapult at Liverpool
Loading Sea Hurricanes onto Their Catapults
Hawker Sea Hurricane I Merchant Ship Fighting Unit aboard a Catapult Armed Merchant Gibraltar 
Hawker Sea Hurricane 1 Being Loaded onto its Catapult
CAM Ships in Port
Sea Hurricane I W9182 aboard a Catapult Armed Merchantman CAM ship Algeria 
Sea Hurricane I aboard a Catapult Armed Merchantman 
Sea Hurricane I aboard a Catapult Armed Merchantman
CAM Ships at Sea
Hawker Sea Hurricane I V6733 aboard CAM ship SS Empire Darwin 
Hawker Sea Hurricane I Merchant Ship Fighting Unit MS Empire Faith 1941 
Hawker Sea Hurricane I Merchant Ship Fighting Unit MS Empire Faith 1941 
Hawker Sea Hurricane IA MSFU V7070 aboard CAM ship Empire Heath Jan 1942 
Hawker Sea Hurricane IA MSFU V7070 aboard CAM ship Empire Heath Jan 1942 
HMS Empire Lawrence, circa 1941, at anchor, with aircraft on catapult. 
The pilot and flight mechanic of the Merchant Ship Fighter Unit, practice a ‘scramble’ to Hawker Sea Hurricane Mark I, V6733, on the steam-catapult of CAM ship SS Empire Darwin in the Mediterranean, while heading for North Africa in a convoy. 
Flt Lt D R Turley George and FO Fenwick in front of their Sea Hurricane Mk IA on board the SS Empire Tide
