Stewart Dawson's Hawker Fury FB.11 "Spirit of Texas"

Stewart Dawson is the owner and pilot of this magnificent Hawker Fury FB.11, based at Grayson County airport in Sherman, Texas. This Warbird is regularly flown at airshows throughout Western and Central USA were Stew displays the "Spirit of Texas" performing a 10-15 minute aerobatic routine and also racing at the Reno National Championship Air Races.

One of the fastest piston engine aircraft ever built, Hawker's magnificent Sea Fury/Fury has always had the ability to inspire awe amongst everyone from airport kids to jet fighter pilots. It continues to attract fans at airshows and air races around the world and leaves most other aircraft of the era well behind.

Hawker was designated to work on the land-based version, the Fury, and responsibility for the naval conversion was assigned to Boulton-Paul Aircraft Ltd. In April of 1944 contracts were placed for 200 aircraft for each the Royal Air Force and Fleet Air Arm. The first Sea Fury prototype flew on February 21, 1945, but the first full naval version with folding wings did not fly until October 12, 1947. Armament consisted of 4 x 20mm Hispano wing cannons and it was capable of carrying a mix of 1000 lb bombs, 12 x 3 inch rocket projectiles and napalm tanks.

The Sea fury was to see significant involvement in the Korean War, mainly in the ground attack role alongside the Fairey Firefly. The aircraft also had the distinction of shooting down a Mig-15, the first by a piston engine fighter, this being achieved by an 802 Squadron aircraft flown by Lt. P. Carmichael on August 9, 1952.

Despite the RAF canceling its orders for the Hawker Fury, a 'denavalized' Sea Fury, lacking catapult launch hooks, arrestor hook, etc., the aircraft was built in small numbers for the Air Forces of Iraq, Egypt and Pakistan.

Stew's Hawker Fury (serial #37517) first flew on June 31, 1953 at Langley and departed for Iraq via Blackbushe on July 18, 1953. The Baghda Furies were reportedly used in action against the Kurds in Northern Iraq and were withdrawn from service starting in 1960 qnd placed in storage until early 1970 when a large cache was sold to the consortium of Jurist/Tallichet. The aircraft spent time in storage in Orlando and Nyack before being sold to Chuck Leshe in February 1989.

Registered as N24SF, the Fury retained its original Centaurus engine until 1992, before going to Ezell Aviation at Breckenridge, Texas for refurbishment and modification to a racer. This included the fitting of the Pratt & Whitney R-3350 engine, stretched canopy and the addition of a jump seat.

Stew Dawson purchased the Fury in mid 1996 and Chad Ezell designed and painted it at Ezell Aviation in a spectacular 'Texas Flag' scheme and the Fury was christened appropriately as the "Spirit of Texas", Race #105. Stew and the "Spirit of Texas" have appeared in numerous airshows throughout the USA over the past few years and is also a regular unlimited racer at the Reno National Championship Air Races.

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