Sea Fury Engine

How is the new sea fury getting on that came from the US? what engine does it have?

A centaurus, of course 🙂

My answer was in reply to your question, “would you be able to tell which engine was in it”, not a comment on whether a particular A/C should be grounded.

re

Yes.

Well next time 20,00 of us are being thrilled by one I hope your happy looking at the static one in the FAA museum! 😉

How is the new sea fury getting on that came from the US? what engine does it have?

Well all being well we will get the chance to test our ears out next year gentleman…

…’Americanised’ Hawker ISS Fury ZU-WOW has been sold to a French owner!

This sleek beast is painted in Australian Navy colours and was until recently based in South Africa and prior to that the USA as N24SF.

Well if one belted down the crowd line would you be able to tell which engine was in it?

Yes.

Bruce,
CAA would be hard but providing the FAA paperwork and stress analysis is up to speed then it would go through don’t forget there is a proper mod for this conversion in the USA.

Fair enough – I am, as you know, a bit out of touch these days!!

TTFN

Bruce

Well if one belted down the crowd line would you be able to tell which engine was in it?

Yes I would. 🙂
It’s not just the engine though remember, there’s the different prop as well which would change the look of the Fury on the ground.
After Lee and the RNHF spent countless hours getting VR930 back in authentic colours, I doubt they would want to spoil the look with a R3350 and 4-blade prop, even if it did increase serviceability.

Hopefully the damage this time won’t take as long to fix as it has in the past.

re

I would rather a Sea Fury grounded and preserved rather than put a totally different engine in it.

Well if one belted down the crowd line would you be able to tell which engine was in it?

Bruce,
CAA would be hard but providing the FAA paperwork and stress analysis is up to speed then it would go through don’t forget there is a proper mod for this conversion in the USA.

We’ll keep everyone updated via the RNHF Website. In the meantime all donations welcome!!;)

COUGH!! SPLUTTER!!! [GNASHES TEETH] 😮

As has been said on here already, RNHF’s policy is to operate the aircraft in as near original configuration as possible. The Centaurus was a very reliable engine in its day. Unfortunately VR930 has suffered from more than her fair share of engine problems, but this isn’t necessarily about the Centaurus in general.

Work is currently underway to remedy the situation once and for all, but she WILL fly again, and with the RIGHT engine fitted up front.

Lee you Guys must have a Friday afternoon engine down there. I once worked for a major engine manufacturer and its amazing what can be manufactured these days in relatively shorts runs at economical cost. Its just the one off setup costs and inevitable paperwork exercise that gets people down. Oh and you need an enthusiastic sponsor. Unfortunately for large Bristols the late Paul Morgan was that person.

I have a family friend who flew over a hundred combat missions with the Sabre in Typhoons, and then he did a tour on the Tempest II and he remembers the Centaurus as a reliable engine, but even the Sabre was OK as long as it was run flat out.

If anyone wants to read compelling tail of woe and company mismanagement, along with army procurement folly then read about the Wright R 3350. The Wright company did more to kill the B29 that the Japanese ever managed. It was only at the wars death when Paul Tibetts refused to fly the first atomic mission until his B29 was fitted with a set of 4 new fuel injected engines, with modified lubrication and other improvements did the B29 become reliable. I’m not sure of the exact facts but I’m sure I read somewhere that the engine was responsible for most B29 losses. Even with the only surviver FiFi they have given up the struggle and are looking to fit a set of four of the later commercial R3350’s from a Constellation I believe. Most US Seafury’s run with Skyraider R3350’s or ex Commercial engines.

Lee as an ex engine engineer I would be very interested in what the root cause of your Centaurus problems are.

So long as the nose didn’t end up too long and look silly therefore (as often happens with large piston to turboprop conversions) But that situation won’t happen for some time to come imho so the argument is academic!

Stuart – I wasn’t being serious – the Spitfire affectionardo’s would turn their backs in disgust if a PT-6 powered Spit turned up at Legends1

Hey don’t knock it till you tried it!! 😉
Worked ok with a P51

Stuart – I wasn’t being serious – the Spitfire affectionardo’s would turn their backs in disgust if a PT-6 powered Spit turned up at Legends1

But surely the BBMF are RAF, and outside the CAA? (sorry for all the caps)

It wouldn’t matter at all if a Tempest or Sea Fury was fitted with an American engine if they were not historically significant to their owners with the Centaurus on the front. Having said that I could see the benefits in the BBMF getting rid of all those expensive Merlins and fitting the fleet with a modern turbo prop engine . Greatly increased reliability and far easier access to Avtur. Imagine for instance a Spitfire IX with the ability to use prop braking and to taxy backwards!

COUGH!! SPLUTTER!!! [GNASHES TEETH] 😮

As has been said on here already, RNHF’s policy is to operate the aircraft in as near original configuration as possible. The Centaurus was a very reliable engine in its day. Unfortunately VR930 has suffered from more than her fair share of engine problems, but this isn’t necessarily about the Centaurus in general.

Work is currently underway to remedy the situation once and for all, but she WILL fly again, and with the RIGHT engine fitted up front.

It won’t happen !!

Last time I heard ,the RNHF policy was to operate their aircraft in as near to original condition as possible.
I remember Phil Shaw ,the then display pilot on VR.930 making a statement to that effect.
He went on to say that if the Centaurus engine couldn’t be operated satisfactorily then the aircraft would be grounded either until it could be made serviceable or permanently,definately no alternative engines.

Personally I feel the same about it,nothing sounds like a Centaurus and a Fury without one is just not on for Me !!

Steve

Most of the currently airworthy Sea Furies run a R-3350.

In UK CAA terms, this is a huge modification, and it is unlikely to gain approval. I am guessing the military mods required would be similarly onerous.

Bruce

Unless it has been done?

I think that has been accomplished about 30 times over already, with more to come!