The first flight of the Hawker Fury I took place in March 1931. Because of the Great Depression
and the high cost of the Fury only 118 were produced for the RAF. It was the first RAF
operational aircraft to exceed 200 mph in level flight. In May 1931 No. 43 Squadron was the first
to receive the new aircraft. Starting in 1936 five RAF squadrons received the new improved Fury
II. Seven foreign air forces ordered the Fury II. In 1939 the RAF Furys were replaced by
Gladiators and Hurricanes.

After occupying Austria in March 1938 Hitler made demands that part of Czechoslovakia that
formerly was German territory and was taken away as a result of WWI, be returned to Germany
or he would invade. In early September 1938 Prime Ministers of Britain and France met with Hitler
and reached an agreement that Czechoslovakia cede the Sudetenland to Germany thus avoiding
war. The Czechs reluctantly agreed and there was a meeting in Munich on September 29, 1938
where after hearing that Czechoslovakia had agreed Hitler added new demands that German
troops be allowed to occupy the territory and again Hitler was appeased and we all know what
happened from that point on.

Hawker Fury I and II specifications

Manufacturer – Hawker Aircraft Ltd.

Production – Fury I (117 some references 118) Fury II (112 some references 113)

Dimensions
Length – Fury I 26 ft 8 inches / Fury II 26 ft 9 inches
Wingspan – 30 ft both variants
Height – 10 ft 2 inches both variants

Weights
Empty – Fury I 2,623 lb / Fury II 2,734 lb
Maximum – Fury I 3,490 lb / Fury II 3,609 lb

Performance
Engine – Fury I Rolls Royce Kestrel IIS 525 hp (391 kW) for TO, V12 cyl., liquid cooled, 2 blade
Watts wooden propeller / Fury II Rolls Royce Kestrel VI 640 hp
Maximum Speed – Fury I 207 mph @ 14,000 ft / Fury II 223 mph @ 16,500 ft
Service Ceiling – Fury I 28,000 ft / Fury II 29,500 ft
Climb rate to 10,000 ft – Fury I 4 minutes 25 seconds / Fury II 3 minutes 50 seconds
Range – Fury I 305 miles / Fury II 270 miles

Armament
Fury I 2 X fixed forward machine guns 600 rounds per gun (Vickers 0.303 Mark III)
Fury II 2 X fixed forward machine guns 600 rounds per gun (Vickers 0.303 Mark V)

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