FROG Hawker Sea Fury, 1963

FROG Blue series 154P Hawker Sea Fury X, International Model Aircraft Ltd, Tri-ang, 1963-64

1963

SMART SEA FURY
Modellers have wide choice of colour schemes

Frog have done it again! During the past few months there have been several above-average kits carrying this well-known label, all of which received high praise from enthusiasts. And the latest addition to the growing Frog range of plastic model aircraft—a 1/72 scale Hawker Sea Fury F.B.11—is certain to create a good impression. It is a truly superb model and undoubtedly great value for money at only 2s.

Now let's take a close look at this kit. Every part is clean and well-detailed and, I believe, many people will be impressed with the all-round quality of this bargain-price model. On the credit side the five-bladed propeller and spinner have been well reproduced. I also liked the cockpit canopy, one of the best I have seen for some while. Special mention must be made of the rudder, rear wheel —which has a fixed door cover—and arrester hook. The wings come in sections offering a choice of either level or folded.

There is a full ordnance load and the under-wing fuel tanks are another of this model's many pleasing features.

On the debit side the rockets have too thick fins, but this is the only major fault. Like the wings the well-made undercarriage can be cemented in the raised or lowered positions.

The Sea Fury modelled by Frog was used by the Fleet Air Arm during the Korean War and has a set of excellent decals. The suggested colour scheme looks good but for serious modellers who like something a little different—and 1 know there are many—why not finish this fighter in Burmese Air Force colours? The Sea Fury has been used throughout the world and although the Burmese colour scheme is, I think, most attractive» it is, of course, only one of many finishes.

A number of ex-Royal Navy Sea Fury F.B.11s were sold to the Burmese Air Force and finished in silver with black propellers. National insignia—a blue, white and orange triangle—appears on the fuselage sides and under the wings. Fin flash is blue, white and orange. Registration lettering (in black) ranges from UB 454 to UB 471 {see photograph).
Philip Burden

Flying Review 1963-07 Model Talk

Over the counter

Another hitherto un-modelled prototype is selected by I.M.A. for the Frog 1/72nd scale " Blue " series of plastics—in the shape of the Hawker Sea Fury. An attractive feature of this kit is the design of the wing, which may be assembled in the folded or extended position. Invasion stripes are shown on the colour three-view which decorates the box top and they certainly give the Sea Fury a jazzy appearance. Frog Blue Series kits cost 2S. each.

Model aircraft, July 1963

1964

Tri-ang Serie Bleue C 154P Hawker Sea Fury, Lines Freres SA, Calais, 1964

FROG F149 "The Sea Wolves! Four of the NAVY's bandit chaser", Rovex Scale models ltd, 1965

"The Sea Wolves! Four of the NAVY bandit's chaser" R.N. Gift Pack (Sea Fury, Wessex, HMS Exeter and HMS Torquay) F149 1965-1968 X 8000 See below Like the previous Four Famous Fighters pack, this one contained standard issue kits in their original boxes, all packed together in a paper envelope. The pack was released in connection with the "Win three days with the Navy" competition arranged by IMA in the summer of 1965. FROG model aircraft 1932-1976, R. Lines, L. Hellstrom OVER THE COUNTER Competitions to stimulate sales are so commonplace nowadays as to be almost mandatory in some trades, one might imagine, to produce any sales at all. However, when one can have the chance of three days with the Royal Navy simply for assembling and painting plastics which one would have built anyway—it becomes well worth " having a go." International Model Aircraft Ltd. announce an out-of-the-rut approach in their " Frog Navy Competition." This is in conjunction with their kits for the Hawker Sea Fury,Westland Wessex aircraft and H.M.S. Exeter, Torquay, Undine and Revenge ship models. Competitiors are required to purchase either the new " Sea Wolves " pack (which contains four Frog kits, with paint, brushes and cement) or any four of the above-mentioned individual kits. This does require, of course, an interest in marine models as well as naval aircraft—but there are doubtless many to whom this will apply. The 36 lucky prizewinners will spend their three days with the Navy visiting a R.N. submarine and a R.N. air station, after which they will actually put to sea in a Warship. . . . Your local model shop has entry forms. Model Aircraft MAY, 1965

WIN THREE DAYS WITH THE ROYAL NAVY FROG competition with over 500 prizes Visit a real submarine Inspect a naval air station—planes and all Put to sea in a warship and lots of other exciting things All this for 36 lucky 1st prize winners and there are 500 smashing 2nd prizes of Frog Ship Kits Here is your chance—the chance of a lifetime... and this is all you have to do. First, get your entry form from your local toyshop. Now all you have to do is write about what you consider to be the role of any one of the following in to-day's Royal Navy: Helicopter, Strike Fighter, Anti-Submarine Frigate, Cruiser. Collect four box tops from the list of kits on the entry form, to send in with your entry. Complete details are on the form. Winners will be taken from boys in two age groups: 11-13 and 14-18. Don't delay! Somebody's going to win, so it might as well be you. Besides, it's easy! This is too good to miss, so get cracking! Model Aircraft Апрель, 1965

Air Lines 4903 Hawker Sea Fury, Lines Bros Inc., 1965

FROG Black series F154 Hawker Sea Fury fighter with Gold Tokens, Rovex Scale Models Ltd, 1965

FROG Black series F154 Hawker Sea Fury fighter, Rovex Industries Ltd, 1966-69

FROG F221F Hawker Sea Fury, bagged, 1968-70

    
NEW AND IN VIEW NEW AIRCRAFT KITS

FROG. For some little time now rumour has had it that Frog were revising and updating many of their older kits, and at the Brighton Toy Fair rumour became fact with the release of those described below. Retailing at 3/- each in a new clear plastic pack, complete with coloured dramatic art on the front and the now very popular Profile style drawings on the back of the display card, these will certainly catch the eye in any model shop display.

Each kit has had all traces of the original surface detail removed and replaced by fine and accurate new detail. Unfortunately, costs have prevented full corrections, and such refinements as cut-out wheel wells are still omitted. Cockpit canopies have received attention where necessary and are far better than in the original kits, while completely new markings and insignia are given, two alternatives being provided for each type as follows :
Sea Fury F221F
Hawker Sea Fury
-VF870 of Royal Canadian Navy 1951
-802 Sqdn. F.A.A. (Lt. Peter Carmichael's aircraft), Korea August 1952.

The very high standard of decals common to all Frog kits of recent months is maintained in these 'packaged' kits. All are matt or semi-gloss with excellent register, and the minute detailing, such as that on 'kill' markings or the MC 202 insignia, is clearly readable if one uses a magnifying glass.

It is to be hoped that other kits from the Frog range will be upgraded similarly as time goes by, and we look forward to these in due course.

The IPMS magazine, February 1969

F249 was a proposed Spin-a-Prop version

FROG Blue Series F154 Hawker Sea Fury X Naval Fighter-bomber, Rovex Models and Hobbies Ltd, 1974-1976

1975 with Skybase

1976

A Kit Review by Anthony D. Chong
Fury Gone to Sea

Conceived as the carrier-born variant of the land-based Hawker Fury - the intended successor to the Hawker Typhoon/Tempest series - the Hawker Sea Fury was to become the last piston-engined fighter in British Fleet Air Arm front-line service. Its F.A.A. career began in 1947 and ended in 1953, during which time it saw extensive action in the Korean War, where the Sea Furies of No 802 Squadron (flying off the light cruiser H.M.S. Ocean on 9/10 August 1952) downed two MiG 15's, the only enemy aircraft to be credited to the F.A.A. in aerial combat over Korea. The man credited with destroying the first MiG was then-Lt. Peter Carmichael, R.N., who with that kill also became the first pilot of a piston-engined allied aircraft in Korea to down an enemy jet.

Currently, the only kit of this significant aircraft in British naval aviation history is a rather mediocre 1/72 scale offering from Frog. Unfortunately, it has been said that production of this kit has been discontinued. Assuming the report is true, it is not known if the kit will be reissued at a later date by Frog or by the Russians (who have bought some of the Frog molds) under the Novo label. Either way the availability in the near future of even a problem-filled Sea Fury kit appears very poor.

The kit comes packaged in a small box that bears an action drawing on the boxtop and two color guide drawings on the box bottom. The hazy action drawing is based on a photograph of a Sea Fury preparing to launch from the deck of a carrier, somewhere off the coast of Korea in circa 1952. The first of the two schemes illustrated is that of a dark sea gray uppersurfaced and medium sea gray undersurfaced Sea Fury F.B. Mk 11 in the markings of the Royal Canadian Navy. The other scheme is that of the extra dark sea gray uppersurfaced and sky undersurfaced F.B. Mk 11 of the F.A.A. in the personal markings of Lt. Peter Carmichael as it appeared on 9 August 1952.

The contents include the model, the instructions sheet and the decals. The instructions are very clear and simple, being nothing more than wordless sequential drawings with some minor history and construction notes printed in several different languages and listed in a column to the side. It is interesting to note that both the box top and the instruction sheet label the model as an F. Mk 10 (Fighter, Navy Version 1), while the color schemes, decals and the model are of the F.B. Mk 11 (a Fighter Bomber, Navy Version 2). Research indicates that Frog has mislabled their model the F. Mk 10 because they provide rockets and underwing launchers, whereas the only Mark equipped to handle external stores was the F.B. Mk 11.

The model is molded in thick, dark gray plastic and with many raised (and inaccurate) Panel lines which are a bit large in scale. An inaccurately-shaped one-piece closed canopy is included and is molded in very thick, clear plastic. Unfortunately, this particular canopy had a smoky black streak running through the blown bubble portion, rendering it useless. A letter to Frog requesting a replacement part took several weeks of waiting before the replacement part arrived. If possible, vacuform a new canopy from the original (after correcting) as the vacuforming will save the modeler from many problems. The general outline shape appears to be good, although the length is slightly too long and the wingspan is almost a foot too short. These inaccuracies, however, do not detract from the overall appearance of the finished model.

IPMS Space Park Magazine, Volume 5, Number 5, October 1977

NOVO F154 Sea Fury - Naval Fighter, NOVO Toys Ltd Cat.No.78103, 1980

On the left are scans of the Britain's kit's box of 1980, printed on dark grey cardboard. On the right is a test run on light-coloured cardboard that was not sold in Britain. In addition to the quality of the cardboard, the test print run was distinguished by distorted shades in the printing, a font for contents description on the side of the box, and slightly smaller box dimensions. Probably such boxes were printed in the USSR at the Moscow Toy Factory ‘Gorizont’ (Horizon), which specialised in the production of paper games and toys, and had the appropriate equipment and facilities. In the NOVO kits, both on the box and in the instruction leaflet, the aircraft type were finally correctly labelled. Throughout all FROG releases had specified the Mk.10 type, which was incorrect as both marking options reffered to the Sea Fury FB Mk.11 type. The scene of the aircraft launching from the aircraft carrier deck on the boxart of the Novo box remains the same as on the Blue Series FROG 74-76 boxes, but the aircraft markings are in accordance with the paint scheme. In the box drawing the aircraft number was removed from the gears door, as it was missing on the decal, but the number on the underwing fuel tank remained exactly the same as on the original photo. Despite the undoubted popularity and impressive issues of the FROG model and the practice of mass production of kits in Tashkent Toy Factory for delivery to Britain in runs from 105000 to 160,000 pcs, NOVO Sea Fury was not so lucky. Boxes and instructions were prepared and printed for this kit, and the old FROG decals continued to be used to complete the kits. It is unfortunate that according to the information in R. Lines, L. Hellstrom book, only several hundred kits were delivered to Britain and now this model in original form is extremely rare to find for sale on Ebay. Especially as when produced for sale in the USSR the kit's canopy was quickly degraded and appeared to be of little use. R. Lines, L. Hellstrom attributes the termination of Soviet deliveries to Britain to the irritation of the Novoexport management because of a reference in the NOVO catalogue to a MiG-15 shot down by a Sea Fury fighter-bomber. 78103 Hawker Sea Fury FB.l 1 0++ "0++" indicates that a reasonable quantity - perhaps a few hundred - has found its way on to the Western market. FROG model aircraft 1932-1976, R. Lines, L. Hellstrom

F154 Sea Fury Naval Fighter, The test sheets of paper peel-off/stick-on type markings, early 80-s

Index 154 Naval Fighter (Индекс 154 Морской истребитель - Morskoy Istrebitel), Fabrika Tashigrushka, MLP UzSSR, Tashkent 80-s

Scale Model of airplane F-154 (Модель сборная самолета F-154), "Semurg" company, VAO Razvitiye, Tashkent, 90-s