FAVOURED contenders for the title of the most beautiful of
biplane fighters, the family of Furies stemmed from an Air Ministry
requirement far a new type of faster-climbing, shorter-range, speedier service
fighter-the interceptor. Hawkers' intended entrant for this specification was
the Interceptor Fighter, first flown in 1929 with a Jupiter IV. The
Interceptor was originally designed to meet naval specification F.21/26, but
eventually was completed to specification N .20/27 .
The Hornet, also to N.20/27,
was basically similar to the Interceptor but had
a 480-h.p. Rolls-Royce F.XIA (and later the
F.XIS and F.XIIS). Evaluation of the Interceptor
and Hornet prompted Hawkers finally to tender
the Hornet to meet R.A.F. fighter specification
F .20/27.
Successful tests of the
Hornet were followed by a production contract
far the R.A.F. to specification 13/30, the
machine being renamed Fury. Three prototypes and
ninety production models were built by Hawkers
and a goodly number by Gloster Aircraft, the
machines entering service with Nos. l, 25 and 43
Squadrons during the period 1931-36, and at
Cranwell and No.3 F.T.S.
The Hawker Fury was the first
RAF fighter to exceed 200mph in level flight,
but due to the effects of the world wide
depression only served with three squadrons.
The Fury was the logical outcome of combining
the earlier Hawker F.20/27 with the 420 HP Rolls
Royce Kestrel whilst utilising knowledge gained
from production of the Hawker Hart light bomber.
The Hawker Hornet, (as the
Fury was originally called) was first displayed
publicly at the 1929 Olympia Aero Show after its
first flight with George Bulman at the controls
in March 1929.
After considerable huffing
and puffing over production costs between
Hawker's and the Air Ministry the Hawker Fury,
(The Air Ministry decreed that all future RAF
fighter's should have names that reflected
"ferocity") was accepted by the RAF in 1930 and
the first Fury squadron, No 43 was formed in May
1931, followed by 1 and 25 squadrons. Total
production of the Hawker Fury Mk1 was 117.
Equipped with two Vickers
machine guns, it first entered service with 43
Squadron at Tangmere in May 1931, and the
fighters became favourites at Air Shows due to
the immaculate acrobatic performances put on by
the pilots of 43 Squadron. Furies were also
issued to 1 and 25 Squadrons, who soon rivalled
the acrobatic performances of 43 Squadron.
These three squadrons were to
become the three premier RAF fighter squadrons.
Although the Fury equipped only three RAF
squadrons, the Fury was exported widely.
Two squadrons of Furies were
sent to the Western Desert (North Africa) in
1940 where they served briefly and without
distinction until replaced by more modern types.
The Fury II flown by the
leader of No. 25(F) Squadron is featured in the
G.A. drawing apposite. Squadron markings were
twin black bars on the fuselage sides and along
the top wing, with the unit badge (a hawk on a
mailed fist, motto: Feriens Tego) contained in
the spearhead device on the fin.
Fury IIs were issued from
Hawkers to Nos. 1,25 and 43 fighter squadrons
during the period autumn 1936 to March 1937,
replacing Mk. Iso Other batches were built by
Glosters.
Meanwhile there followed thick and fast a whole
series of Fury variants-mainly far export to
foreign governments - the chief of which are
illustrated overleaf. Data and photographs are
reproduced with acknowledgements to Hawker
Aircraft Limited
Both the Republican and Nationalist
Air Forces employed Spanish Furies during the
Spanish Civil War (in which at least one
Portuguese machine also were destroyed). Yugoslav Furies saw combat
against Axis forces during the German invasion
in April 1941. The last use of the Fury was
Persian Furies who were employed on border
patrol duties in 1942. By the outbreak of the
second world war the only Furies remaining in
the RAF were in training squadrons.
