Sea Fury

The Hawker Siddeley Sea Fury is a single‑seat, carrier‑based fighter‑bomber that emerged from Hawker Aircraft’s wartime development programme and entered service under the Hawker Siddeley name after the 1935 merger that formed the larger group. Its first flight took place on 21 February 1944, and it entered operational service with the Royal Navy’s Fleet Air Arm in 1946, becoming the Royal Navy’s final propeller‑driven fighter. Powered by a 2,280 hp Rolls‑Royce Merlin 130/131 engine driving a six‑bladed contra‑rotating propeller, the Sea Fury achieved a top speed of 460 mph (740 km/h), making it one of the fastest piston‑engine fighters ever built. The aircraft featured a robust, all‑metal stressed‑skin airframe, hydraulically folded wings for carrier storage, and a powerful armament package that typically included four 20 mm Hispano Mk V cannons and the capacity to carry rockets, bombs, or a torpedo for ground‑attack missions. Its excellent handling, high climb rate, and heavy armament enabled it to serve with distinction in the Korean War, where it proved lethal against early jet aircraft. The Sea Fury’s blend of speed, firepower, and carrier compatibility cemented its reputation as a transitional masterpiece, bridging the gap between World War II piston aircraft and the jet age and leaving a lasting legacy in naval aviation history.

Hawker Siddeley

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