Author Topic: Hawker Fury over Africa (Read 5237 times)

Happy Wanderer · « **on:** February 22, 2016, 09:55:52 PM »

As part of The Abyssinian Crisis project one of its draw cards was the chance to field (fly) some interwar aircraft in their prime.

No other aircraft IMHO epitomises this era more than the slippery sliver Hawker Fury. Sleek lines in classic silver it is one of the nicest aircraft of the era.

This one had to be in and provides the British forces with some airpower to take on the froggies and italians over Ethiopia....

Here's the my post on the construction along with some pics of the beast…
http://wp.me/p6mUyQ-zY

Golgotha · « **Reply #1 on:** February 22, 2016, 10:15:07 PM »

Lovely looking model though I have been unable to find any use of Hawker Fury in Abyssinia though Hawker Harts were used "Harts were deployed to the Middle East during the Abyssinia Crisis of 1935–1936. The Hart saw extensive and successful service on the North-West Frontier", see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawker_Hart#Operational_history

Happy Wanderer · « **Reply #2 on:** February 22, 2016, 10:27:06 PM »

Yes...the Hawker Hart was the one..but you can't get it in 1/48 scale...1/72 and 1/32...not 1/48....not easy to get and accessible anyway. I believe maybe one or two boutique kit manufacturers do them but you can't beat the easy to get and build Airfix kit...works for me

Next best thing that evokes the feel of the Hart is the Fury...to me they are born of the same gene pool and tick the British interwar silver plane box and I can get it on table. They have a very similar look.

...and off course in the hypothetical Abyssinian Crisis a squadron of Fury's is more than 'acceptable' to include

Emir of Askaristan · « **Reply #3 on:** February 22, 2016, 10:38:16 PM »

Nice pic and my fave plane ever. It's just beautiful.

James Morris · « **Reply #4 on:** February 22, 2016, 10:45:31 PM »

Excellent model and picture! I have a Fury I was given a couple of years ago, just need an excuse to use it.

Vintage Wargaming · « **Reply #5 on:** February 23, 2016, 12:04:31 AM »

As I remember the Hart was faster than the Bulldog which was intended to be the main RAF interceptor. This in turn led to the Bulldogs gradual replacement by the Fury, as well as the development of the Demon two seat fighter from the Hart as a stop gap measure. The Hart/Hind/Audax/Demon/Fury family have a strong claim to being the most important RAF types of the 1930s

Arlequín · « **Reply #6 on:** February 23, 2016, 12:55:40 AM »

The Demon is my favourite... happy days with the Airfix kit back in the day.

In reality 200, 801 and 802 Squadrons flying Nimrods (the carrier version of the Fury) were in the area, 801 was land-based in Egypt after HMS Eagle (iirc) sailed to the UK for a refit. 802 was the fighter squadron on HMS Glorious, the sole carrier in the Med in late 1935. 200 was based on Malta. Back then the RAF provided the aircraft and men for the Navy's aircraft, Fleet Air Arm was a couple of years into the future.

Edit: - I got so caught up in the history then, I forgot to congratulate HW on a job very well done!

carlos marighela · « **Reply #7 on:** February 23, 2016, 08:06:12 AM »

There was a squadron of Furies deployed to Malta at the height of the crisis IIRC. They were the front line air defence of the UK in 1935 and there weren't that many of 'em. Lovely model.

A 1935/36 Italo-British War has long appealed. Inspired by Saul Kelly's The Hunt for Zerzura I even converted some Lledo vehicles to do Ralph Bagnold and co few tears back but never progressed the project.

The lesson is that one must not let reality intrude too far. The Italian military was in no- shape to tackle Britain, especially the navy. It really would have been an all over by Christmas affair.

Chas Bowyer wrote a good book on the RAF in the interwar years, that should have the details of RAF deployments.

Whatever you do, don't read the excellent Mussolini and His Generals by John Gooch. It will destroy any notions of plausibility.

Really lovely work btw.

Hammers · « **Reply #8 on:** February 23, 2016, 08:09:05 AM »

Quote from: Happy Wanderer on February 22, 2016, 10:27:06 PM

Yes...the Hawker Hart was the one..but you can't get it in 1/48 scale...1/72 and 1/32...not 1/48....not easy to get and accessible anyway. I believe maybe one or two boutique kit manufacturers do them but you can't beat the easy to get and build Airfix kit...works for me

Next best thing that evokes the feel of the Hart is the Fury...to me they are born of the same gene pool and tick the British interwar silver plane box and I can get it on table. They have a very similar look.

...and off course in the hypothetical Abyssinian Crisis a squadron of Fury's is more than 'acceptable' to include

Are you sure? I must dig up mine and see what scale it is...

carlos marighela · « **Reply #9 on:** February 23, 2016, 08:16:02 AM »

The Corgi Hind I have is 1/72. IIRc they do a Hart in the same scale. Back in the day Airfix did the Demon in 1/72 and there are a couple of Eastern European short run kits of Harts, Audaxes, etc in the same scale.

Hobby Master's Diecast Fury is 1/48 and the only other one I can think of is the more recent Airfix kit, also in 1/48. The ideal gaming kit for the period is the SMER 1/48 Bulldog. Cheap and not a dfficult build. I have one floating about somewhere. SMER also do a CR 32 in 1/48.

von Lucky · « **Reply #10 on:** February 23, 2016, 08:53:32 AM »

Lovely painting and photography.

Hammers · « **Reply #11 on:** February 23, 2016, 10:23:26 AM »

I forgot. Mines a Fury to. Life Like Hobby Kits.

Happy Wanderer · « **Reply #12 on:** February 23, 2016, 12:43:28 PM »

Thank you one and all...glad you like the sleek Fury...a lovely model indeed and a very nice size to use.

Carlos, I understand your point we thrashed it around ad nasueum about the RN position in Med and so on. At worst you're right and at best it is debatable. We expand on many factors that come into play as we describe in our version of The Abyssinian Crisis. I have Mussolini and His Generals and very much enjoyed it.

...it's plausible if one isn't willing to be to entrenched in certain views on what is 'in' and what is 'not'....adn allow some changes of events or perceived behaviours...truth is always stranger than fiction

Anyway, it exists at the TAC blog so game on!!

Happy W

Arlequín · « **Reply #13 on:** February 23, 2016, 12:44:12 PM »

Going way back Airfix did make the Hart in 1:72, but they altered the mould to make the Demon and so there were no more Hart kits. Nerd fact.

However for tabletop service the Demon ('The Hart Fighter') is close enough to the Hart/Hardy/Audax and there are a few 1:48 kits of the Demon knocking about. In any case the Demon was deployed to the Middle East in the crisis too.

As Carlos says... there were Bulldogs out there too, 3 Sqdn was in the Sudan at the time.

carlos marighela · « **Reply #14 on:** February 23, 2016, 01:00:09 PM »

Quote from: Happy Wanderer on February 23, 2016, 12:43:28 PM

Thanks you one and all...glad you like the sleek Fury...a lovely model indeed and a very nice size to use.

Carlos, I understand your point we thrashed it around ad nasueum about the RN position in Med and so on. At worst you're right and at best it is debatable. We expand on many factors that come into play as we describe in our version of The Abyssinian Crisis. I have Mussolini and His Generals and very much enjoyed it.

...it's plausible if one isn't willing to be to entrenched in certain views on what is 'in' and what is 'not'....adn allow some changes of events or perceived behaviours...truth is always stranger than fiction

Anyway, it exists at the TAC blog so game on!!

Happy W

No problems at all with that. Plausible is a very moveable feast and I'm not one to talk on that front, I've been converting and painting Romanians and even the odd Yugoslav paratrooper for a highly fictional Soviet invasion of Ceaucescu's Romania.

When I looked at the period I was initially enthused in typically wargamer fashion by all the cool kit. My jets were cooled when I realised what was available to keep the Italian lines of supply open in Libya. You have to rewrite the timelines for the reconstruction program the Italian capital ships were undergoing and of course in 1935 the Regia Aeronautica is not what it was in 1941 so even less balance.

Anyway it's really nice to see someone fighting it out, it's a fascinating subject. Nice toys too.

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Author Topic: Hawker Fury over Africa (Read 5237 times)

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