Hawker Sea Fury

Mark:                            Prototype 1939-1945, Postwar Mk X

Primary Role:              Carrier borne fighter-bomber

First Flight:                   Prototypes – September 1944/February 1945

First production:         Mark 10 – did not make its initial flight until September 1946

Entered Service:        October 1945 for fully navalized version- Fully flying in the 1950s

Manufacturer:             Hawker was designated to work on the land-based version, and responsibility for the naval conversion was assigned to Boulton-Paul Aircraft Ltd. of Wolverhampton.

Engine:                        One 2,480hp Bristol Centaurus two-row 18 cylinder air-cooled radial engine

Wing Span:                 38 ft 4 3/4 in (11.7 m)

Wing Area:                  26.01 sq m

Length                         34 ft 8 in (10.57m)

Height:                         16 ft 1 in (4.9 m)

Empty Weight:            9,240 lb (4,190 kg)

Maximum Take Off Weight 12,500 lb (5,670 kg)

Speed:                         460 mph (740 km/h)

Service Ceiling:         35,800 ft (10,912 m)

Range:                         700 mi (1,127 km) without external fuel tanks

Rate of Climb:            30,000 ft (9,140 m)/10 min 48 sec

Armament:                  Four 20mm cannon  2,000lb of bombs or twelve 3-inch rocket projectiles

Crew:                           1

Battle Honours:          1939-1945 war:  None in this conflict as the aircraft was only produced after then end of hostilities.

Korean War:

Post-war it had significant involvement in the Korean war. Paired with the Fairey Firefly, it provided the “heavy attack” element for the Royal Navy carriers that served in the Korean War.

Sea Furies were used extensively throughout the Korean war, mainly in the ground attack role (with Fireflies), flying from HMS Glory, HMS Ocean, HMS Theseus and the Australian carrier HMAS Sydney. Even in the Korean war the Sea Fury was one of the best of it’s type, showing itself on many occasions to be superior to the more up-to-date enemy jets of the Korean conflict.

Fleet Air Arm Hawker Seafury y F.B. 11 O-114 of 802 squadron (HMS Ocean) flown by Lt P “Hoagy” Carmichael on 9 August 1952 shot down a MiG-15 was the first such kill by a piston-engine fighter, and the only kill by a British pilot flying a British aircraft during the Korean War.