I'm trying to restore some photos that I lost in a website crash several months ago. This isn't a new build but the photos are brand new. So here's a couple of photos of the 1/48 scale Sea Fury kit from Hobbycraft. I think it's a real nice kit and the decals are super. Though much maligned, Hobbycraft supplies some of the best decals in the business. This kit bears markings of the Royal Canadian Navy. I've got photos of the real plane and the decals are right on. Two photos starting with this one in the link. Hit "next" for the secon photo:

http://groups.msn.com/Margaret6547/miscellaneous.msnw?action=ShowPhoto&PhotoID=91

Many years ago, I had the opportunity to stand next to a Sea Fury as it was starting up. Although many Sea Furies in the U.S. have been re-engined with R-3350's or even R-4360's, the one I saw still had the original Bristol Centaurus sleeve valve engine. The sleeve valve engines are eerily quiet and the enormous airplane sounded more like a big Mazda RX-7 :)

Canada has airplanes!? :eek:

;)

Not much anymore, I'm afraid.

It seems impossible to believe now but Canada once had a huge airforce. In terms of combat jets alone, the RCAF had

1184 F-86 Sabres*
692 CF-100 twin jet, all weather fighters
239 CF-104 Starfighters
132 CF-101 Voodoos
100 CF-5 Freedom Fighters
(early Vampire and Meteor jets not included but totaling near 100)

Jet Trainers:

684 T-33s
190 CL-41 Tutors

I'm not as well versed with our Navy except to say that we operated three aircraft carriers (MAGNIFICENT, WARRIOR and BONAVENTURE) with 39 Banshees...though most work was ASW.

This in a country with little more than 1/10 the population of the U.S.

*Canadair actually built 1816 Sabres with many for export. The very last one ever built...#1816 for the Luftwaffe...is now at the Western Canada Aviation Museum just a couple of minutes from where I live.

Nice! Like that Thunderbolt too.:thumbsup:

Brent, who's Sea Fury was it that had the original Centaurus engine? A airshow round-making Fury or one in a private collection?

That Sea Fury was owned by one of the all time great characters in the warbird movement.

But, remember, I'm getting to be an old guy so this name may not mean much to some people. The plane was owned by Ormond Haydon-Baillie.

He was a real piece of work. Let me add that he died, as I recall, in the crash of a Cavalier Mustang in 1977. He had a Sea Fury that actually had the code "OHB" (it was done in a British camo pattern). It had the Centaurus and 5-bladed prop.

I saw the plane at an airshow in the early 1970's ('74?)when the Sea Fury really wasn't that old! At the time, a number of large airshows were held at the St. Andrews airport near Winnipeg (they couldn't use Winnipeg International because of the traffic). I had some "connections" which got me on to a Twin Otter that flew the 20 or so miles to St. Andrews from Winnipeg. Arriving in the Twin Otter gave me the distinct advantage of being inside the flight line fence instead of being stuck outside the fence with the 200,000 folks who arrived by car!

I carefully positioned myself between the F8 Bearcats of Bill and Corky Fornoff and the Sea Fury of Haydon Baillie.

I went to a couple of those big airshows and I can't remember which event was which (30 years later, they kinda' blend together) but I also remember being next to Howie Keefe's P-51 MISS AMERICA and seeing the USAF Thunderbirds when they were flying the F-4 Phantoms.

There's still a few Centaurus Sea Furys around. Last time I checked Lloyd Hamilton had one called "Baby Gorilla"...but I've lost track of what's flying over the last few years.

Nice build Brent! :thumbsup:

Some great pix Brent! :thumbsup: rr

Thanks Brent! I'm a Sea Fury nut, gorgeous plane. I think OHB may be mentioned a few times in the Squadron book.

I just came across a page with the complete history of Haydon-Baillie's Sea Fury.

Much to my astonishment, this plane now flies as the 4360 powered "Furias". I knew of Furias but I didn't realize it was the old Haydon-Baillie plane. Look at the pics and note the 5-bladed prop in the original Centaurus configuration and the the 4-bladed prop with the 4360.

http://www.warbirdsresourcegroup.org/registry/furyregistry/fury-wh589.html

Hello Brent - I live in Vanocuver, BC & crewed for Ormond for years in the 70's. As a result, I have several photos of the Sea Fury and his T-33 the Black Knight. Would you like a copy for your collection? I will have to get them scanned so I can e-mail lto you. Give me your address if yoiu would like the photos. Regards, Martin J. Burr @ marcar19@telus.net.