Fury?

[Herod]

Is there a full-size Hawker Fury biplane flying in the UK, and if so, was it over Essex this afternoon? I've only got old-aviator eyes and had no binoculars handy, but it was certainly from the Hawker stable and didn't seem to be a scaled-down replica like the Isaacs.

[bonniejack]

I believe there is one at Duxford recently reviwed in the Pilot mag.

[K.Whyjelly]

The Shuttleworth collection have an airworthy Hawker Hind which was a development from the Fury. Last seen airborne on May 3rd of this year.

YouTube - Hawker Hind (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFQOXdRHoQc)

[izod tester]

The Fighter Collection at Duxford have a Hawker Nimrod which is the naval version of the Fury.

See The Fighter Collection - Nimrod (http://www.fighter-collection.com/pages/aircraft/nimrod/index.php)

[Yak11Fan]

the Historic Aircraft Collection also at Duxford have a Hawker Nimrod, there has also been a Hawker Demon take to the skies for the first time this week in Bedfordshire.
What sort of time did you see it?

[treadigraph]

A choice of four... ah!

The Kestrel in the real Nimrods/Hind/Demon will sound rather more substantial than the VW or whatever it is in the Isaacs!

Incidently, superb news that the Demon is flying at last. Look forward to seeing it out and about.

Roll on the other Hawker biplanes that are in progress in East Sussex.

[Herod]

Yak11Fan, about 15.30 in the Halstead area.

treadigraph, it certainly wasn't a VW. Lovely throaty sound.

[treadigraph]

Definitely a Kestrel then! :ok:

[Agaricus bisporus]

Where in Bedfordshire is the Demon based/flying from please?

[treadigraph]

It was rebuilt by Skysport at Hatch and was flown out to Henlow during the week. There are some pics of it on The Fighter Collection's blog pages (http://friends-of-tfc.*************/).

[BEagle]

See //4.bp.*************/_iQoFZjusvKg/SkN410v3BgI/AAAAAAAAAaY/y22kpEU3T40/s1600-h/Demon+1st+Flight.jpg

Due to the PPRuNe net-nanny :yuk:, you'll need to type http: before the // and blog followed by spot followed by .com instead of those stupid asterisks...:mad:

[treadigraph]

Herod, may well have been the HAC Nimrod you saw - it was at Biggin today and looked absolutely stunning, silver wings reflecting the sunlight as it looped and rolled beneath some pretty impressive cumulus clouds - teenage CBs some of them. Sounded fantastic too!

Ah, thanks for that BEags, just seen my link doesn't work either - alternative for those who wish to see it is to find The Fighter Collection's website and follow the blog link in the right hand panel.

"Teenage" CB is now relieving itself over my garden! Held off for just long enough!

[VictorGolf]

Yes it was definitely the HAC Nimrod as it took off from Duxford just as I was chatting to a lovely 80-year old who had just flown in the Harvard.

[Herod]

Just been on the Fighter Collection website, and I agree it would have been the Nimrod. Must have been wonderful to see it perform.

treadigraph, if that CB ever gets married and has kids, can you send some over to this part of Essex? It's muggy and horrible, but nothing seems to be getting started. I don't mind CBs now I don't have to find a way around them anymore!

[treadigraph]

None of them have sparked off around here yet, but there was a doozey north of London as we were heading back from Biggin (oh, all right, as we sitting outside the Harrow having a quick pint) which looked like it was ready to thunder. But that was about four hours ago.

It highly likely that one or more of these aircraft will be airborne at Flying Legends at Duxford 11/12th July. Certainly hope so!

[Herod]

It's just gone over again (Sun 1530) heading northish. Presumably back to Duxford. Wonderful to think these things are still flying, wish I could at their age!

[JEM60]

Yes, Treadigraph. I guess there is every prospect of the two Nimrods which are based at Duxford, the Shuttleworth Hind, and the Demon being in the air all together at Flying Legends, not to mention two Gladiators etc. etc. Oh for sunshine on silver wings.!!

[treadigraph]

If I was a squillionaire, I'd have Tony Ditheridge build me an air force of twenties and thirties types to his usual immaculate standard. It does sadden me to see the Bristol Bulldog dormant at Hendon; yes, I know its flying career ended prematurely at the bottom of a loop in 1964... and yet, and yet...

Seem to remember John Fairey's delightful Flycatcher replica - replica? Reproduction! - was grounded by a lack of airshow bookings in the early 1990s. I know it had an American radial bolted to the front, but to see its aerobatics on a sunny afternoon was a thrill.

Any thunder yet Herod? None this side of the smoke yet, but saw another massive black cloud drifting slowly eastwards over London or beyond late this afternoon. Thought it was bound to drop a bolt or two.

[Herod]

No thunder yet.

[Tyres O'Flaherty]

The Nimrod today, as last year, was a joy to watch.

Hearing that very intermediate engine sound was a great reminder of the progress of those days, bit of real power, but really a precursor to what was coming in the piston world :ok:

[FAStoat]

Yes there definitely is a Hawker Fury full size replica with a Kestrel.It was built by Viv Bellamy for Patrick Lyndsay in the late 80s,and was kept at Booker with PPS(Tony Bianchi).Unfortunately the Fuel Tank held such little fuel,it did not wander far from Booker,so very few people saw it .Tony Bianchi flew it from Lands End via several stops,after I think Viv had flown it.Patrick had Cancer and I believe he only just managed to see it fly at Booker before his sad death.Andy Sefton also flew it,and it was sold by the Patrick Lyndsay Estate,so where it is now may be abroad,or with Kermit weeks,as he is still involved with PPS at Booker on his rebuilds.The Fury was in 43Sqn colours.Viv Bellamy also finished the build of John Fairey's Flycatcher,which in fact I had started in the mid 70s.I had got Tony Harold of the RAF Museum,with Cdr White of the FAA Museum, to find what 1930s Biplane Fighters that were no longer extant,that Drawings could be found for,apart from Hawkers,as they had a very difficult to copy octagonal Main Spar,so we looked for wooden or a mixture of wood and steel-hence we came up with the Flycatcher,and Maurice Robinson was brought in to share the project,as he had built an Avro 504 for Bellamy,which went to Col Palen. Maurice was killed and the project ground to a halt,so knowing Viv well I contacted him,and he told his brother in law,John Fairey,who subsequently took the semi built project off my hands.Viv subsequently built a 1 1/2 Strutter,and Albacore,and was in the process of bringing back a Skua into life,but he died ,and Westward Aviation was taken over by his son.This was written up several times in Aeroplane Monthly,and to give John Fairey his due,he did give me credit for the Flycatcher,but he never let me fly it,as I had expressly given Viv Bellamy instuctions that I would like to be allowed to fly it,as part of the deal!!!However several Landing incidents by its owner,probably put him off letting anyone,as even Hugh Kennard had nearly done the same!!!!!It displays well at Yeovilton with a replica Jaguar engine.The Pratt and Whitney that it flew with was not so dissimilar to the Bristol Jupiter(9 Cyl radial but opp rotation) that some of the Prototypes had actually had before the Air Ministry decided on the Jaguar ,that Siskins and others were powered with,so Spares were common.

[treadigraph]

Wow, thanks for the story on those aeroplanes FAStoat. I'd forgotten about the Fury replica. I know it went to Belgium where it suffered a landing accident and it was rebuilt here - by Skysport I think - and I recall seeing it at Old Warden several years ago, though I don't think it flew. Wonder where it is now.

By the way, according to Skysport's website they have a Hawker biplane fuselage available...