The Boss walked into the design office, looking somewhat bemused.  His ordinarily sharp features looked sharper than usual, his nose looking particularly raptor-like.

'Gentlemen, a few moments please regarding progress with the Fury programme.  I think you've done a very good job at creating a rather elegant Sabre-engined aeroplane and while I'm not really very much enthused by radial engines there's a certain pugnacious charm about the Centaurus version.'
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'But what on earth were - are- you thinking with the Griffon-engined option?  It looks like some ruddy basking shark, not a high performance fighter aircraft.' 
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'We haven't built ugly aeroplanes at this company and we're certainly not starting now.  There's such a thing as reputation and it is my intention to keep it unblemished.  So it is literally back to the drawing board with the Griffon Fury.  And remember, if a cottage industry outfit such as Martin-Baker can do it with the MB.5, then so can Hawker when it comes to desgining a truly handsome Griffon-engined fighter.'

'Yes, Sir Sidney,' the chastised designers mumbled in unison, 'we'll get on to it right away.'

And with that Sir Sidney Camm departed, safe in the knowledge that the design team - knowing how displeased he was - would come up trumps.

And they did.  It didn't take them long to realise they should have followed a similar route to the Sabre Fury and used wing leading edge radiators rather than that gaping hole.  This in turn lent itself to designing a streamlined engine cowling.  Unlike the Sabre and Centaurus Furies, the design team opted for a contra-rotating propeller similar to that which had been developed for the late-Mark Spitfires and Seafires.

Sir Sidney was indeed pleased with the outcome, as was the Royal Navy, which ordered the type into series production.  After a shaky start, the Griffon Fury (in Sea Fury FB.10 and FB.11 guise) would prove to be the Fleet Air Arm's last carrier-borne fighter to be powered by a single piston engine.  It would go on to enjoy export success with the Australian, Canadian and Dutch navies and in denavalised form the air forces of Iraq, Egypt, Burma, Pakistan and Cuba.  West Germany even operated a target tug version.

Sea Fury FB.11 VR930, Q-110, 802 Sqn FAA, HMS Vengeance 1949
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(It's the Pioneer/PM Sea Fury with the front end off the spare Martin-Baker MB.5 fuselage that comes with the AZ Model 'MB.6 Night Ferret' kit, plus an Aeroclub Sea Fury canopy + canopy fairing set.  The propeller is also Aeroclub, bought decades ago for an ill-founded attempt at a contra-prop Spitfire that duly ended up in the bin!  Decals are leftovers from the Airfix boxing of the PM Sea Fury that formed the basis of my 'Hawker Sea Fury FB.20' (https://www.whatifmodellers.com/index.php?msg=740337)).

Really nice, and Sir Sydney was not wrong!

And very smart it looks too, why didn't they do that in the RW?

Looks very good indeed!   

What a beauty!

'We haven't built ugly aeroplanes at this company and we're certainly not starting now.'

Hotspur and Henley challenge that assertion.

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Beautiful!   

Thank you for the generous comments (and the Whiffie nomination - a genuine surprise).

The photos definitely look better when viewed on a tablet or smartphone rather than a PC, I may replace them.

As for 'ugly aircraft', fair challenge from jcf.  I was paraphrasing - John Chacksfield's 'Sir Sydney Camm: From Biplanes & 'Hurricanes' to 'Harriers' recounts Camm's comment and makes explicit reference to 'production aircraft'.  Granted, 200+ Henley's were built, but by Gloster not Hawker, and then as target tugs not light bombers.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it 😉

I did a Griffon-powered Sea Fury a while ago, too, in all its glorious uglyiness  .

1:72 Hawker P.1019 "Sea Fury" Mk. XII, aircraft "125-P (s/n JZ670)" of the Fleet Air Arm 1832 NAS; HMS Pioneer, Admiralty Islands, July 1945 (Whif/modified Airfix kit) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr

It's alreet, I s'pose.

Wheels need replacing though, the PM ones are terrible.  Tempest ones should be fine.

Priddy!

 

That's come out really well    and I particularly like the "low demarcation" camouflage scheme 

Moved as requested 

Quote from: kitbasher on April 14, 2024, 12:05:14 PMAnd they did.

And excellent it is, too, very elegant with its slender nose and wing-root intakes!

Quote from: Dizzyfugu on April 15, 2024, 01:25:35 AMin all its glorious uglyiness

I have to say I rather like the basking shark as well!

Cheers,
Mark