Hi all,
here is a post by K.Lesnikov:
Something for your Hurricane two-seaters page. I posted this on the modelling the aircraft of Soviet VVS forum today:
Answer to the question what was this mysterious plane can be found in May 2007 issue of Aviatsiya i Kosmonavtika (a special dedicated to Hawker Hurricane). Following is what V. Kotelnikov writes about the post-war service of Hawker Hurricane in Soviet Union:
"In total, VVS and PVO had lost 1813 planes during the war. Although the number of remaining machines wasn't small, after the VE-day, Hurricanes quickly disappeared from air force units, replaced by more modern Soviet and imported fighters. Soviet Union wasn't required to return planes to England so the large numbers of planes were quickly sent to scrap. According to March 22,1946 government order, 421 Hurricanes were written off.
But, for some of these planes, a new role was found. Disarmed Hurricanes were converted in weather (meteorological) reconnaissance airplanes. Such airplanes were used by of the Main Directorate of Hydro-Meteorological Service (GUGMS) departmental air service . Their Hurricanes were marked with the fuselage codes starting with letter "M". In total mere then 150 airplanes were transferred to this service. They flew from the western borders of Soviet Union to Yakutia assigned to different detachments. Meteorological Hurricanes did vertical sounding (sampling?) of the atmosphere, photographed clouds, did different measurements. For this purpose the planes were equipped with special equipment. To make fling through the clouds easier, some planes were equipped with radio-compasses. For example, Hurricane M-324 had American MN-26 radio-compass taken from a Kingcobra. Photography was usually done from two-seaters - former trainers.
Till the end of 1947 the number of meteo Hurricanes decreased basically for those lost in accidents. In 1946 because of accidents four airplanes were written-off, in 1947 -two. In 1948 two airplanes were lost. On Feb 14, 1948 on the airplane M-309 of the Kiev detachment had an accident due to engine failure (broken connecting rod). Pilot A.G. Olyhovenko made forced landing, but unsuccessfully. Pilot survived, but the airplane was written off. On Dec. 04 Hurricane M-292 of the Tashkent detachment disappeared without traces. During the search and rescue operation neither wreck of the airplane nor the pilot Matrenko were found.
On Oct 01, 1947 GUGMS had 104 Hurricanes, 81 of them in working order. Gradually wear and lack of spares started to show. By Jul 01, 1948, 50 english fighters remained within the department air service, by Jan 1949 their number decreased to 48. At the beginning of that year the preparations for the complete write-off of all machines of that type started. According to the order, use of Hurricanes had to terminate by Jan 01 1950 "after the fulfilment of the amortization period of the service". In fact by that time the meteorological service had ten Hurricanes, five of which could still fly. They were all written off by Apr 01.
With this the history of Soviet ?Hurricanes? ended."
This information comes thanks to polarpost.ru forum. Translation and poor grammar are mine.
I couldn't confirm that photo posted by Martin really shows a meteorological plane, but IMHO that is more likely than a radar test plane.
Cheers,
Konstantin