Hawker Sea Fury T.Mk.20 WE820
Restoration Project
Home Page
See the "2011 Photos" Page for the latest Pictures29 Jan 2012
Dennis Sanders promised to have the fuselage finished by Christmas and, good to his word, he arrived two weeks early with a trailer of holiday cheer. We started by bolting the tail to the fuselage while it was strapped to the trailer. We then lifted with a crane, pulled the trailer out from under and rolled the center wing in place. After securing the attach pins, we dropped the landing gear and had the Fury on her tyres for the first time in five years. Thirty minutes later the engine was hanging in place and we rolled her into the sun for a few photos. Three hours start to finish, we all breathed a sigh of relief.
We started the new year by installing trim and flight controls, then Chuck Cabe came back on the job and has been completing the wiring job he began last summer. We expect to have the radios installed and power on the airplane within two weeks.
The next phase will involve completing the installation and rigging of the flight control tubes, then hydraulics, Firewall forward plumbing and finally we'll drop in a fuel cell and start the engine. Big progress going on here in Auburn!
Mark Watt has done a much better job than I by providing current photos on the Sanders website here: http://www.sandersaircraft.com/restoration_seafury-dwelle.asp
Dennis Sanders promised to have the fuselage finished by Christmas and, good to his word, he arrived two weeks early with a trailer of holiday cheer. We started by bolting the tail to the fuselage while it was strapped to the trailer. We then lifted with a crane, pulled the trailer out from under and rolled the center wing in place. After securing the attach pins, we dropped the landing gear and had the Fury on her tyres for the first time in five years. Thirty minutes later the engine was hanging in place and we rolled her into the sun for a few photos. Three hours start to finish, we all breathed a sigh of relief.
We started the new year by installing trim and flight controls, then Chuck Cabe came back on the job and has been completing the wiring job he began last summer. We expect to have the radios installed and power on the airplane within two weeks.
The next phase will involve completing the installation and rigging of the flight control tubes, then hydraulics, Firewall forward plumbing and finally we'll drop in a fuel cell and start the engine. Big progress going on here in Auburn!
Mark Watt has done a much better job than I by providing current photos on the Sanders website here: http://www.sandersaircraft.com/restoration_seafury-dwelle.asp
The 1950 Hawker Sea Fury T.Mk.20S known as "Critical Mass" has been a regular on the Reno Air Racing scene since 1987. Although quite succesful in the racing role, the years have been hard on the Sea Fury and its utility was limited to a "one week a year" mission. There was much discussion within the Dwelle family on the future of the Sea Fury but a phone call in Dec 2006 set the course. The 4,200 HP hybrid racing engine on Critical Mass was to be sold to the new owner of Unlimited Racing Icon "Rare Bear". Within a month, Critical Mass's clipped outer wing panels were traded to unlimited heavyweight "September Fury" for that racer's spare set of stock wings. The path was set, Critical Mass was to be restored back to stock!
The news in the racing community was met with a resounding "thud" the aircraft had built up an amazing level of fan support and most were not too pleased about the sexy red racer going back to stock but the Dwelle family could not be happier with the decision. This Sea Fury is somewhat unique in that it was originally built as a two seat, dual-control trainer before the front cockpit was removed to support its racing role. As a dual control trainer, it would be one of only seven left in the world and make an ideal stable mate for the Dwelle's pair of North American T-6's.
We are still missing some parts which are listed on the "Parts Needed" tab please contact us with any leads on these items.
Please feel free to contact us with questions or comments and check back often as we will update the current restoration status.
Copyright .. All rights reserved
