Miss Merced was delivered to RCN as WG567 and brought on charge on August 28, 1951.

Ending service on February 8, 1957, it was owned by Robert P. Vanderveken, Pierrefords, Quebec, from September 1961-1965 and registered as CF-VAN.

Owned by Michael D. Carroll, Long Beach, CA, 1965-1969, it was registered as N878M and modifed as racer. Military equipment removed, airframe lightened. Outer wing panels clipped (removing 6.5 ft. total). Small bubble canopy installed.

The first race appearance was at Reno 1966. It was flown as race #87/”Signal Sea Fury” by Lyle Shelton.

Owned by Sherman Cooper, Merced, CA, 1969-1972, it flew as Race #87/Miss Merced.

Reno – 1970 – Unlimited Class – Hawker Siddeley Sea Fury FB Mk.11 (#87) “Miss Merced” (N878M) William (Sherm) Cooper Finished 3rd (Gold) Speed 412.583 mph

It nosed over during forced landing after engine failure near Mojave, CA, November 13, 1971.

Frank C. Sanders, Chino, CA, acquired the wreck in 1980-1981, who sold to James A. Mott, South Gate, CA, in 1984. It was rebuilt at Chino, 1984-1988 and flew as race #42/Super Chief.

Stephen Bolander and Jim Michaels/J&S Aviation, Oconomowoc, WI, owned N878M March 24, 1999-2002, trucking it from Chino to Ione, CA for restoration. Fitted with Wright R-3350 and additional racing mods. First flight, Ione, CA, March 2000, and flown as race #87/Miss Merced.

Owned by Eric Woelbing, Franksville, WI, July 21, 2003-2004. Flown as race #87/Miss Merced. Based at Kenosha Airport, WI.

Conceived by John Dilley and Tom Kelley of Fort Wayne Air Service, Indiana, an experienced aerodynamics team was assembled to design the aircraft, which was to be based on a P-51D Mustang fuselage from a crash wreck and a new wing (without tip tanks) from an executive Lear Jet. The type is generally known as the Learstang by Unlimited class racing afficionados. The Lear mainplane was mated to the Mustang fuselage and the aircraft also utilised the Lear’s swept horizontal stabiliser. The engine was specially designed and initially Jack Hovey built the special racing Merlin but the task was later taken on by Fort Wayne Air Service’s own Merlin shop

Vendetta
Length: 9.83 m (32 ft 3 in)
Powerplant: 1 x Rolls-Royce Merlin 622, about 2423 kW (3,250 hp)
Max TO weight: about 3289 kg (7,250 lb)
Max speed: 480+ mph at low altitude

This Unlimited racer evolved as a direct result of John Sandberg and Bruce Boland. Both had been involved in the world’s fastest motor sport for the last 25 years, Boland as a design aerodynamicist with Lockheed’s advanced projects’ engineering department, and Sandberg as a powerplant specialist and accomplished pilot. His engine shop, JRS Enterprises, rebuilds Merlin and Allison inline engines for warbirds, though its speciality is the larger radial powerplants. When discussions began on the design and construction of a custom-built Unlimited in the early 1970s, a lightweight, Allison-powered racer was envisaged. However, as the project evolved and both men put their considerable input into the design, a slightly larger and racey-looking Merlin-powered aeroplane emerged.

Tsunami first flew in 1986.

Tsunarni
Powerplant: l x hybrid Merlin based on the Packard V-1650-7 with elements of the Rolls-Royce Merlin 624 and 724, 2684 kW (3,600 hp)
Max speed: 500+ mph at low altitude