For Seafuryfan..

Do not know what deal JB has struck with RIAT but last year he wanted an extreme amount of cash just to pull the a/c out of the hangar for a static display! So I did not even bother to approach him this time.

I agree with most, that it is a crying shame that the a/c is kept hidden away, apart from once every three months when he flies it just to keep it serviceable. It has been for sale for around 5 years now, but no one has come up with a deal yet to take her on.

I would be first in the queue to see it in the flying display at Kemble.

I would agree that owning and flying a Sea Fury is not cheap and the airshow organisers should expect to pay the asking price for her to display. But it is shame that when so many events are held at Kemble that the Sea Fury can not be presented in the static display. Instead the aircraft remains hidden in a hangar, giving the impression, wrongly, that she is unwanted, unloved and no longer airworthy.

Best of luck with the Sea Fury’s presence at Fairford and lets hope some enterprizing airshow is prepared to put their hands into their pockets to sponors her return to display flying. Does John Bradshaw still do much flying, I have not seen his red civil Provost T1 for years.

DOUGHNUT

I think it’s a very nice colour scheme – it’s just such a shame that Mr Bradshaw has been unable to show it off at many more air displays.

He wrote a very interesting article in Aeroplane monthly some years ago after having operated the aircraft for a couple of seasons. If I remember correctly, he was unhappy that as an individual self-funding his Sea Fury, he could not afford to operate it because air show organisers thought his fees were too expensive – which in fact were only sufficient to cover the running costs for attending. He also felt that he was being ‘priced-out’ by larger organisations and that individual operators such as himself, who wanted to show the aircraft to the public, were unable to compete.

‘Market forces, Seafuryfan’ you could say, and you may be right, but it does remind me of Ken Ellis writing in Flypast a little while back in which he suggested that the smaller type of air display could be the way forward for the UK air display scene….

I really hope to see this beauty for real one day.

It was actually chosen by John. It was in white primer when he bought her. He wanted a scheme based on the austrailian aerobatic team but also wanted to honour the main users of the Sea Fury, hence the different national markings. I quite like it as it is colourful but i would prfer to see one in the old G-FURY colours with the smoke generators on the wingtips.

It was painted by it’s previous American owners.

Given that RAIT are sponsoring the repaint and refurbishment of so many museum exhibits do you think they could spare a bit of sky and dark sea grey paint for the poor old Sea Fury, I never did like that metallic blue colour scheme, who ever painted like that in the first place ?

DOUGHNUT

ummmmmmmmm Centaurus 😀

M

Sea Fury flying today

Anyone in the Kemble area would have seen this a/c flying today. It is due to be part of the 100yrs of Flight Exhibition at RIAT so at least some more people will get to see this rare bird.

Now ain’t that a pretty site:) 🙂

Willow

i can’t remeber where i found them… but its WG565 which i believ is still flying in Canada? no idea about the background of the shot but the buildings and the staff don’t look very military so i suppose it could be either pre-delivery (but the chaps don’t look very ‘British’) or possibly when it was first aquired from the Canadian Navy… perhaps one of canadian ‘readers’ can help!

heres another view..

Is that a Canadian Navy Sea Fury? Wow

Guzzineil, do you have any details of the shot?

Ta

Willow

Now thats what i call a plane what a beastie, taken outside hanger 2 at duxford= sorry only joking

did someone mention ‘health and safety’ in another thread!

I have a small piece of TF956 on my keyring as a reminder of one of my all time favourites of the bygone airshow days.
The piece is alloy and was bought with a certificate of authenticity from a dealer who sells parts of crashed and salvaged aircraft at certain airshows and events.

Hallowed ground

Thanks very much Macky – I’m on it!