Hurricane range followed the interceptor requirement

The Hurricane and Spitfire were conceived chiefly as interceptors rather than long-range fighters. Their designers emphasized rapid takeoff and climb because planners did not yet know how effectively the Chain Home radar network would warn of incoming bombers. Hurricanes later received adaptations such as drop tanks and fighter-bomber equipment, but those changes answered missions beyond the original requirement. Their limited range follows directly from the threat assumptions that shaped prewar aircraft design.