'Sound of the Fury's' - Hawker Sea Fury T Mk.20 and Fury II - Bristol Centaurus & Pratt & Whitney

#HawkerSeaFury #BristolCentaurus #PrattandWhitneyR2800 #SeaFury

Shaun Patrick's Norwegian Spitfire Foundation Hawker Sea Fury T Mk.20, WG655, G-INVN, named 'Invincible', displaying with Anglia Aircraft Restorations Hawker Fury Mk.II/ISS (Iraqi Single Seat), SR661, G-CBEL.

Although essentially both the same aircraft design, the Sea Fury T Mk.20 is no longer powered by its original Bristol Centaurus engine, replaced recently with a Pratt & Whitney R2800-CB3.
The Fury II/ISS has a Bristol Centaurus engine. A comparison can be made between the sounds of each type.
The Fury II was part of an export order to Iraq in the 1950s, hence its designation as ISS which stands for Iraqi Single Seat, which was the official Hawker Aircraft designation for the export aircraft, which were also unofficially known as 'Baghdad Fury's'. Some of the aircraft supplied were converted and de navalised ex Royal Navy Sea Fury FB.10s, but most were newly built airframes which were constructed without the folding wings, tail arrestor hook and other features and equipment that the Sea Fury had in naval service. The colour scheme of the Fury II/ISS is that of one of the prototype Sea Fury's which came out of the Hawker factory following cancellation of the order for the Royal Air Force Fury Mk.IIs.

This Sea Fury, construction number 37539 was produced by Hawker’s as a Fury ISS for the Iraqi Air Force, as part of a contract for 60 aircraft, and was numbered 315 within the production batch. Although 10 of the single seat aircraft for this contract were converted former Royal Navy FB.10 or FB.11s, this airframe was built by Hawkers as new but without any of the navalised features of the Sea Fury. The aircraft was bought to Orlando, Florida, USA from Iraq in 1979 by Ed Jurist and David C Tallichet. In 1989 the aircraft passed to Laws/Coleman Warbird Museum, Coleman, Texas where it was rebuilt to airworthy condition, before flying again in April 1991, registered as N36SF. The Fury was then shipped to the UK in September 1991, passing into the ownership of John Bradshaw at Wroughton until 2009. During this time the aircraft flew in the markings of a Dutch Navy and latterly Royal Australian Navy aircraft marked as 361 and on the UK Civil Register as G-CBEL. She was then exported to Australia where she was registered as VH-SFW. She was imported back into the UK by her new owners, Anglia Aircraft Restorations Ltd. she was re-registered again as G-CBEL. The aircraft has been refurbished and repainted, by Air Leasing Ltd, in the colours of one of Hawker’s Sea Fury prototypes coded SR661, which was a modified Fury Mk.II with a tail hook fitted, but without the folding wings included on subsequent production Sea Fury’s.

Built at Hawkers, Kingston-upon-Thames with final assembly at Langley with serial No. WG655. Delivered 9.10.1951 to Anthorn for initial storage then to 781 Sqdn Lee-on-Solent 7.12.1951. Returned to RDU Anthorn and preserved 13.2.1952. Purchased by Hawker 27.4.1957 for conversion to Target Towing configuration. Sold to German MoD for TT operations and registered D-CACU. Federal Republic of Germany c/o Ministry of Defence, operated by Deutscher Luftfahrt-Beratungsdienst (of Wiesbaden) on target-towing flights in Sigmaringen area, based on München-Riem airport. Operator changed to Rhein Flugzeubau (RFB) for operation in Todendorf-Putlos range in Baltic Sea, based at Lübeck from 1.1.1966. Undertook last flight of a German Sea Fury (Lübeck – Köln) on 12.11.1975 and stored at Köln airport. Withdrawn from use on 23.6.1976, unregistered and prepared for ferry to Royal Navy. Noted at RAF Colerne. To RNHF Yeovilton 29.6.1976 marked as 910/GN. Transported to RNAY Fleetlands 15.5.1985 for refinishing and initially returned to RNHF Yeovilton. Transported to Boscombe Down 14.5.1987. While flying with RNHF 14.7.1990 it suffered engine failure shortly after take-off and made a wheels-up forced landing in a field near Castle Cary. Fuselage broke into three sections on collision with tree. After the accident, the remains were inspected and deemed unrepairable then put up for disposal. The remains went initially to New Zealand with Grant Beal. Chuck Greenhill, Kenosha, Wisconsin, had always had an interest in aircraft with naval connections. He purchased the remains 17.8.1993 and had them shipped to Kenosha where Tim McCarter and his crew went to work. Re-Regd as N20MD. Nominally Re-Regd 12.9.2002 to Amphib Inc, Lake Zurich, Illinois. Shipped to Sanders Aeronautics for completion at Ione, California. Sold to The Fighter Collection, Duxford in 2008. Shipped in a container to UK and arrived Duxford 29.5.2009. Re-Regd G-CHFP 20.04.2012. Aircraft sold to Shaun Patrick/Norwegian Spitfire Foundation in 2018 and re registered G-INVN.

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