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The Typhoon project was nearly abandoned because of a multitude of difficulties that appeared in the development. The first prototype, of this interceptor, intended to replace the Hurricane, flew February 22, 1940. But after several disappointing performances, it was quickly reoriented to ground-strike missions. In this function, the Typhoon took part in operations with two 113 kg bombs under the wings that were added to its armament of four 20 mm Hispano-Suiza Guns. The Typhoons pursued their operations in the English Channel, while others flew above the Netherlands and France, attacking airfields, roads, railway networks and other vital objectives. The first operations had demonstrated that the Typhoon armed with twelve 7.7mm Brownings machine guns was relatively inefficient for the ground-strikes, so this version was quickly abandoned. A flaw in the design of the Typhoon was a weaknesses in the structure, which appeared in the stabilizers and the fuselage. Many accidents were caused by an in-flight rupture of the stabilizer. To fix this problem, they simply riveted numerous plates all around the joint. The Typhoon was also used, with devastating effects, as a rocket-armed assault plane. More than 3 315 units were produced.
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