Republic P-47 Thunderbolt & Hawker Fury II/ISS

Fighter Aviation Engineering's Republic P-47 Thunderbolt and Hawker Fire II/ISS, starting up and departing from the Imperial War Museum, Duxford on 23 August 2024, for an air display commitment at Clacton; followed by their return and landing.

For start up both aircraft were parked unusually close to the public area fence line, so close that the prop wash from both after start up, accompanied by the strong wind not only lifted some of the wire mesh fencing but also blew a couple of heavy metal oil pans left close by, into and under the fencing.
I couldn't resist the temptation to film from behind the aircraft, which wasn't a good idea given the liberal spattering of sooty gunk that I got from both aircrafts exhausts when they started. Fortunately the camera has a filter covering the lens and the gunk was easily cleaned off after the departure.

Thunderbolt:- Owned by Fighter Aviation Engineering and operated by Air Leasing, Republic P-47D Thunderbolt, 'Nellie B', G-THUN, wears markings representative of 'Nellie B', the aircraft of Lt. Col. James K. Johnson, Commanding Officer of the 48th Fighter Wing, whilst the Wing were based in Belgium and Germany between October 1944 and June 1945. The aircraft was assigned to the 492nd Fighter Squadron (The Mad Hatters) - one of 3 Fighter Squadrons with the 48th Fighter Wing.

Sea Fury/FuryII/ISS:- Although outwardly appearing to be a Sea Fury this is a land based ex Iraqi Air Force Hawker Fury II/ISS (Iraqi Single Seat), on the UK Civil Register as G-CBEL, and in the markings of the third Hawker Fury II prototype to fly - SR661 - which was also the first Sea Fury prototype. The original SR661 first flew at Langley, Berkshire, on 21 February 1945, powered by a Centaurus XII engine, had a "stinger"-type tailhook for arrested carrier landings but lacked folding wings for storage.
This is one of the few surviving airworthy Sea Fury/Fury's that still retains an original Bristol Centaurus engine, and is currently the only one in the UK to do so.
This Fury, construction number 37539 was made in 1953 as a new production model, without any of the naval features of the Sea Fury. Amongst other things both the tail hook and folding wings were deleted.
The aircraft was bought to Orlando, Florida, USA from Iraq in 1979 by Ed Jurist and David Tallichet.
In 1989 it passed to Laws/Coleman Warbird Museum, Coleman, Texas where it was rebuilt to airworthy condition, before flying again in April 1991, registered as N36SF. It was then shipped to the UK in September 1991, passing into the ownership of John Bradshaw at Wroughton until 2009.
During this time the aircraft flew in the markings of a Dutch Navy and latterly Royal Australian Navy aircraft marked as 361 and it was then also on the UK Civil Register as G-CBEL.
It was then exported to Australia where it was registered as VH-SFW. In June 2016 it was imported back into the UK by its new owners, Anglia Aircraft Restorations Ltd and re-registered again as G-CBEL.
The aircraft was refurbished and repainted, by Air Leasing Ltd.

The aircraft is powered by a Bristol Centaurus 18 engine as originally fitted to production aircraft. These engines are no longer produced, very few survive and they are increasingly rare.

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