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Maybe it's the way you look at it or even where you hail from. It's quite likely you're more familiar with the P-39 than the Hurricane. You wouldn't be alone in that as before CFS became popular I suspect the Hurricane was almost unknown in the US.  Even now some people refer to it as the Hawker rather than the Hurricane so they are obviously unaware of the Hawker Aircraft Company & its considerable contribution to the history of aviation on both sides of the Atlantic.

I've been a keen aircraft spotter for most of my life. I once reckoned to be able to identify most aircraft at long distance long before anyone else. Sad ain't I? I also used to represent my ATC squadron at various aircraft recognition competitions throughout the country. Not that I did too well as there was always some clever clogs much better at it than me.

Since I was a boy I always thought the Defiant looked very similar to the Hurricane. This is going by the general look of the aircraft as a whole, not any specific part of it. Call it character for want of a better word. The Merlin engine & cowling shape are very similar & possibly both aircraft share some parts. This & the lack of wing dihedral is what you would notice most unless the aircraft was directly overhead. The large radiator below the fuselage is another useful identification feature. The completely different gear layout also influences my impression of the P-39.  I've seen plenty of Hurricanes but unfortunately I've never seen a real life P-39 in the air or even a museum.

Since you mentioned it I've had a look at various photos & drawings of the P-39 & think I see where you're coming from. The side view has some similarities, specifically the upswept rear fuselage rather than the "hump back" of the Hurri.





PS. Forgot the Defiant.