Warbird Information Exchange

Got this from the EAA e-mail newsletter and thought it might be of interest.

I'm sure that I'm not the only one that thinks it would be cool to see it flying around the pylons at Reno before it gets permanently parked.

Gary

I didn't realize there was enough left of the aircraft to begine a rebuild?

This has been going on for years.............just has been brought back into the lime light again.

There is a significant chunk left to rebuild, AND most all of the tooling is still there.

Would really like to see everything sold off to someone who would rebuild/build a new Tsunami and get back into airracing.

I keep hoping someone with really deep pockets would step up ans pay to restore the original with the agreement they get to use the drawings, jigs etc to build another one to go race with.

I live just 6 miles from Sharon, Duane and "Tsunami". I have been all over it a few times and have a few items "lost" in the lower areas that are out of reach where it is stored. It is still a rebuildable plane. As mentioned most of the jigs and patterns etc are still with it.

If my Corsair sells I might get involved with this project. This is a much easier plane to rebuild than a Corsair!

Pirate Lex
http://www.BrewsterCorsair.com

_________________
An ego is no match for gravity.

Had an absolute blast today!

We pulled the fuselage of Tsunami out in the daylight. We sorted through crates of tooling, fixtures and jigs to rebuild her. Virtually all of the original tooling (as shown in the articles in Sport Aviation) is with it. It is very straight forward construction, with few compound curves (unlike a Corsair). This is doable.

She will fly again.http://www.RebuildTsunami.org

Pirate Lex
http://www.BrewsterCorsair.com

_________________
An ego is no match for gravity.

Any pictures you can post? The website is down.

I took some photos today, but I will let Sharon and Duane do the posting of any they want to make public.

Try this one. Scroll down to speed props and pylons.
http://www.allstarwarbirds.com

Pirate Lex
http://www.BrewsterCorsair.com

_________________
An ego is no match for gravity.

Boy would I like to see this restoration happen. This was a wonderful airplane and I had several good friends involved in it at various points. It had enormous potential...

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Neal Nurmi

---Wingman Photo---

What was the result when it raced? What was its best finish, it's fastest race lap, and fastest qualifying lap? Who was the pilot.

I wasn't there in person, but I don't remember it being that successful?

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Bill Greenwood
Spitfire N308WK

When running right it was very very fast. It qualified at over 460 mph several times. Its fastest race was the legendary 1991 Gold Race where it finshed 3rd at 478 mph. IIRC this was considerably faster than any Gold Race to that time, but unfortunately Skip was running against Rare Bear and Strega at their very best that year.

Tsunami never had anywhere near the power that that Dago and Strega had with their Dwight Thorn Mouse motors. It ran with them through aerodynamics and less weight than the Mustangs.

It was raced by Steve Hinton from 1986 to 1989, and Skip Holm in 1990 and 1991.

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Neal Nurmi

---Wingman Photo---

IMHO if it were still around today with a motor comparable to the Nixon / Hughes bullet in Strega, and the systems in place to make it live, it would be as fast or faster than anything on the course today.

Neal, thanks for the info. I didn't know that Tsunami was ever over 450, it just seems that there are from time to time new type approaches to Reno, but for the most part about 3 planes are the real contenders. I did not remember that Steve flew it. Still, the idea that it would be the fastest today seems a bit of fantasy. It raced for 5 years with perhaps 2 of the 4 best pilots at Reno, and it's record was one third place. That is a lot better than the Pond (Racer?) ever did, even with the vast amount of money and all the hype and hot air on that, with such a sad ending. It was supposed to be fast, safe, and reliable, and it was none of them.

That is a tough game out at Reno. It reminds me of what Indy car racing used to be. I didn't know John Sandberg, may have met him, or Bob Pond, but I did know Rick.

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Bill Greenwood
Spitfire N308WK

Tsunami was special, and she was unique. A pure racer, designed by racers. She was designed by my friend the late Bruce Boland, who was a Skunk Works aero and structures guy for decades, and was instrumental in the success of Greenamyer's Bearcat, the Red Baron, Miss Candace/Jeannie, and Dago Red/Strega. Tsunami was not innovative in the Pond Racer sense, but rather an attempt to use what was essentially Mustang technology in a much smaller envelope. There were no compromises for weight carrying, or all-round visibility, or dogfight maneuverability, or 20 year old 300 hour pilots. Her only purpose was to go fast. Steve loved racing Tsunami. and so did Skip.

Her biggest problem was the owner. Jack Sandberg was undeniably a genius and original thinker, and a nice guy to boot. He was, however an inveterate tinkerer, who never let the design stabilise. It was different each time it appeared. He also insisted on using his own engines, with all sorts of untried innovations that never seemed quite sorted out, and which simply never made anywhere near the power that Dwight's Allison rod monsters did. (Neither did anyone else's Merlins, to be fair!)

A lovely well-conceived project -- a noble effort. It's a huge shame it ended up the way it did.

She'd probably still be racing if Jack had not tried to fly her home that day, instead of waiting a week til Skip could finish the flight...

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Neal Nurmi

---Wingman Photo---