Malcolm Laird

The Hawker Fury was the first RAF's fighter able to fly at a speed exceeding 200 mph in lever flight. This part one narrates the development and production of the Fury and the career of the Fury Mk. I in the RAF. This part includes also the full story of the Fury in South Africa, which fought against the Italians in East Africa in 1940-1941. The SAAF Furies were eventually withdrawn from use in 1943. New material has become available from South Africa giving today the most complete story on the Furies in the SAAF. This issue is illustrated with over 40 photos and 6 color profiles giving a new reference for the historians and modelers alike. Revised edition.

The Curtiss SB2C participated to the last two years of the war in the Pacific, and was one of the major aircraft in the USN inventory in 1945. With the War's end, the plane was soon relegated to second line units, but against all odds, the Helldiver had not fought for the last time and a few years, under French navy markings, the Helldiver was used in Indochina against the Communists where the French were involved in furious combats since 1946. Delivered under MDAP agreement, they arrived in the area in 1951 and the Helldiver proved again that it was a very capable machine. They were intensively used during three years including during the decisive battle of Diem Bien Phu, which sealed the end of the presence of the French in Indochina. An exiting and exotic topic for anyone interested in the SB2C Helldiver.