First Quarter (January - March) 2003 Volume 15, Number 1 The Newsletter of the War Eagles Air Museum Editorial A New Year, A New Start, A New Newsletter t’s been a while since the last Plane Talk War Eagles Air Museum news- I letter appeared. Actually, it’s been about two years. The reasons are many, but mainly involve the lack of a staffer or volunteer able to commit the time and effort to what is, if done right, a fairly major undertaking. Publication of this issue marks the first step in the rejuven- ation of the newsletter. We’re restarting small—this issue is eight pages long, with lots of pictures. It may grow to 12 pages, or even more. We think the timing is more important than Magnificent Obsession, the War Eagles Air Featured Aircraft Museum’s Hawker Fury, aloft over the New the size. We plan to bring it to you regu- Mexico desert with the museum in the larly, four times a year, every quarter, like clockwork. We’ll include features of he Hawker Sea Fury was the interest to a variety of readers, and try to British Royal Navy’s last piston- make sure each issue offers something T engined fighter. Although develop- for everyone. For example, each newslet- ed during World War II, it did not see oper- ter will include the history of one of the ational service until after the War. Many Museum's aircraft, like the Hawker Sea consider it the fastest piston-engined air- Contents Fury story in this issue. Profiles of staff craft ever built. Editorial........................................1 members and volunteers will help you The Sea Fury owes much of its design to a Featured Aircraft ..........................1 put a face to the Museum’s activities. navigational error. In June 1942, Luftwaffe From the Director .........................2 We’ll report the latest status of Museum pilot Oberleutnant Arnim Faber landed his Call for Volunteers .......................3 projects, such as aircraft restorations or Focke-Wulf FW-190A-3 at RAF Pembrey, Volunteer Program Rejuvenation..4 new acquisitions. But most of all, we apparently thinking he was at a Luftwaffe Hall of Fame Inductees.................4 hope to offer an interesting, informative coastal airfield. Quickly pouncing on this Museum Collections.....................5 and useful publication that you will look intact example of the bothersome German Humor Corner...............................5 forward to reading. fighter, the British used their windfall to Holiday Party 2002.......................6 good advantage. Specification F.6/42, for a ‘Til next time—enjoy. Project Status................................8 This Quarter in Aviation History ..8 Featured Aircraft (Continued on page 2) 1 www.war-eagles-air-museum.com Plane Talk—The Newsletter of the War Eagles Air Museum First Quarter 2003 From The Director Featured Aircraft (Continued from page 1) Sea Fury Mk. XI Characteristics Powerplant 2,480-hp Bristol Centaurus new high-performance fighter, was is- 18-cylinder air-cooled elcome to the War Eagles Air sued shortly thereafter, and incorporated Museum newsletter. We hope lessons that the “boffins” learned from Top speed 460 mph at 18,000 feet W you’ll read it from cover to their examination of Faber’s aircraft. Time to climb 10 minutes 48 seconds to 30,000 feet cover, and that you find it interesting. As At the time, Hawker Aircraft’s chief en- the article on Page 4 explains, one of our gineer Sydney Camm and his team were Range 700 miles (on internal fuel) goals for the future is to reinvigorate the developing a lighter, smaller version of Museum’s volunteer program. Volun- 1,040 miles with two drop the venerable Tempest. In January 1943, tanks teers play a key role in the operation. We Hawker management decided to revise Service Ceiling 35,600 feet appreciate all they’ve done, and continue this design to meet the requirements of to do, in preserving, maintaining and in- Specification F.6/42. The project was Weight (empty) 9,240 pounds terpreting the examples of “living” av- then called the Tempest Light Fighter, or Weight 12,500 pounds iation history in our hangar. We’re de- Centaurus. Two months later, the Gov- Armament veloping ways to better match up volun- ernment wrote specification F.2/43 speci- Four 20-mm Hispano teers’ interests and Museum needs. Look cannon in the wings, plus fically for the Hawker project. In April underwing racks for for more details on this “new” volunteer 1943, Camm realized that, with a few mi- program in future newsletters. nor changes We’re also try- and an engine With a Royal Navy contract for 200 Sea ing to figure upgrade, the Furies soon in hand, Hawker began to out how to F.2/43 project bend tin. The first Sea Fury prototype, boost admis- aircraft could SR661, flew on February 21, 1945, sions and also meet Roy- behind a Bristol Centaurus XII engine memberships, al Navy Speci- with a four-bladed propeller. The second, which have fication N.7/43 fully “navalized” prototype, SR666, had held steady or for a carrier- a Centaurus XV, a five-bladed prop and even declined based inter- folding wings. SR661 took part in naval slightly, in the ceptor. So the fighter suitability and deck landing tests last few years. Sea Fury 3-view Drawing (from Rand McNally Encyclopedia of Royal Navy’s beginning in May 1945, and was still in The Museum’s Aircraft 1914-1980, 1980 Edition). requirements test when Japan surrendered in August. unique collec- were com- With the end of the War, the Royal Navy tion of flightworthy aircraft and road- bined in Specification F.2/43. After cut its Sea Fury order in half. worthy automobiles deserves to be better Hawker decided to abandon the land- known. A typical visitor comment is, based version of the Tempest Light The first production Sea Fury, a Mk. X, “Wow, what a great place! We didn’t Fighter to concentrate on the Royal Na- flew on September 7, 1946. After deck even know you were here!” As we consi- vy’s requirements, the resulting aircraft trials aboard HMS Victorious, the Royal der ways to “get the word out,” please was named Sea Fury. Navy approved the aircraft for carrier use tell a friend about us, or pass on this in the Spring of 1947, and soon equipped newsletter. We look forward to seeing five Fleet Air Arm squad- you at the Museum soon. rons. The Mk. X was fol- lowed by the Mk. XI Skip Trammell fighter-bomber, of which Hawker eventually deliv- ered 615 to the Royal Na- vy. It was the Fleet Air Arm’s principal single- Plane Talk seat fighter until the jet- Published by War Eagles Air powered Sea Hawk joined Museum 8012 Airport Road the Fleet in 1953. Santa Teresa, New Mexico 88008 (505) 589-2000 Sea Furies served exten- sively in the Korean War, Newsletter Editor—Terry Sunday operating from Royal Na- vy carriers HMS Glory, E-mail address: First Sea Fury Prototype, SR661, in 1944. [email protected] HMS Ocean and HMS Theseus, and Au- Featured Aircraft (Continued on page 3) www.war-eagles-air-museum.com 2 First Quarter 2003 Plane Talk—The Newsletter of the War Eagles Air Museum Featured Aircraft (Continued from page 2) one of 55 “Baghdad Furies.” For the Ir- There, on March 14, 1989, the reassem- aqi order, Hawker built a “de-navalized” bled aircraft was registered to John Mac- stralian carrier HMAS Sydney. They Sea Fury that lacked a tail hook, folding Guire. On May 19, the first flight since usually paired with Fairey Fireflies for wings and other naval equipment. Iraq arrival in the States took place at Chino, ground attack missions. The Sea Fury ex- used these fighters until well into the California, and the aircraft later flew in celled in this role, often proving superior 1970s, when a couple of enterprising the Chino Air Show. After that, the log- to the enemy’s modern jets. For example, warbird collectors bought Iraq’s remain- book is blank. Long-time War Eagles on August 9, 1952, Royal Navy Lieuten- ing 24 Furies and all spares and shipped volunteers recall that the Fury arrived at ant “Hoagy” Carmichael, flying a Sea them to Florida. Four of these ex-Iraqi Santa Teresa Airport in 1989, piloted by Fury of HMS Ocean’s 802 Squadron, Furies made their way to Australian war- John Mazzala of Chino. After a flyover shot down a Soviet-built North Korean bird collector Guido Zuccoli. Iraqi Air for aerial photographs, Magnificent Ob- Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15, marking the Force Fury number 253 eventually ended session landed and joined the Museum’s first such kill by a piston-engined fighter, up in the hands of Ted Allen, a Queens- warbird lineup. and the only air-to-air kill by a British land earthmoving contractor. He restored pilot flying a British aircraft in the Kor- the machine and painted it in Royal Aus- ean War. tralian Navy colors, including black-and- white “invasion stripes” as sported by Sea Furies flying off Call for Volunteers HMAS Sydney in the re you tired of being a couch po- Korean War. Its Aus- tato? Would you like to do tralian Civil Aviation A something new, interesting and Authority registra- educational? Do you like to be around tion number was old airplanes and motorcars? Are you an VH-HFA. active or former military pilot with stor- The first record of ies to tell and experiences to share? this aircraft in the Then come on out and volunteer at War War Eagles Air Mu- Eagles Air Museum.