Today’s Top AircraftForSale Pick: 1951 Hawker Sea Fury ‘Furias’

Well-known Reno racer was a runner-up to ‘Dreadnaught’ in the 1986 Gold race.

Pilots who are interested in Unlimited Class competition have a chance to own a Hawker Sea Fury with a Reno air race history.
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Key Takeaways:

  • Today's Top Pick is "Furias," a 1951 Hawker Sea Fury Mk II with a significant history as a Reno Air Race fixture.
  • The aircraft, campaigned by Lloyd Hamilton, finished second in the 1986 Gold race and topped qualifiers in 2012 before a landing gear mishap.
  • Originally a Royal Australian Navy fighter, it's heavily modified with a Pratt & Whitney R-4360 "Wasp Major" engine and racing enhancements, and is available for $375,000 for restoration or competition.
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Each day, the team at Aircraft For Sale picks an aircraft that catches our attention because it is unique, represents a good deal, or has other interesting qualities. You can read Aircraft For Sale: Today’s Top Pick at FLYINGMag.com daily.

Today’s Top Pick is a 1951 Hawker Sea Fury Mk II

With the final running of the National Championship Air Races in Reno, Nevada, coming up September 13-17, it seems like a good time to point out a longtime Reno racer that is on the market.

Furias, campaigned by veteran race pilot Lloyd Hamilton during the 1980s, was a fixture at Reno for many years and finished second in the 1986 Gold race. After posting the top qualifying time during the 2012 Reno races, the aircraft sustained damage when its landing gear collapsed and it skidded off the runway. Furias is looking for a new owner to get it back into the air and back to competition.

Originally flown by the Royal Australian Navy, the aircraft was imported into the U.S. during the 1970s. Sea Furies were advanced piston-engine fighters that arrived too late for World War II but have been popular as modified air racers. Early on, Furias traded its original Bristol radial engine for a Pratt & Whitney R-4360, known as the Wasp Major. With four rows of cylinders, the engine also earned the nickname “corn cob.”

This Sea Fury has several racing modifications, including anti-detonation injection, or ADI, a boil-off oil cooling system, and telemetry. Its panel includes a Garmin GPS, transponder and an oxygen system.

Aircraft enthusiasts interested in racing, historic aircraft, warbirds, or classic restoration should take a look at this unique machine, which is available for $375,000 on AircraftForSale.

You can arrange financing of the airplane through FLYING Financial Group. For more information, email info@flyingfinancial.com.

Jonathan Welsh

Jonathan Welsh is Lead Editor of Aviation Consumer and a private pilot who worked as a reporter, editor and columnist with the Wall Street Journal for 21 years, mostly covering the auto industry. His passion for aviation began in childhood with balsa-wood gliders his aunt would buy for him at the corner store. Follow Jonathan on Twitter @JonathanWelsh4

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