The Hawker Fury was designed by Sydney Camm of later Hawker Hurricane fame, and was based on the earlier Hawker Hart. It is reckoned to be one of the most elegant biplanes ever built, and it was the first +200 mph RAF fighter. The prototype first flew on 25/3/31. Only 262 were built.
John Issacs began developing his 7/10ths scale Isaacs Fury in 1961, based on the Currie Wot, and the prototype first flew at Thruxton in August 1963. First up was the Mark 1 with a 65 HP Walter Mikron engine, and this was followed by the Mark 11 which was strengthened to take engines up to the 125 HP Continental O-290. All the New Zealand Isaacs Fury's are the Mark 11 model with engines ranging from O-200's to O-235's. Its wingspan is 6.4 metres (21 feet)and it is 5.87 metres (19 feet 3 inches) long. Its MAUW is 450 Kg (1,000 lbs).
Interestingly, all of the 4 Isaacs Fury's in New Zealand have appeared in the colours of No 1 Squadron RAF, who flew Hawker Fury's from 1932 to 1938 based at Tangmere, Sussex. I don't know if it was coordinated, but each aircraft appeared with a later serial number than the previous aircraft.
The photos are from the Keith Morris collection.
Our first Isaacs Fury was ZK-DMN/K1790 (c/n AACA/179/1 also K 1790) which was built in Auckland by Barry Thompson. It was first registered on 26/2/75 and it first flew at Ardmore on 26/7/75, piloted by Bryan Cox. It is photo'd here in November 1977 at Te Kowhai. Barry Thompson sold ZK-DMN to Owen Harnish of Auckland on 30/3/82.
It has since been owned by a succession of owners in Auckland: Colin Glasgow from 27/6/85, Recreational Aviation, Ardmore from 12/7/85 and then Dougall Dallison from 8/5/90. Dougall crated ZK-DMN up and shipped it to the UK in May 1990 - does anyone know why? It was returned to New Zealand and reassembled by Gulf Aviation.
It was sold to Peter Fahey on 19/7/93 and then to Taildragger Classics (also Peter Fahey) on 15/5/95. It is still active and it has been refurbished with a black and white checkered fin and elevators with the registration under the tailplane, as seen here at an airshow at North Shore on 3/12/05.
Our next Isaacs Fury was ZK-CYO/K 2040 (c/n AACA/70/1), which was started by Lew Hale of Ngarua and registered by him on 14/1/69. Lew sold the project to Peter Dyer of Christchurch on 6/5/77, and Peter completed the aircraft in February/March 1979. It is photo'd here early on in its life at the 1981 AACA flyin at Mt Hutt. It was sold to Les Worsley of Hamilton on 4/8/82 and then Peter Dyer bought it back on 2/5/91 and based it at Taupo. It was then sold to The Sky's The Limit of Taupo on 4/2/99, Barrie Girdler of Christchurch on 17/5/01 who re-designated is as a Class 1 microlight on 29/5/01, then to Richard O'Neill-Dean of Dunedin on 26/1/04.
Finally it was bought by Des Lines of Swannanoa on 3/10/05 and it is photo'd here by Blue Bus at the 2007 SAANZ flyin at Ashburton.
Our third Isaacs Fury was ZK-RFC/K2046 (c/n AACA/301/2) which was built by Russell Woods of Christchurch and was first registered on 8/11/79. It is photo'd here at the 1981 AACA flyin at Mt Hutt. It was sold to DG and LC Simpson of Auckland on 21/4/86, and it was cancelled on 16/11/98 when it was sold to Australia to become VH-UCO.
And our fourth Isaacs Fury was ZK-JHR/K 2059 (c/n AACA/522) which was built by J H Ross of Oamaru and it was first registered on 16/3/83. It was sold to the Whenuapai Aviation syndicate on 19/9/84 and then to LWA Woodgate of Auckland on 21/5/85. It has since been owned by 2 syndicates in Auckland, and is currently owned by D R Carswell of Auckland who has owned it from 2/12/96 and currently bases it at Warkworth. The above photo was taken at an airshow at Palmerston North in 1985.
John Issacs began developing his 7/10ths scale Isaacs Fury in 1961, based on the Currie Wot, and the prototype first flew at Thruxton in August 1963. First up was the Mark 1 with a 65 HP Walter Mikron engine, and this was followed by the Mark 11 which was strengthened to take engines up to the 125 HP Continental O-290. All the New Zealand Isaacs Fury's are the Mark 11 model with engines ranging from O-200's to O-235's. Its wingspan is 6.4 metres (21 feet)and it is 5.87 metres (19 feet 3 inches) long. Its MAUW is 450 Kg (1,000 lbs).
Interestingly, all of the 4 Isaacs Fury's in New Zealand have appeared in the colours of No 1 Squadron RAF, who flew Hawker Fury's from 1932 to 1938 based at Tangmere, Sussex. I don't know if it was coordinated, but each aircraft appeared with a later serial number than the previous aircraft.
The photos are from the Keith Morris collection.
Our first Isaacs Fury was ZK-DMN/K1790 (c/n AACA/179/1 also K 1790) which was built in Auckland by Barry Thompson. It was first registered on 26/2/75 and it first flew at Ardmore on 26/7/75, piloted by Bryan Cox. It is photo'd here in November 1977 at Te Kowhai. Barry Thompson sold ZK-DMN to Owen Harnish of Auckland on 30/3/82.
It has since been owned by a succession of owners in Auckland: Colin Glasgow from 27/6/85, Recreational Aviation, Ardmore from 12/7/85 and then Dougall Dallison from 8/5/90. Dougall crated ZK-DMN up and shipped it to the UK in May 1990 - does anyone know why? It was returned to New Zealand and reassembled by Gulf Aviation.
It was sold to Peter Fahey on 19/7/93 and then to Taildragger Classics (also Peter Fahey) on 15/5/95. It is still active and it has been refurbished with a black and white checkered fin and elevators with the registration under the tailplane, as seen here at an airshow at North Shore on 3/12/05.
Our next Isaacs Fury was ZK-CYO/K 2040 (c/n AACA/70/1), which was started by Lew Hale of Ngarua and registered by him on 14/1/69. Lew sold the project to Peter Dyer of Christchurch on 6/5/77, and Peter completed the aircraft in February/March 1979. It is photo'd here early on in its life at the 1981 AACA flyin at Mt Hutt. It was sold to Les Worsley of Hamilton on 4/8/82 and then Peter Dyer bought it back on 2/5/91 and based it at Taupo. It was then sold to The Sky's The Limit of Taupo on 4/2/99, Barrie Girdler of Christchurch on 17/5/01 who re-designated is as a Class 1 microlight on 29/5/01, then to Richard O'Neill-Dean of Dunedin on 26/1/04.
Finally it was bought by Des Lines of Swannanoa on 3/10/05 and it is photo'd here by Blue Bus at the 2007 SAANZ flyin at Ashburton.
Our third Isaacs Fury was ZK-RFC/K2046 (c/n AACA/301/2) which was built by Russell Woods of Christchurch and was first registered on 8/11/79. It is photo'd here at the 1981 AACA flyin at Mt Hutt. It was sold to DG and LC Simpson of Auckland on 21/4/86, and it was cancelled on 16/11/98 when it was sold to Australia to become VH-UCO.
And our fourth Isaacs Fury was ZK-JHR/K 2059 (c/n AACA/522) which was built by J H Ross of Oamaru and it was first registered on 16/3/83. It was sold to the Whenuapai Aviation syndicate on 19/9/84 and then to LWA Woodgate of Auckland on 21/5/85. It has since been owned by 2 syndicates in Auckland, and is currently owned by D R Carswell of Auckland who has owned it from 2/12/96 and currently bases it at Warkworth. The above photo was taken at an airshow at Palmerston North in 1985.
ZK-DMN was used in a movie in the UK
ReplyDeletehttp://rnzaf.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=experimental&action=display&thread=11175
Did Barry Thompson {originally from Waterview, Auckland}, NZ} build any other WW1 aircraft that were not full scale?
ReplyDeleteNot to my knowledge. He did start a Pitts S-1 project which he sold to Max Clear which ultimately became ZK-PEG, and he owned the Bearn Minicab ZK-CLS for a while.
ReplyDeleteCheers
Hi Blue Bus, thanks for your reply. What I remembered of Barry Thompson, originally he built Model planes from control lines to RC models, joined the locomotive branch of the NZR in Auckland, built a small Gyrocopter which he tethered to a fence post, I never saw that get off the ground, then I heard he had built a {2/3 scale WW1 fighter}.
DeleteYo there RolandBP.
ReplyDeleteThe Isaac Fury was a 70% scale of the original which first flew in 1931 - so I am guessing that to a lot of people it looked World War One-ish. Interesting about the Gyro.
Cheers
Spent many afternoon after school watching and helping Barry build his in Waiau Pa stretching out silk on the plane as he covered it etc. was great thrill to see him dive bombing our house everytime he flew over .Still have his old draughting machine he used while building the Hawker fury
ReplyDelete