Hawker Sea Fury

Warbird Tech #37
By Kev Darling
Specialty Press, 2002
ISBN 1-58007-063-9
Softbound, 104 Pages
$16.95

Reviewed by Chris Banyai-Riepl

The Sea Fury has a unique history, being the last piston-engined aircraft of the Fleet Air Arm and continuing on today in the form of racers flying around the pylons at Reno.  With such a long and interesting history you’d think more would have been written on it, but since it wasn’t a big combat type or a jet, it fell through the cracks while other Hawker designs like the Typhoon/Tempest and Hunter stole the limelight.  This book gives the Sea Fury its due, covering it in detail with photos, drawings and text. 

The text is very well written and covers the initial design impetus for the Sea Fury as well as operations both with the FAA and with foreign countries including Burma, the Netherlands and Germany.  Sea Fury armament is also covered, as well as operations in Korea.  The color section provides an interesting glimpse at the amazing colors worn by the Sea Fury, both in military colors and civilian operators.  There are plenty of detail photos throughout the book, providing more than enough reference for the modeler wanting to superdetail their favorite Sea Fury kit.

If you want information on the Sea Fury this is the book for you.  It’s been a long wait for a good reference book on this plane and this title does an outstanding job of covering as much as possible in one book. 

Our thanks to Specialty Press for the review sample.  Available from their website for $16.95 plus $4.95 shipping.