Rod Lewis' Hawker Sea Fury T Mk.20

Rod Lewis is the owner and operator of this Hawker Sea Fury T Mk.20 which is available for airshows, flybys and film.

One of the fastest piston engine aircraft ever built, Hawker's magnificent Sea Fury/Fury has always had the ability to inspire awe amongst everyone from airport kids to jet fighter pilots. It continues to attract fans at airshows and air races around the world and leaves most other aircraft of the era well behind.

The design that became the Hawker Sea Fury goes back to a 1943 requirement for a Fleet Air Arm fighter based on the Hawker Tempest. First flown in 1945, the new Fury design began military flight trials and entered service with No. 778 squadron. The Fury, along with the Grumman Bearcat and P-51 Mustang, marked the epitome of piston-engine fighter design before technology focused on jets.

Hawker was designated to work on the land-based version, the Fury, and responsibility for the naval conversion was assigned to Boulton-Paul Aircraft Ltd. In April of 1944 contracts were placed for 200 aircraft for each the Royal Air Force and Fleet Air Arm. The first Sea Fury prototype flew on February 21, 1945, but the first full naval version with folding wings did not fly until October 12, 1947.

The Fury, and navalized Sea Fury, were instant hits with the British military, as well as foreign countries such as Germany, Burma and Iraq. The design also leant itself to a modification for a second cockpit and dual controls. The two-seat "training" version of the Fury matched the high performance of the FB II version. The British Navy ordered 60 of the two-seaters and
designated them T Mk.20.

This warbird is scheduled to be re-painted in the near future.

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