Tsunami
JRS Enterprises · United States · first flew 1986 · light aircraft
Tsunami was a purpose-built racing aircraft designed and built in the United States in the 1980s. It was powered by a Rolls-Royce Merlin engine.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Low-mounted, tapered |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 8.69 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Compact single-seat racer with a modified Rolls-Royce Merlin V-12 in the nose
- Small wing of 150 square feet with a modified NACA 63-212 airfoil
- Purpose-built racing aircraft with tractor propeller
A small racer with a wing span of 27 ft 6 in and a length of 28 ft 6 in, powered by a Merlin V-12 of about 3,500 hp.
Specifications
- The Tsunami has a length of 8.69 m (29 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 8.38 m (27 ft).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
After six years of building it first flew on 17 August 1986, flown by Steve Hinton. It was designed to break the 3 km world speed record for propeller-driven aircraft by a private pilot and to compete in the Unlimited class at the Reno Air Races.
Variants
Only one was built. It was originally a light-weight racer with a single-stage supercharged Merlin, later fitted with a higher-powered two-stage supercharged Merlin.
Where you'll see it
In its racing career from 1986 to 1991 it won one Unlimited Gold Race, at Sherman, Texas in 1990. A record attempt in August 1989 failed when the landing gear collapsed. Its designer John Sandberg was killed in it on 25 September 1991.
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