Felixstowe Fury

Infobox Aircraft
name=Fury


caption=
type=Long-range flying-boat
manufacturer=Seaplane Experimental Station, Felixstowe
designer=John Cyril Porte
first flight=11 November 1918
introduced=
retired=11 August 1919
status=
primary user=Seaplane Experimental Station, Felixstowe
more users=
produced=
number built=1
variants with their own articles=The Felixstowe Fury (serial "N123"), also known as the Porte Super Baby, was a large British, five-engined triplane flying-boat designed by John Cyril Porte of the Seaplane Experimental Station, Felixstowe

Although the test-flying programme demonstrated the aircraft's suitability for long-distance flight, on 11 August 1919 (the eve of a planned flight from England to South Africa) it stalled into the sea on take-off, killing one member of the crew and suffering irreparable damage.cite news
first =
last =
authorlink =
author =
coauthors =
title = BRITISH SEAPLANE FALLS.; Wireless Operator Killed on Eve of Flight for South Africa.
url = http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?_r=1&res=990CE2DA1338EE32A25751C1A96E9C946896D6CF&oref=slogin
format =
work = The New York Times
publisher =
location =
id =
pages =
page =
date = 12 August, 1919
accessdate = 2008-01-24
language =
quote =
archiveurl =
archivedate = ]

Development

The Fury was delivered to Felixstowe on 31 October 1918, [ [http://www.theaerodrome.com/forum/aircraft/2056-felixstowe-fury-triplane-n123.html The Aerodrome Forum] ] its first flight taking place on 11 November.

The Fury's unstaggered wings comprised the 3-bay lower wings, mounted near to the top of the hull, and a pair of 4-bay upper wings of larger span; all were supported by pairs of vertical struts and diagonal cross-bracing. The original design specified three 600 hp (447 kW) Rolls Royce Condor engines but these were not available and five 334 hp (249 kW) Rolls-Royce Eagle VII engines were fitted instead. These were mounted on the middle wing and supported by additional struts, configured as two outboard tandem tractor/pusher (push-pull) pairs and one central pusher. In addition to its triplane configuration, the Fury had a biplane tailplane with a triple rudder, mounted on a single vertical fin. Initially it was provided with servo-motors for the main flight control surfaces, but these were later removed without compromising the pilot's ability to control this large aircraft. [ [http://www.theaerodrome.com/forum/aircraft/32055-felixstowe-fury.html The Aerodrome Forum] ] . At some point the engines were replaced with the more powerful 334 hp (249 kW) Eagle VIIIs.

By 24 April 1919, flight testing had progressed so well that the Fury was able to perform a 7-hour flight.

Operational history

In view of the intense competition in early 1919 to achieve the first transatlantic flight, it was intended to ship the Fury to the USA for it to join other teams in the race. The first Atlantic crossing by the Curtiss NC-4 (which reached Lisbon on 27 May 1919) and the first non-stop crossing by Alcock and Brown a few weeks later (Ireland, 15 June) led to the abandonment of this project.

Plans were then made for another long-distance flight, this time for the 8,000-mile (12,875 km) flight from England to South Africa. This was due to start on 12 August 1919; final preparations were being made on 11 August when the aircraft crashed on take-off, killing one of the 7-person crew (wireless operator Lt S.E.S. McLeod, drowned). The surviving crew members were: Lt-Col P.F.M. Fellowes, Maj E.R. Moon, Capt C.L. Scott, 2nd Lt J.F. Arnold, W/O J.G. Cockburn and W/O H.S. Locker.

The Felixstowe Fury was the last aircraft to be designed by Porte: two months after its destruction he succumbed to tuberculosis, dying on 22 October.

Operators

;UK
*Seaplane Experimental Station, Felixstowe

pecifications Fury (Porte Super Baby)

aircraft specifications
ref= The Felixstowe Flying Boats, Part 3 [http://www.flightglobal.com/PDFArchive/View/1955/1955%20-%201809.html] Bruce, J.M. "Flight", 23 December 1955, p. 932. Retrieved 26 January 2008.] , [http://www.theaerodrome.com/forum/aircraft/32055-felixstowe-fury.html The Aerodrome Forum]
plane or copter?=plane
jet or prop?=prop
crew=7
capacity=24
length main=63 ft 2 in
length alt=19.26 m
span main=123 ft
span alt=37.5 m
height main=27 ft 6 in
height alt=8.38 m

area main=3,108 ft²
area alt=288.8 m²
empty weight main=18,563 lb
empty weight alt=8,438 kg
loaded weight main=25,263 lb
loaded weight alt=11,483 m
max takeoff weight main=
max takeoff weight alt=
engine (prop)=Rolls-Royce Eagle VIII
type of prop=inline piston engine
number of props=5
power main=334 hp
power alt=249 kW

max speed main=97 mph
max speed alt=156 km/h
range main=
range alt=
ceiling main=12,000 ft
ceiling alt=3,660 m
climb rate main=353 ft/min to 10,000ft
climb rate alt=108 m/min to 3,048 m
loading main=
loading alt=
power/mass main=
power/mass alt=

armament=
* Four machine guns
* bombs

ee also

aircontent
see also=
related= Porte Baby

similar aircraft=
lists= Externalimage
align=right
width=300px

http://www.earlyaviator.com/archive/b/images/Felixstowe_Fury.jpgThe Felixstowe Fury] Image at Rosebuds EarlyAeroplanes and Airships [http://www.earlyaviator.com]

http://www.pigstompers.net/Triplane-Madness/Felix-Fury_03.jpgSopworth Camel dwarfed by the Felixstowe Fury] Image at Triplane-Madness from Pigstompers.net [http://www.pigstompers.net/Triplane-Madness/trimad.htm]

http://www.historicaircraft.org/WW1-Gallery/pages/Felixstowe-Fury.html Image of the Fury on beaching trolley]

Notes

References

*Bruce, J.M. "The Felixstowe Flying Boats: Historic Military Aircraft No. 11, Part 3". "Flight", 23 December 1955. Pages 929-932.