One of the most iconic RAN Fleet Air Arm fighters, a Hawker Sea Fury, will be on display for visitors to the Wings Over Illawarra air show when they inspect HARS Aviation Museum at Illawarra Regional Airport.
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Entry to HARS Aviation Museum is included in the entry to this year's Wings, with most of the museum's vast collection being put on display. Many vintage aircraft will be open so visitors can climb inside to see how flying used to be while the Wings Over Illawarra display is conducted overhead.
The Sea Fury this week has been unloaded next to another former RAN stalwart, a Grumman Tracker, in hangar 1 at HARS Aviation Museum.
A small but dedicated team at the Historical Aircraft Restoration Society (HARS) plan to rebuild the Sea Fury back to flying status.
Also housed at HARS Aviation Museum are a former RAN Wessex helicopter and a former De Havilland Sea Venom. Volunteers already are busy with their huge project restoring the Wessex and Sea Venom to display condition.
Earlier this year HARS acquired the Navy's disbanded Historic Flight and has undertaken to restore as many aircraft back to flying condition - including the Sea Fury, two Trackers, a Dakota and an Iroquois helicopter - and eventually place them in a display hangar to be built adjacent to the RAN Albatross Base.
Michael Hough has been busy in his role as the HARS Navy Heritage Flight project leader.
"People attending Wings will be able to view our re-assembly process up close and enjoy the sight of an externally intact Sea Fury airframe," Prof Hough said.
"Our Sea Fury volunteer project team led by Mark Thurston includes Hayden King, Peter Haggly and Jason Cockrin. They supervised the unloading of the Sea Fury from a HARS truck, using a crane sponsored by Air Affairs."
Outside this weekend's Wings Over Illawarra air show, HARS Aviation museum is open from 9.30 to 3.30 daily for visitors, and groups, to see and sit in many of more than 40 aircraft on display.
The museum's acclaimed Café Connie is open for barista coffee plus hot and cold food at very reasonable prices ... so when visiting HARS Aviation Museum you can make a meal of it.
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