Airfix Hawker Sea Fury FB.11 1:48 step by step guide

Feature Article with Dave Coward
Kit Ref: A06105A
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Before getting into the review, here’s a look at the finished model so you can see how it all turned out.

Background

I’ve previously built this kit for SMN as the Royal Navy Historic Flight’s Sea Fury and there are several other excellent builds available that showcase a variety of schemes. For this build, however, I decided to go “bright” and model Spencer Flack’s civilian FB Mk.11, G-FURY. The reasons were simple: firstly, it looks fantastic (I know some of you may disagree, but it appeals to me!), and secondly, it makes a perfect companion for Spencer’s Spitfire, G-SPIT, which I previously built for the magazine.

The Hawker Sea Fury, the final piston-engine fighter aircraft to be commissioned by Britain’s Fleet Air Arm, epitomised the zenith of piston-engine fighter design. The aircraft also saw service with a number of overseas air arms, in a variety of operational roles, including strike fighter, trainer and high-speed target towing.

G-FURY was restored to flight in 1980 and finished in an overall red scheme with white and blue trim along the fuselage and wings, along with a white tulip motif on the spinner. The undercarriage legs and wheel bays were painted white, as were the interiors of the main and tailwheel doors. The arrestor hook carried red and yellow stripes.

Unfortunately, G-FURY was destroyed in a forced landing in mid-1981.

Aftermarket Extras

I used only a set of Eduard seatbelts for the cockpit – very little else is visible and a set of Brassin wheels, which have far nicer surface detail. The kit cowling’s seam line runs directly over a panel join and, from my previous build, I remembered it being awkward to reinstate. So, for this build I purchased Barracuda Studios’ replacement cowling, which also includes beautifully moulded exhaust stacks.

Construction…