11/30/2012. Remarks by Johan Visschedijk: "The Sea Fury T.Mk.20 two-seat trainer was unusual in that it was developed for the Royal Navy (RN) after negotiations for such an aircraft had been completed between the Iraqi Government and Hawker Aircraft Ltd. The result of these was an order for four two-seat Furies for Iraq, but the first machine was completed to an Admiralty Standard of Preparation and registered VX818.

First flown at Langley on January 15, 1948, VX818 was delivered shortly afterwards to Boscombe Down for development trials and it was during these that, following collapse of the rear canopy, the interconnecting cockpit "tunnel" was added. Also developed was a Hawker-designed periscopic sight mounted on a tripod just forward of the instructor's cockpit, while the armament was reduced to two 0.787 in (20 mm) guns in order to permit installation of equipment displaced by the introduction of the second cockpit.

Sixty production Sea Fury T.Mk.20s were built and delivered to the Fleet Air Arm (FAA), deliveries to RNAS Anthorn commencing in mid-1950 and continuing until March 1952. They entered service with the RN Volunteer Reserve, serving alongside Mk.10s and Mk.11s on eight squadrons, and they were also based at nine different RN Air Stations. The T.Mk.20s were not equipped with arrester hooks and did not embark with carrier-borne units of the Royal Navy.

In 1957 a large number of surplus FAA Sea Fury Mk.10s, Mk.11s and T.Mk.20s was purchased by Hawker Aircraft Ltd. Of these, eighteen Mk.11s and three T.Mk.20s were re-sold by the company to Burma and delivered in 1958. Fifteen Mk.11s and two T.Mk.20s were sold to Cuba in 1958, though these were not assembled until 1959 after the revolution against the Batista Government from whom the contract had been secured.

Despite considerable interest in the Sea Fury by other foreign air forces only one further country had placed T.Mk.20s orders by 1960. Six Mark 20s were ordered by the civil Deutsche Luftfahrt Beratungsdienst (German Aviation Advisory Service) during 1958, the former RN being under contract to the West German Luftwaffe for target towing duties. Two further machines were ordered in 1960.

The pictured Sea Fury was built to Specification N.19/47, under Contract No. 1674, dated April 15, 1948, for 27 T.Mk.20s (s/n VX280-VX292, VX297-VX310). The Hawker Aircraft Ltd. works at Langley, Berkshire, UK, delivered it to the RN on March 17, 1950, it was purchased back by the manufacturer in 1957-1958, being registered in the 'Class B' as G-9-24 (G-9 for Hawker). It became one of the above mentioned aircraft sold to Germany, being registered as D-FAMI on August 29, 1958, it was reregistered D-CAMI in April 1959.

(D-CAMI) (Johan Visschedijk Collection)

D-CAMI was withdrawn from target towing service in 1970, some four years later, July 30, 1974, it was purchased by Doug Arnold of the Warbirds of Great Britain Ltd at Blackbushe Airport, Camberley, Surrey, UK, although it was registered to Fairoaks Aviation Services Ltd. at Guilford as G-BCKH. The following September the aircraft was purchased by John J. Stokes of Warbirds Of The World at San Marcos, Texas, USA. It stayed on the British register till May 25, 1977, reportedly it was subsequently registered in the USA as N46690.

Later Lloyd Hamilton purchased it, had it registered as N924G, and had Sanders Aircraft, Chino, California install F-102 wheels and brakes. The company has a reputation in producing smoke generators and restoring aircraft, and owner Frank Sanders purchased the Sea Fury in 1978 and finished it in RN markings, coded 924. Listed as Racer number "88" it was flown at the National Championship Air Races in Reno, Nevada. The aircraft was stored in 1997, since the Sanders company has been renamed Sanders Aeronautics and moved to Ione.

(N924G) (Johan Visschedijk Collection)

Recently this Sea Fury has been restored by the Sanders brothers Brian and Dennis, and on June 27, 2012 the engine was started for the first time in fifteen years, in August the aircraft had its second maiden flight and had clocked almost thirty hours before participating in the Unlimited Silver Class of the Reno Air Races (still in bear metal), listed as Racer number "924". Brain Sanders placed third, flying the seven laps (total 56.2357 mls, 90.5026 km) course in 9 min 16.579 sec, at a speed of 355.506 mph (572.131 kmh)".