Awaiting final restoration is the operational Hawker Sea Fury of Sandy Thompson, seen here at Thunder Over Michigan, the Air Show we like to call "Tom," in 2004. The aircraft is looking mighty fine as it is...the final paint scheme a mystery.

Thunder Over Michigan 2004

by Duane Hover
Reno Vids 4 U

Photography by Duane Hover

Thunder Over Michigan of 2004

The Sandy Thompson Sea Fury, frontal view favoring the starboard side. Hopefully, Thompson will get qualified for Air Racing...seems a shame that someone named Thompson wouldn't want to race, so we're placing our bets and the possibility that he will! <G> I mean, one win of any consequence and he's "officially" got himself a "Thompson" Trophy Air Racer! <running, ducking from the Society of Air Race Historians...>

You see! Already he's lined up with the Pace Plane (The Red Knight, background). What better omen for a racer that a rookie can do that before he's even trained for racing! <running, ducking from Sandy Thompson!>

Rugged beauty of the Hawker Sea Fury is seen in her exterior lines and riveting. Designed as a carrier based fighter, the Sea Fury was built to dish out destruction and take punishment at the same time. Hundreds of thousands, if not millions of carrier landings attest to that!

Cowling, nose cap and propeller details on the Sandy Thompson Sea Fury are meticulously prepared, as seen in this detail photograph shot by Duane Hover at "Tom" in 2004. Hover shoots detail photography as part of his RC Modeling endeavors, something that our readers who also share a modeling interest should enjoy and feel free to hapilly partake of.

Imagine having a motion picture camera mounted at this position, aimed in this manner, while this aircraft is in flight and approaching, then hitting the deck of the HMS Victorious at sea in stormy weather during landing operations. White capped waves toss to and fro beneath as the wings waggle back and forth in the gusts. The wheel turns slowly in the prevailing wind caused by the forward motion of the aircraft. The deck comes immediately into view as the Sea Fury drops down almost vertically onto the flat top. Sudden impact! A burp of smoke from the friction of deck and burning rubber. A quick roll of the wheel. The arresting hook kicks in, sudden deceleration. Crews in multi-colored uniforms surround the aircraft to move her below deck. The quick ride down the elevator. The roll into the hangar for any maintenance work that's needed. A mechanic looks into the camera, smiles since its still there, reaches to switch it off...

...cut to black!

Theme music to all of this: "Victory at Sea!"

Of course, the oil catcher has got to go! <G>

Owner Sandy Thompson says it all. Note that Air Racer and National Champion Neil Anderson flew a harrowing ferry flight in the aircraft after its sale by the Neil McLain Estate.

Apparently no Air Racing planned..."We aspire to a boring future."

Gun blisters on the upper surface of the Hawker Sea Fury's wings. The history of the aircraft notes that many of the parts were outsourced from Australia, which operated a large fleet of land and carrier-based Hawker Sea Furies in the Royal Australian Navy (RAN).

No arresting hook as of yet on NX1324, though it appears equipped to handle one. Check out the rivet lines...all in perfect straight lines. Incredibly accurate work by the men and women of Hawker Aircraft, Ltd., now part of British Aerospace.