Warbird Information Exchange

James--

Hey! How'd we not realize we shared an identical opinion of the Fury when we met up in Ottawa? The "Skyfury" conversion (R3350; think the moniker, coined by Mr Baker, relates to a SKYraider engine on a Sea FURY??) is ingenious, having kept so many of these classics flying where the necessary wherewithal is! I've been sufficiently fortunate to see three Centaurus Furies fly (N19SF, N232J, N56SF) and also three R3350 Furies (N51SF, N666HP, N61432). Either way, it's a spectacular machine. My own preference is for the Bristol spinning a five-blade Rotol "backwards"...but that wouldn't keep me away from a Skyfury in the event of a sudden deluge of cash! And BTW I think it's time there was a Fury on the C-register again. Far as I can trace, the last one was CF-CHB in the early 70s! (Though there have been at least four others flying in Canada under US registry since then).

The rabbit camping inside someone's hat couldn't be a Firefly, could it...?

Oh, BTW: good avatar pic--but what is the aircraft? It looks almost Typhoon-like...

Cheers

S.

Agree with all your statements! Another factiod; Frank Sanders told me that Dreadnought with the R-4360 had lower fuel flow at the same speeds as 924G. I've been fortunate enough to fly a couple times each in 924G and Dale Clarke/Dennis Firestone's old Sea Fury. Definitely an experience to never be forgotten!

A few pics, as this thread seems naked without them!

No - it'll hopefully be return of the Swordfish. There's a lot of work there still though


It's almost as rare - Miles Magister at the IWM Duxford...

_________________
James K

"Switch on the underwater landing lights"
Emilio Largo, Thunderball.

www.VintageAeroWriter.com

Just curious, but do the RNHF have a stock of historic machines somewhere? They managed to find a third Sea Fury and a Sea Hawk. Did these come from the private sector, or a secret RNHF stash?

Sea Fury VR930 has been back in the Royal Navy since 1976. It was used as a source of spares for the two original RNHF Furies, and also for Boscombe Down's T.20 VZ345. In 1994 a decision was made to rebuilt her back to flying condition, with VZ345 donating a lot of parts back to VR930

The RNHF never sold Sea Hawk WV908. When it was withdrawn from flying due to rising operating costs in 1989, it was placed in store at RNAS Yeovilton. In 1995 it was refurbished, with assistance from three main spares-ships.

The RNHF did have a stash of aircraft at one point, Fairey Gannets, a Harvard, Tiger Moth, Hawker P.1127. These were all sold off at auction in the 1990s to raise money, to help keep the RNHF in business.

HTH,

Mark