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Authors note: This material is taken from a manuscript I am preparing for a biography of Russell A. Hosler and as such is covered by Copyright. I therefore authorize no reproduction of this material by any means.
As a young boy I spent considerable time at Russell Hosler's home in Rocky River, a suburb of Cleveland, Ohio during the summers of 1946-1949. My dad was a close friend of Russ, a Huntington, Indiana native and they both shared a love of airplanes and airplane racing. Russ was looking for a plane to sponsor in the postwar National Air Races, which were held annually at Cleveland.
I was also in love with airplanes and in Russ's driveway was an airplane whose history came to be an obsession with me. The airplane was a racing plane built by Russ during the late 1930's and early 40's. The nose of this bright red airplane was adorned with yellow lettering "Hosler Fury" and it carried registration number NX14Y in black. I spent hours without end crawling all over, around, under, and inside this airplane. In my young mind I flew it to victory in many air races.
Sometimes we don't do things the easy way. Such was my quest for information about the Fury. I remember sitting and listening as my dad and Russ talked about the Fury but to my everlasting regret I never asked them for a detailed history of the airplane. As I grew older I began to want more information on the Fury but by then both dad and Russ had passed away. The principals being long deceased, the job of researching this airplane became much more difficult. I began looking for information from any source I could uncover. This search covered anyone locally with any knowledge of the Fury and slowly expanded to both east and west coasts of this country. Along the way I have met some people who have become good friends.
So, while this story may not be exactly gospel it is as accurate as humanly possible to make it lacking Russ's missing autobiography manuscript and input from those directly involved with these long ago events. |
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Russ Hosler and unidentified
helper work on the landing gear of the Fury. This photo was
taken at Malin Burns FBO (Fixed Base Operator) at Floyd Bennett
Airport, Long Island, New York.
Russ in the background on the
right in this photo taken at Burns shop at Floyd Bennett
Airport. I believe this is the second wing built for the Fury.
The first, built at Bridgeport, Conn. was double skinned and
probably very heavy. The young helpers are probably students
from the Brooklyn High School of Aviation Technology.
Russ on the left, and I believe
Malin Burns is on the right in this photo taken at Burn's shop
at Floyd Bennett Airport in Long Island, New York. Also present
appear to be students of the Brooklyn High School of Aviation
Technology. They are working on the Curtiss Wright D12 engine
that powered the Fury. It is reported that a more powerful
Conqueror engine replaced the D12 while the airplane was in
Huntington.
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