Hawker Sea Fury

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawker_Sea_Fury

The Hawker Sea Fury was a British fighter aircraft designed and manufactured by
Hawker. It was the last propeller-driven fighter to serve with the Royal Navy,
and also one of the fastest production single piston-engined aircraft ever
built.[2] Developed during the Second World War, the Sea Fury entered service
two years after the war ended. The Sea Fury proved to be a popular aircraft with
a number of overseas militaries, and was used during the Korean War in the early
1950s, as well as against the 1961 Bay of Pigs Invasion of Cuba.

The Sea Fury's development was formally initiated in 1943 in response to a
wartime requirement of the RAF, thus the aircraft was initially named Fury. As
the Second World War drew to a close, the RAF cancelled their order for the
aircraft; however, the Royal Navy saw the type as a suitable carrier aircraft to
replace a range of increasingly obsolete or poorly suited aircraft being
operated by the Fleet Air Arm. Development of the Sea Fury proceeded, and the
type began entering operational service in 1947.

The Sea Fury has many design similarities to Hawker's preceding Tempest fighter,
but the Sea Fury was a considerably lighter aircraft[dubious – discuss]; both
the Sea Fury's wings and fuselage originate from the Tempest but were
significantly modified. Production Sea Furies were fitted with the powerful
Bristol Centaurus engine, and armed with four wing-mounted Hispano V cannons.
While originally developed as a pure aerial fighter aircraft, the definitive Sea
Fury FB 11 was a fighter-bomber, the design having been found suitable for this
mission as well.

The Sea Fury attracted international orders as both a carrier and land-based
aircraft; it was operated by countries including Australia, Burma, Canada, Cuba,
Egypt, West Germany, Iraq, and Pakistan. The type acquitted itself well in the
Korean War, fighting effectively even against the MiG-15 jet fighter.[1]
Although the Sea Fury was retired by the majority of its military operators in
the late 1950s in favour of jet-propelled aircraft, a considerable number of
aircraft saw subsequent use in the civil sector, and several remain airworthy in
the 21st century both as heritage and racing aircraft.


Role
Naval fighter-bomber

Manufacturer
Hawker

Designer
Sydney Camm

First flight
1 September 1944 (Fury)
21 February 1945 (Sea Fury)

Introduction
October 1945 (FAA)
1947 (RCN)

Retired
1953 (FAA)
1955 (RNVR)
1956 (RCN)
1957 (MLD)
1968 Burmese Air Force

Primary users
Royal Navy
Royal Australian Navy
Royal Canadian Navy
Pakistan Air Force

Produced
1945–55

Number built
864[1]

Developed from
Hawker Tempest


Following the outbreak of the Korean War on 25 June 1950, Sea Furies were
dispatched to the region as a part of the British Commonwealth Forces Korea,
Britain's contribution to the United Nations multinational task force to assist
South Korea following an invasion by North Korea. Sea Furies were flown
throughout the conflict, primarily as ground-attack aircraft, from the Royal
Navy light fleet carriers HMS Glory, HMS Theseus, HMS Ocean, and the Australian
carrier HMAS Sydney.[40] After a Fleet Air Arm Seafire was shot down by a United
States Air Force Boeing B-29 Superfortress on 28 July 1950, all Commonwealth
aircraft were painted with black and white Invasion stripes.[41]

The first Sea Furies arrived in theatre with 807 Naval Air Squadron embarked on
HMS Theseus, which relieved HMS Triumph in October 1950.[41] Operations on
Theseus were intense, and the Sea Furies of 807 Squadron flew a total of 264
combat sorties in October. During a brief rest period at the Japanese port of
Iwakuni the catapult was found to be excessively worn, necessitating the launch
of Sea Furies with RATOG assistance until it was repaired. In December 1950, Sea
Furies conducted several strikes on bridges, airfields, and railways to disrupt
North Korean logistics, flying a further 332 sorties without incurring any
losses. At this early point in the war little aerial resistance was encountered
and the biggest threats were ground-based anti-aircraft fire or technical
problems.[42]

In addition to their ground attack role, Sea Furies also performed combat air
patrols. In this role a total of 3,900 interceptions were carried out, although
none of the intercepted aircraft turned out to be hostile. During the winter
period, the Sea Furies were often called upon as spotter aircraft for UN
artillery around Inchon, Wonsan, and Songiin.[43] In April 1951, 804 Naval Air
Squadron operating off HMS Glory, replaced 807 Squadron, which in turn was
replaced by HMAS Sydney in September 1951 with 805 and 808 Squadron RAN. The
Australian carrier air group flew 2,366 combat sorties.[41] In January 1952, HMS
Glory with 804 NAS returned to relieve Sydney following a refit in Australia.
For the rest of the war Glory and Ocean relieved each other on duty.[41]

In 1952, the first Chinese MiG-15 jet fighters appeared. On 8 August 1952,
Lieutenant Peter "Hoagy" Carmichael, of 802 Squadron, flying Sea Fury WJ232 from
HMS Ocean, shot a MiG-15 down, making him one of only a few pilots of a
propeller driven aircraft to shoot down a jet.[44][N 2] The engagement occurred
when a formation of Sea Furies and Fireflies was engaged by eight MiG-15s,
during which one Firefly was badly damaged while the Sea Furies escaped
unharmed. Some sources claim that this is the only successful engagement by a
British pilot in a British aircraft during the Korean War, although a few
sources claim a second MiG was downed in the same action.[45] In addition, the
recollections of Sub-Lieutenant Brian "Schmoo" Ellis, the youngest member of the
flight, differ from the official version of events

Specifications (FB 11)

General characteristics
Crew: One
Length: 34 ft 8 in (10.56 m)
Wingspan: 38 ft 43/4 in (11.69 m)
Height: 15 ft 101/2 in (4.84 m)
Wing area: 280 ft2 (26.01 m2)
Empty weight: 9,240 lb (4,191 kg)
Loaded weight: 12,350 lb (5,602 kg)
Max. takeoff weight: 14,650 lb (6,645 kg)
Powerplant: 1 × Bristol Centaurus 18 18-cylinder twin-row radial engine, 2,480
hp (1,850 kW) (take-off)

Performance
Maximum speed: 460 mph (400 knots, 740 km/h) at 18,000 ft (5,500 m)
Range: 700 mi (609 nmi, 1,126 km) with internal fuel; 1,040 mi (904 nmi, 1,674
km) with two drop tanks
Service ceiling: 35,800 ft (10,910 m)
Rate of climb: 4,320 ft/min (21.9 m/s)

Armament

Guns: 4 × 20 mm (.79 in) Hispano Mk V cannon
Rockets: 12× 3 in (76.2 mm) rockets or
Bombs: 2,000 lb (907 kg) of bombs




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Miloch wrote :

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawker_Sea_Fury

In 1952, the first Chinese MiG-15 jet fighters appeared. On 8 August
1952, Lieutenant Peter "Hoagy" Carmichael, of 802 Squadron, flying Sea
Fury WJ232 from HMS Ocean, shot a MiG-15 down, making him one of only
a few pilots of a propeller driven aircraft to shoot down a jet.[44][N
2] The engagement occurred when a formation of Sea Furies and
Fireflies was engaged by eight MiG-15s, during which one Firefly was
badly damaged while the Sea Furies escaped unharmed. Some sources
claim that this is the only successful engagement by a British pilot
in a British aircraft during the Korean War, although a few sources
claim a second MiG was downed in the same action.[45] In addition, the
recollections of Sub-Lieutenant Brian "Schmoo" Ellis, the youngest
member of the flight, differ from the official version of events


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