Sea Fury forced landing in Harston, Cambs.

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skyskooter
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Re: Sea Fury forced landing in Harston, Cambs.

Post by skyskooter »

At least nobody can blame the Centaurus this time.

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SimonR
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Re: Sea Fury forced landing in Harston, Cambs.

Post by SimonR »

xr221 wrote:
Wed 05 Aug 2020, 12:57 pm
Final start, run up, taxi, take-off and the sad end result - thank goodness that the pilot and passenger survived!
I'd prefer to think it's final - for now. This A/C has been rebuilt in the past.

Mike
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Re: Sea Fury forced landing in Harston, Cambs.

Post by Mike »

Not really, a new aircraft was built up from (mainly ex-Iraqi) parts using the paperwork and identity of the original WG655. The parts from the wreckage of WG655 have been dispersed to various projects, and some substantial bits are still in storage with Sanders at Ione.

Zeppelin
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Re: Sea Fury forced landing in Harston, Cambs.

Post by Zeppelin »

skyskooter wrote:
Wed 05 Aug 2020, 7:11 pm
At least nobody can blame the Centaurus this time.
Was fitting a P and W worthwhile ???

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Cole
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Re: Sea Fury forced landing in Harston, Cambs.

Post by Cole »

Mike wrote:
Thu 06 Aug 2020, 12:17 pm
Not really, a new aircraft was built up from (mainly ex-Iraqi) parts using the paperwork and identity of the original WG655. The parts from the wreckage of WG655 have been dispersed to various projects, and some substantial bits are still in storage with Sanders at Ione.
That was quick
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GeeRam
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Re: Sea Fury forced landing in Harston, Cambs.

Post by GeeRam »

Cole wrote:
Fri 07 Aug 2020, 9:15 pm
Mike wrote:
Thu 06 Aug 2020, 12:17 pm
Not really, a new aircraft was built up from (mainly ex-Iraqi) parts using the paperwork and identity of the original WG655. The parts from the wreckage of WG655 have been dispersed to various projects, and some substantial bits are still in storage with Sanders at Ione.
That was quick
Mike was talking about what happened after the 1990 crash :wink:

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aviationanoraks
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Re: Sea Fury forced landing in Harston, Cambs.

Post by aviationanoraks »

Mike wrote:
Thu 06 Aug 2020, 12:17 pm
Not really, a new aircraft was built up from (mainly ex-Iraqi) parts using the paperwork and identity of the original WG655. The parts from the wreckage of WG655 have been dispersed to various projects, and some substantial bits are still in storage with Sanders at Ione.
Back in 2006 I was part of a group that visited the Sanders facility and outside was a Fury fuselage that had been put together from parts of other aircraft. The rear section was from WG655, which could still be seen along with ‘Royal Navy’ although quite faded by then.
In the workshop was an almost completed Sea Fury (unpainted at that time) which, if memory serves was the aircraft that became the new ‘655.

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Re: Sea Fury forced landing in Harston, Cambs.

Post by Mike »

I think Sanders built up a ‘windvane’ Sea Fury out of non-airworthy parts to mount outside their facility as a gate guard. It may well have been that that you saw.

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aviationanoraks
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Re: Sea Fury forced landing in Harston, Cambs.

Post by aviationanoraks »

Mike wrote:
Sat 08 Aug 2020, 11:19 am
I think Sanders built up a ‘windvane’ Sea Fury out of non-airworthy parts to mount outside their facility as a gate guard. It may well have been that that you saw.
That was what we were told it was going to be, but wasn’t sure if they were winding us up!


Edit:
Found the photos showing the fuselage and ‘655 tail
ImageUntitled by aviation anoraks, on Flickr

ImageUntitled by aviation anoraks, on Flickr

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K5054NZ
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Re: Sea Fury forced landing in Harston, Cambs.

Post by K5054NZ »

The passenger in last week's crash, pilot and writer Dave Unwin, has been interviewed for a great newspaper article: https://www.granthamjournal.co.uk/news/ ... e-9119210/
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Napper Bantock
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Re: Sea Fury forced landing in Harston, Cambs.

Post by Napper Bantock »

Glad they’re okay

Looking forward to Dave’s write up for Pilot and the rebuild!

... Always enjoy reading Dave. Looking forward to hearing his views on whether the Sea Fury had his requisite DV panel and colour coded and shaped controls!

Seriously though great airmanship and looking forward to both of them returning to the air as soon as possible.


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capercaillie
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Re: Sea Fury forced landing in Harston, Cambs.

Post by capercaillie »

Well it didn't get any better with time, it plunged, hurtled and plummeted into the ground. :scream:

Thankfully they walked(ish) away.
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centaurus18
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Re: Sea Fury forced landing in Harston, Cambs.

Post by centaurus18 »

aviationanoraks wrote:
Sat 08 Aug 2020, 1:12 pm
Mike wrote:
Sat 08 Aug 2020, 11:19 am
I think Sanders built up a ‘windvane’ Sea Fury out of non-airworthy parts to mount outside their facility as a gate guard. It may well have been that that you saw.
That was what we were told it was going to be, but wasn’t sure if they were winding us up!


Edit:
Found the photos showing the fuselage and ‘655 tail
ImageUntitled by aviation anoraks, on Flickr

ImageUntitled by aviation anoraks, on Flickr
I remember seeing a similar pic in Flypast many moons ago, featured a page-turn or two after a pictorial report on Chuck Greenhill's 'WG655' restoration!
Some have for years got very agitated if anyone associated this airframe to the original WG655... and if it gets rebuilt (which I think there's a chance) it'll be even further from it.

If Meier Motors and Sanders between them can resurrect the one below then someone can do G-INVN!

Image
Last edited by centaurus18 on Sun 16 Aug 2020, 5:00 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Mike
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Re: Sea Fury forced landing in Harston, Cambs.

Post by Mike »

Resurrected - maybe. But it is still yet to see air beneath its wings.

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centaurus18
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Re: Sea Fury forced landing in Harston, Cambs.

Post by centaurus18 »

Mike wrote:
Sun 16 Aug 2020, 5:00 pm
Resurrected - maybe. But it is still yet to see air beneath its wings.
Has gone a bit quiet admittedly... doesn't look that far off from running... but that's from the outside looking in.
Mark
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DOUGHNUT
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Re: Sea Fury forced landing in Harston, Cambs.

Post by DOUGHNUT »

Rebuilt Sea Fury's are no different from the Mark 1 Spitfire's which grace our sky's as genuine Dunkirk veterans.
Not saying there is a problem with the system that manufactures these machines, just suggesting an honest approach to what is being sold.

Mike
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Re: Sea Fury forced landing in Harston, Cambs.

Post by Mike »

Not in the same category at all, the ‘rebuilt’ Sea Furies are mostly still using up the stock of Jurist/Tallichet Hawker Fury parts retrieved from Iraq in the 1970s

Ozfuryfan
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Re: Sea Fury forced landing in Harston, Cambs.

Post by Ozfuryfan »

Any word on the Fury' accident/ engine failure cause yet? I am interested to see whether it will be rebuilt ( again) or come up for disposal

GeeRam
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Re: Sea Fury forced landing in Harston, Cambs.

Post by GeeRam »

Just realised that pilot Eskil Amdal is the RNoAF test pilot and the pilot that made the first post restoration test flight and subsequent flying displays of the Norwegian Starfighter, the only airworthy '104 in Europe.