Duxford 2017 - Sea Fury og Bearcat - UAS Vision video

Hawker Sea Fury & Grumman Bearcat

Anglia Aircraft Restorations Hawker Sea Fury ISS, SR661, G-CBEL and The Fighter Collection’s Grumman F8F-2P Bearcat, G-RUMM, practicing together for their paired aerobatic display, on the Friday before the Flying Legends 2017 Airshow at The Imperial War Museum, Duxford

Hawker Sea Fury ISS (G-CBEL)

Operator: Anglia Aircraft Restorations Ltd
Year of Manufacture: 1953
Powered by: Bristol Centaurus XVIII
Colour Scheme: Royal Navy prototype SR661

This Fury, construction number 37539 was produced by Hawker’s as a Fury ISS – Iraqi Single Seat for the Iraqi Air Force, as part of contract number 53/1/012 for 60 aircraft, and was numbered 315 within this production batch. The aircraft was bought to Orlando, Florida, USA from Iraq in 1979 by Ed Jurist and David C Tallichet. In 1989 the aircraft passed to Laws/Coleman Warbird Museum, Coleman, Texas where it was rebuilt to airworthy condition, before flying again in April 1991, registered as N36SF. The Fury was then shipped to the UK in September 1991, passing into the ownership of John Bradshaw at Wroughton until 2009.

During this time the aircraft flew in the markings of a Dutch Navy and latterly Royal Australian Navy aircraft marked as 361 and on the UK Civil Register as G-CBEL. She was then exported to Australia where she was registered as VH-SFW. She was imported back into the UK by her new owners, Anglia Aircraft Restorations Ltd. and was re-registered again as G-CBEL.

The aircraft has been refurbished and repainted, by Air Leasing Ltd, in the colours of one of Hawker’s Sea Fury prototypes coded SR661, which was a modified Fury Mk.II with a tail hook fitted, but without the folding wings included on subsequent production Sea Fury’s.

Grumman F8F-2P Bearcat G-RUMM
The Bearcat design was the Grumman response to the US Navy’s request in the latter war years for a fast responsive fighter to be deployed in the Pacific Theatre. The type did not see operational service during the Second World War as the conflict had ended before they saw combat service. It was however used to great effect in French Indo-China by the French Air Force. The Bearcat could outperform many early Jet fighter aircraft of the period.

The Fighter Collection aircraft was built in 1948 and taken on charge in August of that year by the US Navy. She served at a number of Naval Air Stations before undergoing modification to F8F-2P standard in 1952. Following further Navy service she was finally struck off charge in January 1957. She passed through two sets of private owners in the US, the first between 1957 and 1972, and the second until 1981. It was under this second private ownership that she underwent a full overhaul and flew once again in 1975. It was in 1981 that the Bearcat joined what was to become The Fighter Collection and she has gone on to be the longest serving member of their fleet.