Sea Fury restoration

Flight Journal, Feb 2001 by Hastings, Paul

Fifty years after the outbreak of war in Korea, the Australian War Memorial has rolled out an extensively refurbished Hawker Sea Fury FB11 that might be a Korean War veteran as well as the oldest surviving example of the breed.

Due to conflicting records, it has proved nearly impossible to confirm the exact history of the aircraft, but it's believed to be TF925, the oldest surviving Sea Fury. Starting as an F10, it was about the 50th Sea Fury built, and it was one of the first Sea Furys to be used by the Royal Australian Navy.

Evidence of war service has been found throughout the airframe, as four examples of battle-damage repair were discovered early in the refurbishment. The remains of what are believed to be 21 mission markings were also found on the side of the fuselage.

Much of the 14-month refurbishment concentrated on treating extensive corrosion, repairing minor dents and replacing missing parts. Many moves and several incomplete restoration attempts had left the aircraft in a rapidly deteriorating state, but fortunately, there was no serious corrosion. Damaged skins on the outer wing leading edges were replaced, the crushed spinner was refurbished, and missing access panels were built. A considerable amount of hangar rash had been inflicted on the airframe, but this was easily remedied. Unfortunately, the Bristol Centaurus engine had seen better days and was badly corroded. Several months of cleaning with toothbrushes overcame the problem, but it still proved impossible to turn the engine over.

The fighter now rests in the Memorial's Bradbury Aircraft Hall and has been installed on a mock deck of HMAS Sydney. The Sydney saw active service in Korean waters between October 1951 and January 1952 and was involved in Korean peacekeeping operations between November 1953 and June 1954.