Sea Fury T.20 G-RNHF (VX281) | Navy Wings

Sea Fury T.20 G-RNHF (VX281)
  • STATUS: Airworthy
  • LOCATION: RNAS Yeovilton
  • OWNER: Navy Wings
  • ROLE: Naval fighter-bomber
  • BUILT: 1953
  • LENGTH: 31 ft 11.5 in\ 9.741 m
  • WINGSPAN:  41 ft 7 in\12.67 m
  • ENGINE: Bristol Centaurus XVIII
  • MAXIMUM SPEED:   2412 mph\663 km/h
  • RANGE: 510 mi\ 820 km
  • ARMAMENT: Guns: 4 × 20 mm (.79 in) Hispano Mk V autocannon,  Rockets: 12 × 3 in (76.2 mm) rockets or Bombs: 2,000 lb (907 kg) of bombs

Sea Fury T.20 G-RNHF (VX281) was the second of 60 Sea Fury T.20 aircraft built as weapon trainers for the Fleet Air Arm. Delivered to the Royal Navy in 1950 she served with 736 and 738 Naval Air Squadrons at Royal Naval Air Station (RNAS) Culdrose before being sold to the West German Government in 1963. Painted in the markings of an F10 single-seat aircraft of 799 Naval Air Squadron based at RNAS Yeovilton in 1949, VX281 was acquired by the charity from the United States in 2007 and rebuilt at North Weald.

In 2014 the aircraft suffered engine failure during a display manoeuvre at RNAS Culdrose Air Day.  She returned to flight following the charities successful £200,000 appeal to buy a new Centaurus 18 engine.

Until 2018 she was loaned to the Royal Navy Historic Flight (RNHF) under a Memorandum of Understanding between the charity and Navy Command.  With the demise of the RNHF in March 2019, she is now operated directly by Navy Wings

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Sea Fury T.20 G-RNHF (VX281)