Bundesmarine Sea Fury

[seavixen]

Sorry for the new thread, I was unable to edit the existing one for some strange reason.  Anyway, due to a change of fortune this will now be my entry for the Piston Perfection Build. The back story is partly factual

Originally built in 1951, WG655 became the 59th Sea Fury supplied to the Royal Navy. Having served only 5 years in naval service, it was struck off charge in December 1956. In 1957, Hawkers bought the aircraft and subsequently converted it for use as a target tug which was bought by the Federal West German Government. It arrived at Bonn in August 1963 and after being painted in an all-red colour scheme was given the civilian registration D-CACU. Apart from its target towing duties, other uses included gun laying work for the West German Air Force and Army before it was finally retired in 1975.

In 1976 the West German government presented it to the Royal Navy and it arrived at RNAS Yeovilton in June of that year wearing its orginal serial WG655.  It soon found use as a trainer by the Royal Navy Historic Flight and also took part in many airshows during the summer months, often sharing the Sea Fury displays with TF956, its single seat stablemate.

In July 1990, WG655 was written off when it crashed after suffering an engine failure whilst flying over Somerset on its way to a display at Silverstone. The pilot almost pulled off a successful forced wheels-up landing in a large field but the field had a slight slope which the pilot had failed to see and the aircraft slewed out of control and hit two rather large oak trees. As a result, the left wing was severed and the fuselage was split in tow by the impact. Fortunately, both crewmen escaped with their lives.

The accident investigation proved that the crash was caused by engine failure and it was thought at that time that WG655 would ever fly again. 1993 an American purchased the wreckage and exported it to the USA where it was subject to a complex restoration project using parts from several other Sea Furies.

But, just two days after the aircraft's first flight in 5 years, disaster struck when the owner died suddenly from a heart attack. Seen as being jinxed, the aircraft was put up for sale by the owner's family. It was finally purchased in 1999 by German businessman Ulli Ampff who removed the Royal Navy markings and applied a fictitious German Navy (Bundesmarine) colour scheme which included his initials and the year he purchased the aircraft (UA + 99). Unbelievably, fate once more took a hand as Ampff was killed when his Cessna crashed shortly after taking off from a private airstrip in France. Now nicknamed 'Jonah' the Sea Fury has sat for the past 8 years in a hangar at Chino Airfield near Los Angeles.

[ysi_maniac]

Beautifully belivable.
         

[Spey_Phantom]

looks fantastic, i cant believe im building the same thing, but its the FB.11 version in balgian naval markings  

your 2-seater looks great though    

[seavixen]

looks fantastic, i cant believe im building the same thing, but its the FB.11 version in balgian naval markings  

your 2-seater looks great though  

I'm sure that yours will look the part. Hope you get more enjoyment out of making the PM kit than I did. The plastic was cr*p!