Hawker Sea Fury FB.11
Hawker · UK · first flew 1947 · fighter
The FB.11 is the definitive single-seat Fleet Air Arm Sea Fury fighter-bomber, combining the heaviest armament of any single-piston-engine naval fighter with carrier compatibility, and the last piston-engine type to score kills in aerial combat (Korea 1952).
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Mid-mounted, tapered |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Folding outer wing panels with the fold joint visible as a line parallel to the fuselage about 2 m from the tip, confirming naval carrier fighter |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Five-blade Rotol propeller — the five blades are the clearest identifier; the T.20 also carries five blades but has a two-seat cockpit
- Four 20 mm Hispano Mk.V cannon in the wings with muzzles visible at mid-span in the leading edge
- Folding outer wing panels with the fold joint visible as a line parallel to the fuselage about 2 m from the tip, confirming naval carrier fighter
Against T.20: the FB.11 has a narrow single-seat cockpit vs the T.20's wider two-seat hood. Both share the five-blade propeller and folding wings. Against Hawker Fury (land-based): the Sea Fury's folding wingtips are the primary naval identifier; the Fury has fixed full-span wings. Against Tempest II: completely different airframe; Sea Fury is smaller and has the centaurus radial vs Tempest's inline Sabre.
Specifications
- The Hawker Sea Fury FB.11 has a length of 10.57 m (35 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 11.7 m (38 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 740 km/h (460 mph).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
First flown in production form 1947; 615 FB.11s built. The Sea Fury was the RN's principal carrier fighter through the late 1940s and Korean War era. On 9 August 1952, Lt Peter Carmichael of 802 NAS shot down a MiG-15, marking one of the last piston-vs-jet aerial victories. The type served with the RCN, Royal Australian Navy, Pakistan, Burma, Cuba, and Iraq.
Variants
Sea Fury F.10 (initial mark, 50 built), FB.11 (main variant, 615 built), T.20 (two-seat trainer), civil racers (heavily modified).
Where you'll see it
Fleet Air Arm 1947–1953, RAN, RCN. Cuba flew FB.11s against the Bay of Pigs invasion in 1961. Airworthy examples are common at airshows in the UK, USA, and Australia — the type is a popular warbird racer at Reno.
Related aircraft
- Hawker Sea Hawk FGA.6
- Hawker Sea Fury T.20
- Sea Fury
- Hawker Hurricane Mk IV
- Alekseyev I-215
- Avia S-199
- Grumman F9F Panther
- Hawker Sea Hawk
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