Hawker Fury Mk1

The Hawker Fury was the first RAF fighter to exceed 200mph in level flight, but due to the effects of the world wide depression only served with three squadrons. The Fury was the logical outcome of combining the earlier Hawker F.20/27 with the 420 HP Rolls Royce Kestrel whilst utilising knowledge gained from production of the Hawker Hart light bomber. The Hawker Hornet, (as the Fury was originally called) was first displayed publicly at the 1929 Olympia Aero Show after its first flight with George Bulman at the controls in March 1929.

After considerable huffing and puffing over production costs between Hawker's and the Air Ministry the Hawker Fury, (The Air Ministry decreed that all future RAF fighter's should have names that reflected "ferocity") was accepted by the RAF in 1930 and the first Fury squadron, No 43 was formed in May 1931, followed by 1 and 25 squadrons. Total production of the Hawker Fury Mk1 was 117. These three squadrons were to become the three premier RAF fighter squadrons. Although the Fury equipped only three RAF squadrons, the Fury was exported widely.

A further 113 of the developed Hawker Fury MkII were ordered for the RAF and served in the fighter role until replaced by the Gloster Gladiator. Sidney Camm's little masterpiece epitomised the glamour of the RAF during the inter war years and few people who attended the Hendon air displays will forget the aerobatic displays by Hawker Fury's tied together with ribbons. For a long time it was thought that all examples of the Hawker Fury were lost but a recent exciting discovery in South Africa of substantial remains of ex RAF machines, gives hope that a genuine example of this most beautiful of biplane fighter's will be restored to flying condition.

Performance

A top speed of 207 mph at 14,000 ft
Weight: 3,490lb max all up weight
Powerplant: One Rolls Royce Kestrel of 525 HP.
Armament: Two 0.303" Vickers MkIII machine guns