Fighter Aviation Engineering's Hawker Fury II/ISS (a land based version of the Hawker Sea Fury, exported to Iraq), displaying together with The Fighter Collection's Grumman F-6F Bearcat, at the Imperial War Museum, Duxford for the Duxford Flying Finale 2024. Stu Goldspink was flying the Bearcat and Steve Jones was flying the Fury II.

The Sea Fury, construction number 37539 was produced by Hawker’s as a Fury ISS – Iraqi Single Seat for the Iraqi Air Force, as part of contract number 53/1/012 for 60 aircraft, and was numbered 315 within this production batch. The aircraft was bought to Orlando, Florida, USA from Iraq in 1979 by Ed Jurist and David C Tallichet. In 1989 the aircraft passed to Laws/Coleman Warbird Museum, Coleman, Texas where it was rebuilt to airworthy condition, before flying again in April 1991, registered as N36SF. The Fury was then shipped to the UK in September 1991, passing into the ownership of John Bradshaw at Wroughton until 2009. During this time the aircraft flew in the markings of a Dutch Navy and latterly Royal Australian Navy aircraft marked as 361 and on the UK Civil Register as G-CBEL. She was then exported to Australia where she was registered as VH-SFW. She was imported back into the UK by her new owners, Anglia Aircraft Restorations Ltd. and re-registered again as G-CBEL. The aircraft has been refurbished and repainted, by Air Leasing Ltd, in the colours of one of Hawker’s Sea Fury prototypes coded SR661, which was a modified Fury Mk.II with a tail hook fitted, but without the folding wings included on subsequent production Sea Fury’s.

The Fighter Collection's Grumman F8F-2P Bearcat, G-RUMM:-
The Bearcat design was the Grumman response to the US Navy’s request in the latter war years for a fast responsive fighter to be deployed in the Pacific Theatre. The type did not see operational service during the Second World War as the conflict had ended before the type saw combat service. It was however used to great effect in French Indo-China by the French Air Force. The Bearcat could outperform many early Jet fighter aircraft of the period.

The Fighter Collection aircraft was built in 1948 and taken on charge in August of that year by the US Navy. She served at a number of Naval Air Stations before undergoing modification to F8F-2P standard in 1952. The F8F-2 was an improved version, equipped with a redesigned engine cowling, taller fin and rudder, armed with four 20 mm cannons, powered by a Pratt & Whitney R-2800-30W radial piston engine. The F8F-2P was a further modified Photo-reconnaissance version, fitted with camera equipment, armed with only two 20 mm (.79 in) cannons, of which 60 were built.
Following further Navy service she was finally struck off charge in January 1957. It then passed through two sets of private ownership in the US, the first between 1957 and 1972, and the second until 1981. It was under this second private ownership that she underwent a full overhaul and flew once again in 1975. It was in 1981 that the Bearcat joined what was to become The Fighter Collection and has gone on to be the longest serving member of the fleet.
Grumman Bearcats were operated by the US Navy, US Marine Corps, French Air Force, Royal Thai Navy and Republic of Vietnam Air Force. 21 Bearcats survive of which 15 are currently airworthy. This is currently the only airworthy F8F-2P and the only airworthy Bearcat in the UK and Europe.


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