Hawker Sea Fury?
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Hawker Sea Fury?
This afternoon I heard a lovely deep roar of a big piston engine. looking up I saw a dark blue painted beast with 'Navy' painted in white on the rear fuselage. It looked very like a Hawker Sea Fury heading for a landing at Hurn. A great pity he could not fly lower but I think he was limited by the proximity of a local hospital.
If the pilot reads this, Please, Please come back again soon. It was a wonderful sight on a beautiful sunny afternoon.
CC
If the pilot reads this, Please, Please come back again soon. It was a wonderful sight on a beautiful sunny afternoon.
CC
Gnome de PPRuNe
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Sounds like John Bradshaw's Sea Fury which is based at Hurn... sorry, Bournemouth International! Don't think he flies it all that often more's the pity.
When we were both QFI-ing at RAF Abingdon, I helped Bradders to launch the beast a couple of times when it was based at Wroughton - magnificent! It is certainly the best maintained Fury there is and is a labour of love for John. It is actually an 'Iraqi Single Seat' Hawker Fury, not a 'Sea Fury'.
To keep The Law happy when it first arrived in the UK and we took it from Southmapton Docks to Eastleigh along the main road with the wings removed, I was asked to sit in the a/c as brakeman. I couldn't resist winding back the canopy as we went round one roundabout to ask a passer-by "Are we going the right way to the airport...?"
Some dimwitted gun-toting redneck had taken a pot shot at the Fury when it was in store in the USA before being shipped over to Britain as we were at war with Iraq and he took offence to the "Goddam Eye-Raqi airplane"; the .45 cal bullet hole was still there through the left wing when it arrived in England! Fortunately nothing serious had been hit and John soon repaired the damage.
My logbook of the time has a piccie of N36SF ('Harry' as Bradders calls him) with the following entry:
29 Sep 91, Fury ISS, N36SF, Self, S'oton Docks to Eastleigh 0545Z - 0710Z, road tow, average ground speed 3.9 Kts!
To keep The Law happy when it first arrived in the UK and we took it from Southmapton Docks to Eastleigh along the main road with the wings removed, I was asked to sit in the a/c as brakeman. I couldn't resist winding back the canopy as we went round one roundabout to ask a passer-by "Are we going the right way to the airport...?"
Some dimwitted gun-toting redneck had taken a pot shot at the Fury when it was in store in the USA before being shipped over to Britain as we were at war with Iraq and he took offence to the "Goddam Eye-Raqi airplane"; the .45 cal bullet hole was still there through the left wing when it arrived in England! Fortunately nothing serious had been hit and John soon repaired the damage.
My logbook of the time has a piccie of N36SF ('Harry' as Bradders calls him) with the following entry:
29 Sep 91, Fury ISS, N36SF, Self, S'oton Docks to Eastleigh 0545Z - 0710Z, road tow, average ground speed 3.9 Kts!
Last edited by BEagle; 3rd Apr 2005 at 09:53.
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Treaders
It flies very regularly (at least once a month) and is probably the most regularly flown Centaurus engined Sea Fury in existance.
Its very rarely if ever displayed though as JB no longer has a DA IIRC
It flies very regularly (at least once a month) and is probably the most regularly flown Centaurus engined Sea Fury in existance.
Its very rarely if ever displayed though as JB no longer has a DA IIRC
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Some dimwitted gun-toting redneck had taken a pot shot at the Fury when it was in store in the USA before being shipped over to Britain as we were at war with Iraq and he took offence to the "Goddam Eye-Raqi airplane";
Gnome de PPRuNe
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Glad to hear that she (and John) flies more often than I thought, MotF - only time I can recall seeing her was a straight and level fly past at Farnborough a few years back. Shame... Hope RNHF's is out and about OK this year, and that TFC's will get air under her tyres soon.
Couple that fly regularly down under aren't there?
Incidently, are there any Centaurus Sea Furies in the US now, our are they all R3350? (Yes, I know, Dreadnought has a R4360!).
Cheers
Treadders
Couple that fly regularly down under aren't there?
Incidently, are there any Centaurus Sea Furies in the US now, our are they all R3350? (Yes, I know, Dreadnought has a R4360!).
Cheers
Treadders
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Treadders, I think there is one Centaurus engined Fury in the States and that is about to go R3380.
If All goes according to plan I hope to sample one soon
If All goes according to plan I hope to sample one soon
Gnome de PPRuNe
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You getting a lift with a certain Mr Patterson? Lucky $%&*!
Treadders
Treadders
Gentleman Aviator
They also serve who only shoot at unoccupied, parked aircraft
Unpleasantness.
... shame they were Lightnings ......
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"Couple that fly regularly down under aren't there?"
You mean Dunnunda? From the CASA civil aircraft register:
VH HFG
Aeroplane with retractable tailwheel landing gear
Single reciprocating engine
Make and type: Hawker Siddeley Aviation Ltd SEA FURY
Model: SEA FURY MK II
Serial number: WJ298
Aircraft first registered in Australia: 09/11/1983
Certificate of Registration holder as of 15/06/1997
MRS LYNETTE DOROTHY ZUCCOLI
'GREY GUMS' 11033 NEW ENGLAND HIGHWAY
BLUE MOUNTAIN HEIGHTS QLD 4350
VH NVS
Aeroplane with retractable tailwheel landing gear
Single radial engine
Make and type: Hawker Siddeley Aviation Ltd SEA FURY
Model: SEA FURY FB11
Serial number: 41H613993
Aircraft first registered in Australia: 02/06/1999
Certificate of Registration holder as of 02/06/1999
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENCE (NAVY)
NAVAL AIR STATION
NOWRA NSW 2540
VH SHF
Aeroplane with retractable tailwheel landing gear
Single radial engine
Make and type: Hawker Siddeley Aviation Ltd SEA FURY
Model: SEA FURY FB11
Serial number: 41H643827
Aircraft first registered in Australia: 31/05/2001
Certificate of Registration holder as of 31/05/2001
FLYING FIGHTERS PTY LTD
PO BOX 141
SUNNYBANK QLD 4009
You mean Dunnunda? From the CASA civil aircraft register:
VH HFG
Aeroplane with retractable tailwheel landing gear
Single reciprocating engine
Make and type: Hawker Siddeley Aviation Ltd SEA FURY
Model: SEA FURY MK II
Serial number: WJ298
Aircraft first registered in Australia: 09/11/1983
Certificate of Registration holder as of 15/06/1997
MRS LYNETTE DOROTHY ZUCCOLI
'GREY GUMS' 11033 NEW ENGLAND HIGHWAY
BLUE MOUNTAIN HEIGHTS QLD 4350
VH NVS
Aeroplane with retractable tailwheel landing gear
Single radial engine
Make and type: Hawker Siddeley Aviation Ltd SEA FURY
Model: SEA FURY FB11
Serial number: 41H613993
Aircraft first registered in Australia: 02/06/1999
Certificate of Registration holder as of 02/06/1999
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENCE (NAVY)
NAVAL AIR STATION
NOWRA NSW 2540
VH SHF
Aeroplane with retractable tailwheel landing gear
Single radial engine
Make and type: Hawker Siddeley Aviation Ltd SEA FURY
Model: SEA FURY FB11
Serial number: 41H643827
Aircraft first registered in Australia: 31/05/2001
Certificate of Registration holder as of 31/05/2001
FLYING FIGHTERS PTY LTD
PO BOX 141
SUNNYBANK QLD 4009
Gnome de PPRuNe
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You mean Dunnunda?
Three, good on ya! One in New Zealand as well (ZK-SFR?) I think.
The US Centarus-powered Sea Fury is owned by Ellsworth Getchell (ret. TWA Captain) on the West Coast. Did all the overall work on the engine himself, as he told me anyway. Appears at West Coast shows, esp, Abbotsford, BC. Beautiful condition, at least in 2000.
GF
GF
SHF last flew at the Avalon Airshow, Mellbourne in March. Is now the only flying Fury in Australia based at Archerfield in Brisbane as part of the Flying Fighters collection. Visitors most welcome!
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RNHF Sea Fury was in the air at Yeovilton yesterday, performing gentle manoevres. Wonderful sight and sound. Only spoilt by by the sad thought that the Firefly is no longer around. RIP.
Rumour has it that there was an intact Fury ISS in a Baghdad museum - but it was then damaged by the vandalism inflicted by ignorant, ill-disciplined British squaddies who tried to hack off the tail as some war trophy.