here’s the reply i got, made a shameful mistake and said it was a tempest lol
Mr. Nash –
Thanks for your inquiry. We actually have a Hawker TEMPEST II for sale, not a Sea Fury. While similar in many respects, the Sea Fury is a relatively common aircraft. The Tempest is a rare item and is probably best suited to a flying musuem or to someone who will restore it to flying condition and maintain it to the highest standards, as we believe it to be the most original, best preserved Hawker Tempest II in existence. Should you be looking for a Sea Fury, the Tempest will not be a comparable purchase. Should you have further interest in the Tempest, I’ll include a bunch of information below.
This aircraft is almost certainly the fastest-to-flight Tempest available, although there is one in England, that after several years of work is reportedly close to completion. Whoever completes this project and brings the plane back to flying condition will have an exceptional nice and rare aircraft and one worth several times our asking price. If our circumstances improve, we will undertake the project ourselves but are offering it out currently. The plane is currently still in France (in the basement of a chateau of all places!) but we intend to bring it to the States in the next few months. It is in remarkably good condition: really well preserved, partially restored, no notable corrosion, essentially complete but without prop blades and without guns. We believe we know where to get and can get the prop blades. It is the nicest/cleanest/most well preserved WWII-era project I’ve ever been involved with. You can see more detailed photos of the aircraft at http://www.airborneattitude.com/12177.html …this provides more than the single-page spec sheet you have probably already seen at http://www.airborneattitude.com/pdfs/12177.pdf .
This specific Tempest also has a nice WWII service history:
* First or second Tempest II made by Bristol Aeroplane Co. and put into RAF service, probably the first (see below).
* The only Tempest II to be sent to Handling Squadron. (Royal Air Force Aircraft MA100-MZ999, 1991, Air Britain, Ltd.)
o Handling Squadron was part of the Empire Central Flying School and was lead by Wing Commander G.V. Fryer from February 1944 – July 1946. “Handling [Squadron] was able to prepare the handling notes for each type very early on in its service career.” From 1943 through “the remainder of the war, the Squadron continued to receive new types and marks of British and American aircraft, to fly them, assess their handling qualities…some sixty different types or marks of powered aircraft and gliders were flown and described.” “It would be arranged that the first aircraft of each new type available to the RAF would go to Handling Squadron.” ( http://handlingsqn.org/teams/history.htm )
* Toward the end of WWII or after the war, most Tempest IIs — including MW376 — were “tropicalized” with long-range tanks and desert air filtration for use in Africa and Asia.
Date
Event
Documentation/source
1944
Date of manufacture/Built at Bristol Aeroplane Co., Banwell (Contract ACFT/3210/C.23(a))
Delivered to RAF as the first or the second Tempest II delivered by Bristol
Registered as MW-376
http://www.baseportal.com/
RAF A.M. Form 78
http://www.hawkertempest.se
Feb 24, 1945
Moved to Handling Squadron at Hullavington where it served as the test aircraft for the Tempest II model/mark
RAF A.M. Form 78
http://handlingsqn.org/teams/history.htm
Jul 6, 1945
Moved to Maintenance Unit 13 (for refurbishing and fitting with long-range tanks)
RAF A.M. Form 78
Aug 8, 1945
Moved to Maintenance Unit 20
RAF A.M. Form 78
May 24, 1948
Transferred to Hawker for sale to Royal Indian Air Force where it served in No. 4 Squadron
RAF A.M. Form 78 http://www.baseportal.com/
Please let me know if you’d like more information.
All the best,
Morgan
*********
Why a Tempest?
* Extremely rare. Only 11 left out of over 1400 built and NONE are currently airworthy (or likely to become so). (
http://www.hawkertempest.se)
* The fastest piston-engine/prop aircraft of WWII. Fastest WWII Allied aircraft, period.
* By far the most successful aircraft used against the German V1 “Buzz Bomb”. (
http://www.hawkertempest.se/v1.htm) (http://www.hawkertempest.se/mpg/v1kill.mpa)
* Best Allied aircraft to combat German Messerschmitt Me 262 turbojet aircraft: “The Messerschmitt Me 262’s most dangerous opponent was the British Hawker Tempest – extremely fast at low altitudes, highly-maneuverable and heavily-armed.” (Hubert Lange, Me262 pilot)
Why this Tempest?
* Exceptionally well preserved. This aircraft has essentially no corrosion and is in far better condition than any other Tempest available.
* Nearly complete. No propeller blades and no 20MM cannons, but every other major assembly and most minor parts are included.
* Two spare Bristol Centaurus V engines. Included as part of this package!
* Can be made a flier more quickly/at lower cost than any other Tempest available.
* The ONLY Tempest NOT owned by RAF Museum, IAF Museum, Kermit Weeks, Nelson Ezell, or Tempest Two, Ltd.
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