The Fury began life as an evolution of the successful Typhoon and Tempest line of fighters and fighter-bombers with the design process beginning in September 1942. In response to an RAF requirement for a lightweight replacement for the Tempest II fighter, Hawker's designer, Sydney Camm, drew up plans for what he dubbed the 'Tempest Light Fighter.' Many in the RAF felt the original Tempest was heavy and oversized for the fighter role so Camm set about creating a new aircraft that would be a worthy successor. He kept the Tempest's semi-elliptical wing but shortened it in span by simply attaching the wings to the aircraft's fuselage and eliminating the centre section. The fuselage resembled that of the Tempest but was built as a full monocoque structure. Camm also moved the cockpit atop the fuselage to give the pilot better all round visibility.
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