Hawker Sea Fury

British carrier-based Naval fighter-bomber Sea Fury from the end of WW2.
History, development, service, specifications, pictures, images and 3D model.

British carrier-based fighter-bomber Sea Fury

Hawker Sea Fury
Type: British carrier-based fighter-bomber.

The Hawker Sea Fury was a British fighter aircraft developed for the Royal Navy by Hawker Aircraft during the late 1940s.

Overview

Development: It was designed as the successor to the Hawker Typhoon and Tempest, and was one of the fastest production single piston-engined aircraft ever built.
Service: The Sea Fury entered service with the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm in 1947 and remained in frontline service until 1955.
Engine: Powered by a Bristol Centaurus 18-cylinder radial engine, producing over 2,400 horsepower.
Performance: Top speed of around 460 mph (740 km/h) at sea level, with a service ceiling of 35,800 ft (10,900 m).
Armament: Typically armed with four 20mm Hispano cannons in the wings.
Variants: Produced in several variants, including land-based and carrier-based versions.
Combat history: Saw action during the Korean War, where it was used effectively in ground attack roles and scored air-to-air victories against jet fighters.
Export success: Used by several other nations including Australia, Canada, Western Germany, Cuba, Egypt, and Iraq.
Civil use: After military service, some Sea Furies were converted for racing, particularly in the Reno Air Races.
Legacy: Considered one of the greatest piston-engined fighters ever built, representing the peak of propeller-driven aircraft design before the widespread adoption of jet engines.

The Hawker Sea Fury is remembered as a powerful and capable fighter that bridged the gap between propeller and jet-powered aircraft in naval aviation.

History

The Hawker Sea Fury, the last British fighter aircraft with a piston engine, looks like a Hawker Tempest II. But it was a completely new design.

It was inspired by a German Focke-Wulf Fw 190 A, captured in June 1942, which was a model for compactness and skillful use of air-cooled radial engines.
Camm took over the wings, except for the middle part, from the Hawker Tempest and went from the steel pipe to the self-supporting construction for the airframe.

The prototypes were flown with Centaurus, Griffon and Sabre engines, while Boulton Paul developed the Sea Fury.

At the end of WW2 the RAF orders were cancelled, but 65 Hawker Fury were built for Iraq, Egypt and Pakistan. Some of them were two-seat trainers with either two cabin roofs (Egypt) or a long roof (T 61 for Pakistan).

The Hawker Sea Fury was the standard fighter-bomber of the Royal Navy and was also sold to Canada, the Netherlands, Australia, Western Germany, Burma, Cuba and other countries.
The total production figure was 860, from which the British Royal Navy received 615.

During the Korean War (1950-53) the Hawker Sea Fury was used as the standard aircraft of the RN, RAN and RCN from light carriers and flows numerous missions to support the ground troops. Even in aerial combat against the Russian MiG-15 they achieved good results.

In Pakistan, the Hawker Fury remained in use until 1973. A Hawker Fury in US property holds the world record in speed for piston engines.

Hawker Sea Fury FB Mk 11 from a museum.

Three Hawker Sea Fury of the Canadian Naval Air Force.

Users: Royal Navy, Canada, Netherlands, Australia, Western Germany, Burma, Cuba.

Specifications Hawker Sea Fury

Specifications:

Armament:

Service statistics:

3D Model Hawker Sea Fury

References and literature

Das große Buch der Luftkämpfe (Ian Parsons)
Technik und Einsatz der Kampfflugzeuge vom 1. Weltkrieg bis heute (Ian Parsons)