Hawker Fury (1944 - 1947)

The Fury was developed as a lightweight Tempest, designed to confer relatively low wing loading on a powerful fighter. Originally designed to specification F.6/42, later refined in F.2/43, the prototype, NX798, first flew on 1 September 1944. Its relationship to the Tempest II was clear but the aircraft featured a revised fin and rudder. It was hoped that the Fury would more than match the manouvreability of the Japanese fighters then in production but before problems with the Centaurus engine could be resolved the war had ended. With a surplus of piston-engined fighters now available and the the introduction of jet types an order for 200 was cancelled, although in naval form the type served with the Royal Navy for some years as the Sea Fury. Four prototypes were constructed. NX798 had the Centaurus XII, rigid mounted and driving a four-blade airscrew.

NX798 with Bristol Centaurus XII engine

LA610 was first fitted with a Griffon 85 driving three-blade contra-rotating propellors.

LA610 in its first manifestation

It was later fitted with the Sabre VII with which it attained a top speed of 485 mph.

LA610 with Sabre VII

NX802 employed the Centaurus XV on a dynamic mounting.

NX802 with Centaurus XV

The fourth, and final Fury, VP207 also flew with the Sabre VII.

Specification and production

Further reading

Mason, F K Hawker Sea Fury, The (Profile 126) Profile Publications, Leatherhead, 1965