The Fighter Collection's Sea Fury was manufactured by the Hawker Aircraft Company in 1949 under Contract No 6/Acft/2576/C.B.7(b). It was transferred to the Royal Navy as VX653 and moved to 736 Sqn at Culdrose with 47.7 flying hours on the clock.

In 1951, when 285 hours had been clocked, it was sent to RNAY Donbristle for repairs and then returned to Culdrose. We don't have any information as to the nature of the repairs, or what happended to the aircraft to make them necessary. After 320 flying hours, whilst at Culdrose, the undercarriage was inadvertantly retracted on landing and this resulted in the mainplanes, the flaps and ailerons and the undercarriage all being changed.

In 1953, after 498 flying hours, the aircraft was completely reconditioned at Donbristle before being transferred to RNAS Gosport. Shortly afterwards, it moved on to RNAS Anthorn and then on to No 811 Sqn who were based in Arbroath in Scotland at the time.

At 555 hours, the port mainplane was changed and, the following year (1954) category 4 repairs were carried out on the aircraft, again at Donbristle, before the aircraft was moved to Anthorn for the second time. VX653 was placed in storage in 1955, at 570 flying hours, until it was transferred to Airwork Ltd at Hurn airport near Bournemouth on the English south coast.

Here it was operated on a very regular basis until 1960 when it transferred to RNAS Lossiemouth in Scotland - with 1385 hours on the clock. It was placed on display at the Royal Air Force Museum from 1972 before being acquired by the Fighter Collection in a deal wich involved the static restoration of a Hawker Tempest for the Museum, and it was moved to Duxford in November of 1991.

It has always been displayed in the TFC hangar at Duxford since that time, with minimal maintenance being carried out on it until the early part of 1996, when it was moved to the rebuild side of the hangar and restoration work started in earnest.