Tsunami construction photos

[BEARCLAW777]

Re: Tsunami construction photos

i would watch it i am a huge tsunami fan in fact the pale got me in to air racing and i haven't looked back i would love to see the rebuild process

[ebutner]

Re: Tsunami construction photos

Would we be interested?..... Well h#ll yes we would!

So my friends father is a television producer. He pitched me an idea for a show that he wants to bring to the networks. The concept is to follow the building of Tsunami, getting her to Reno in 2011 and finally going after the speed record.

I would like to hear your input on the concept? Would people be interested in watching it? Do you have any other ideas for the direction of a show?

I look forward to the feedback,

John Bjornstad

[3dWrightBrother]

Re: Tsunami construction photos

Second that H*ll Yes-

[Race 29]

Re: Tsunami construction photos

I'll third that H*ll yeah! Just as long as Jessie James isn't involved!

[LittleJR]

Re: Tsunami construction photos

A question for all the builders out there.

I want to start building Tsunami's longerons, but I can't find the material stocked anywhere. I am looking for 7075 T6 ANGLE 3"x3"x3/16 and they have to be a minimum of 10' long. Does anyone know where to find it? Or do I have to special order the material?

[Box A35]

Re: Tsunami construction photos

I called a neighbor of mine who used to work at Boeing in Seattle. He said the supplier below would likely have that.

Transtar Metals
20826 68th Avenue South, Kent, WA 98032-2303
(425) 251-8550

[Randy Haskin]

Re: Tsunami construction photos

A question for all the builders out there.

I want to start building Tsunami's longerons, but I can't find the material stocked anywhere. I am looking for 7075 T6 ANGLE 3"x3"x3/16 and they have to be a minimum of 10' long. Does anyone know where to find it? Or do I have to special order the material?

Is that what the longerons were made of? Not extrusions like in the Mustang?

[LittleJR]

Re: Tsunami construction photos

I'm not familiar with the mustangs material, but yeah it's 7075 angle.

Thanks Box A35,

I actually tried calling Castle Metals this morning, their parent company. However they have not got back to me, so I left Transtar a message as well. Hopefully they can find it.

[LittleJR]

Re: Tsunami construction photos

I took a few pictures of the longerons today and wanted to see what you guys think.

The original longerons consist of two 7075 angle 3x1 1/2x 3/16 riveted together by a 3x3/16 plate. If I was to replace the original with an extruded channel (same dimensions)...would they have a similar strength?

[kiwiracefan]

Re: Tsunami construction photos

Little JR, this is an amazing thread.. The pics of the Longerons show the detail and thought that went into building Tsunami...

[Race5]

Re: Tsunami construction photos

I took a few pictures of the longerons today and wanted to see what you guys think.

The original longerons consist of two 7075 angle 3x1 1/2x 3/16 riveted together by a 3x3/16 plate. If I was to replace the original with an extruded channel (same dimensions)...would they have a similar strength?

If it were me, I wouldn't dare make a change in construction like that without consulting a few qualified engineers.

[LittleJR]

Re: Tsunami construction photos

If it were me, I wouldn't dare make a change in construction like that without consulting a few qualified engineers.

Ha...That's why I'm asking you guys. I ask dumb questions, and you protect me from making stupid mistakes.

[BuckyD]

Re: Tsunami construction photos

Hi John-

Just f/ref.- Tiernay Metals was taken over by Trans-Star Metals some years ago & then a couple years ago was bought by Castle Metals & is still the mfg. source for aerospace aluminum extrustions. I've dealt w/the Kent, Wa. branch thru all the company transitions for both my job at the seaplane airline & f/the lengthy & complicated Grumman Goose restoration I've been ramrodding & they are an expert & invaluable resource w/great service. The previous contact ref. was a good one & here 'tis again:

Castle Metals Aerospace
20826 68th Avenue South
Kent, Wa. 98032
1-800-421-1133 / Fax: (253-854-7401

Ask for- Heidi Frederick / Sales Dept.

The orig. Tiernay & later Trans-Star product catalogs are prized refs. for extrusion profiles, shapes, dimensional specs. & part numbers (especially the Tiernay catalog, which includes most of the vintage Alcoa & Kaiser Aluminum Co. die numbers).

DBD

[Skyracer]

Re: Tsunami construction photos

Here's a link to Castle Metals. They have the Transtar catalog online; http://www.transtarmetals.com/zcSite...lic/index.html

[LittleJR]

Re: Tsunami construction photos

It's been awhile since I gave you guys an update...

I just got back from a long weekend in California. On saturday I went to the Planes of Fame Air-show. The flying was amazing and just being in that atmosphere was inspiring. It gave me a little kick in the butt and I can't wait to start working on the plane again. During the show I was able to meet some of the original Tsunami crew and got the chance to talk to Brian Sanders and Steve Jr. You could see it in their eyes how special the plane really was to them.

On Sunday I drove up to Calabasas and had lunch with Tsunami pilot Skip Holm. It was incredible listening to the stories he had with my Grandpa and some extremely close calls he had in Tsunami. Skip was very supportive of the project and is going to do what he can to get the aircraft completed.

One story he told me about was when they were doing flutter tests up in St Cloud, MN a month before Reno 91. Skip said he would go to about 10,000' roll inverted, dive straight down and push the throttle full. When he got to 600 + knots he would release the controls and hit the stick as hard as he could to get the plane to vibrate. He was doing this all day until the last time the right elevator ripped off the plane and the left one broke along with the 1 1/2" actuator rod. At that point he was barreling straight down starring at a corn field. He radioed Jack and told him his situation, Jack told him to get out. The canopy wouldn't open and the trim wouldn't respond.

All Skip could think about was his fathers farm and how pissed he would be if someone crashed in his field. Emergency vehicles would be scaling every inch trying to find him while plowing down all of the crops and destroying the harvest.

Finally he got the electric trim to work and was able to pull out twenty feet above the field. Jack got back on the radio and insisted that he jump out and that it was only an airplane. Skip radioed the tower and declared an emergency landing, Immediately Jack radioed the tower from the ground "39JR bailing out 2 miles south of the field" the tower said "who is bailing out and who is landing?" Skip responded "the guy in the airplane is landing"

Skip was able to land the aircraft safely, but Jack was pissed. He screamed a little, jumped in his MU2 and left Skip stranded at the airport for 7 hours before coming back to get him.