Dwelle Family's Hawker Sea Fury T Mk.20 Restoration updates?

[Zac Yates]

Top photos Ken, she looks superb! I for one enjoyed Critical Mass as a concept and design, but reading it was to be returned to T.20 status made me very happy. Thanks for providing the background to your decision, and for sharing photos and info with us. All the best for the final stages of the restoration and for continued flight!

[Lon Moer]

Another lost air racer.

Hi Lon,

I hate to put you on the spot but I'm going to do it anyway. I don't often post on these sites because I recognize that a project like this isn't going to make everyone happy. <>.
So with that in mind I'm happy to post photos and progress on this site if folks care, as I'm pretty passionate on the subject. If you insist on engaging me in a dialogue about the morality of returning another air racer to stock than I'll be signing off.
<>.

Ken Dwelle

As has been stated here many times; its your property and your money. And there is certainly no reason to "sign off" on my part.
But I, too have a passion for these planes and will always prefer the civilian warbirds over just another military plane.
There are a 'dozen' Sea Fury's, but there will only ever be one "Critical Mass".

[Triplane102]

Ken, Thanks for posting those great pic.s ! I see you have found a shade of silver for her, looks super! Just curious, is the spinner going to stay red ?, and will she have yellow bands on her ?
Being an animal rescuer myself, do you all have a hanger Mascot ? Thanks again, Tony

[BigGrey]

Ken, thank you for the update and pictures. It is very much appreciated.

Les

[marine air]

The project looks fantastic. I remember seeing the 25 Baghdad Furies in storage at the Orlando Herndon Field airport. At the time there were plenty of spare engines, props, red drop tanks, and lots of different makes and models including the dual bubble canopy trainer version. The Hangar was across the street from my dad's friend Scott Smith's hangar. Johnny Williams was there picking out the one he wanted. A buyer could pick any one they wanted for $25,000 . Spare parts were a little extra.
They were all on wooden pallets and I begged my dad to buy one. They are still such an awesome aircraft design. One of the best things about the Sea Fury is that the Mustang guys can't run off and leave you when flying airshows. I'm told they like to do that to the slower warbirds. Heck, you'll be able to run off and leave them. They'll be asking you for a power reduction.

[Ken Dwelle]

I think this Fury is just beautiful. Thanks for sharing the photos with everyone! Who constructs the exhaust for this? It looks like a work of art.

Sam Davis at Tube Tech in Chino. It ties into the stock shock mounts at the tips and looks factory.

[Ken Dwelle]

4RG I do get your point, this is a forum to encourage free dialogue. Thanks - Ken

Ken Dwelle,
The subject of paint color/restoration type gets quite a bit of conversation on this site. A few points of thought:
It's your aircraft, restore/paint it any way you wish.
This is the WIX (warbird information exchange) hanger, seems proper to talk it about it here as such.
Thank you for the background details, both you and the aircraft as well as service to your country being a 3rd generation military pilot.
thanks for the pics, keep 'em coming!

[Ken Dwelle]

Phixa- I've wondered about those rivets as well, it's only the -3's and I'm with you that it's not from squeezing or bucking. I'd like to see what one looks like before it's upset. They sure are easy to drill out. Ken

Ken, thanks for the updates. She really looks great. Having spent a fair amount of time rolling around the inside of Race 15 Furias, I have a question. I noticed the original rivet tails inside the fuselage (cockpit area for sure, but I think it was like that in the aft heck hole too) had a very uniform dimple in them. I couldn't quite figure that one out. It was too uniform for it to have been a feature of a bucking bar used to upset them, but it couldn't have been squeazed could it? Have you noticed the same?

[Ken Dwelle]

Mark that would be very cool, we have only one photo of her time in RN service. Here's the details on side numbers and fin flashes for WE820

9 Mar 1952 738 Squadron, B Flight RNAS Culdrose. Naval Air Fighter School. CW on fin Side Number 205
21 Mar 1953 738 Squadron RNAS Lossiemouth. Naval Air Fighter and Strike School. LM on fin Side Number 202
Sept 1956 Unit Unknown RNAS Eglinton. GN on fin Side Number 916

Greetings Ken, I have a big batch of 738 Squadron Sea Fury photos. When I return from my business trip I'll dig through them and see if your airplane is there. It's looking great.

[Ken Dwelle]

Lon it was one of a kind and sexy, that's for sure. The old man has a poster sized photo in his office of her lighting off in a cloud of smoke with grey clouds in the background and the sun hitting that orange paint just right. I look at it every time I walk in there.

Another lost air racer.

Hi Lon,

I hate to put you on the spot but I'm going to do it anyway. I don't often post on these sites because I recognize that a project like this isn't going to make everyone happy. <>.
So with that in mind I'm happy to post photos and progress on this site if folks care, as I'm pretty passionate on the subject. If you insist on engaging me in a dialogue about the morality of returning another air racer to stock than I'll be signing off.
<>.

Ken Dwelle

As has been stated here many times; its your property and your money. And there is certainly no reason to "sign off" on my part.
But I, too have a passion for these planes and will always prefer the civilian warbirds over just another military plane.
There are a 'dozen' Sea Fury's, but there will only ever be one "Critical Mass".

[Ken Dwelle]

Silver, yellow bands, RN scheme with the correct markings and stencils. Some of the modeler books show this scheme with a red spinner, some black, some blue, some silver. Perhaps Mark's photos will help. I do prefer a red spinner.

Ken, Thanks for posting those great pic.s ! I see you have found a shade of silver for her, looks super! Just curious, is the spinner going to stay red ?, and will she have yellow bands on her ?
Being an animal rescuer myself, do you all have a hanger Mascot ? Thanks again, Tony

[redvanner]

Ken, thank you for taking the time to post your pics and information. I have no idea what Sqn. WG655 (the one of The Fighter Collection, Duxford) flew with, but I guess your scheme will be similar? Another question: Do you intend to fit the external fuel tanks (in working order?)? In Germany it is not legal for civilian registered aircraft to use droptanks, to drop anything even in an emergency. So they could be fitted, but fixed, not dropable in flight. I love the Sea Fury T Mk.20 in stock configuration, she´s a real beast. BTW in 1965 one of DLB´s ones (D-CACI, ES3614, VX280) crashed, due to engine problems, in a forest just 2 miles where I lived. The passenger parachuted, the pilot decided to stay in, to avoid crashing in houses. RIP. The father of my friend "found" the tailwheel at the crash site. Below a pic of WG655 I took in 2010 at 70 years BoB anniversary airshow at Duxford. Will your paint scheme be similar?

Thanks again
Michael

[OZFURYFAN]

Hi Ken, been a long time but it will sure be sweet when done, I dont think I have ever seen a Fury stripped so far down,really looking forward to the great unveiling and I prefer the red spinner too:))) best regards, Pete

[Reever]

That is a BEAUTIFUL restoration. Can't wait to see her in paint.

[Ken Dwelle]

Michael, That's the scheme we're going to use, I'm glad to see that Meier Motors is doing one of the other former target tugs in the red scheme so that will be represented. The drops on ours are plumbed and functional but, as in Germany, they cannot be fitted to jettison in flight.

[quote="redvanner"]Ken, thank you for taking the time to post your pics and information. I have no idea what Sqn. WG655 (the one of The Fighter Collection, Duxford) flew with, but I guess your scheme will be similar? Another question: Do you intend to fit the external fuel tanks (in working order?)? In Germany it is not legal for civilian registered aircraft to use droptanks, to drop anything even in an emergency. So they could be fitted, but fixed, not dropable in flight. I love the Sea Fury T Mk.20 in stock configuration, she´s a real beast. BTW in 1965 one of DLB´s ones (D-CACI, ES3614, VX280) crashed, due to engine problems, in a forest just 2 miles where I lived. The passenger parachuted, the pilot decided to stay in, to avoid crashing in houses. RIP. The father of my friend "found" the tailwheel at the crash site. Below a pic of WG655 I took in 2010 at 70 years BoB anniversary airshow at Duxford. Will your paint scheme be similar?

Thanks again
Michael