Hawker Sea Fury

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• Sea Fury TG*119 (subsequent registration number 110) flew with the RCN from 1948 to 1957 with VF 870 and VF 871 and currently resides at the National Aviation Museum in Ottawa. The Sea Fury was a single-seat carrier-borne fighter-bomber with a maximum speed of 460 m.p.h., range of 700 miles (or 1,040 miles with two 90-gallon drop tanks), and with four fixed 20mm guns in its wings and provisions for 12 60lb rocket projectiles or two 1,000lb bombs below the wings.

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• The RCN flew 75 Sea Furies from February, 1948 to April, 1957. One was a Mk.10 and the other 74 were F.B. Mk.11s. They were both single seat fighters and fighter-bombers, similar except that the Mk 11s were equipped to carry the 100/1,000 pound jettisonable wing bomb carriers. The outer portions of the wings of both models could be folded upwards hydaulically to facilitate stowage below decks on an Aircraft carrier. The Aircraft to the rear is a Fairey Firefly. The straight flight deck and high number of arrestor cables (the back lines perpendicular to the direction of the flight deck) identify this photo as having been taken on the HMCS Magnificent.

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• The Pilot's Notes for the Sea Fury 10 & 1 state that "The Aircraft is designed for the duties of a single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber; intentional spinning is prohibited. Catapulting and RATO (Rocket Assisted Take Off) is permitted with or without external stores, and with any permitted combination of stores. When external stores or wing drop tanks are carried, aerobatics are prohibited and violent manoeuvers are to be avoided." This Sea Fury is on the flight deck of the HMCS Magnificent. Also, note the small, dark maple leaf in the centre of the roundel. This was common practice starting after the war, continuing until the new RCAF roundel was implemented.

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