Fury
Hawker · United Kingdom · first flew 1931 · fighter
The Hawker Fury was the RAF's glamour fighter of the early 1930s, the first in squadron service to top 200 mph and arguably the most elegant biplane ever built.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Mid-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 8.13 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Sleek single-bay biplane with a beautifully pointed inline-engine nose
- First RAF fighter to exceed 200 mph in level flight
- Polished metal panels and spatted or neatly faired undercarriage
Look for a compact single-bay biplane with a finely tapered, pointed nose over the Kestrel engine, quite unlike radial-engined contemporaries. The airframe is notably clean, with polished cowlings and minimal bracing. Twin Vickers guns lie in troughs beside the cockpit.
Specifications
- The Fury has a length of 8.13 m (27 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 9.14 m (30 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 333 km/h (207 mph).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Sydney Camm's Fury first flew in March 1931 and entered service with No. 43 Squadron that May. Its Rolls-Royce Kestrel gave fighter performance a decisive jump, and its immaculate aerobatic displays at Hendon made it a public icon. The design line led directly through the Fury Monoplane project to the Hurricane.
Variants
The Fury Mk I was followed in 1936 by the Fury Mk II with a more powerful Kestrel VI and spatted wheels, raising top speed to around 223 mph. Export versions flew with Yugoslavia, Persia, Spain and Portugal, some with radial engines. The naval Nimrod was a closely related carrier fighter.
Where you'll see it
The Fury epitomises the silver-winged RAF of the inter-war years, flying from Tangmere with elite squadrons. An original Fury Mk I, K5674, has been restored to airworthy condition in Britain and displays with the Historic Aircraft Collection from Duxford. South African-delivered airframes provided several of the survivors.
Related aircraft
- Hawker Fury I
- Hawker Hart Mk I
- Hawker Hurricane
- Hawker Hurricane Mk I
- Aero A.46
- Arado Ar 65
- Boeing F4B-2
- Boeing F4B-4
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