Dates

Event

Constructed as a SNJ-4.

Taken on Strength/Charge with the United States Navy with BuNo 27849.

Taken on Strength/Charge with the Forca Aerea Portuguesa.

From 4 November 1980 to 1984

To Banaire/Arthur D. Medore, Hemet, CA with new c/r N8540Z.

From 8 September 1986 to 14 September 1986

Raced as #4, named Dash One.
Competed at the National Championship Air Races in the T-6 class. The primary pilot was David Bruce. Qualified in 1st place with an average speed of 221.474 mph. Raced in Heat 1B. Finished in 5th place with an average speed of 219.760 mph. Raced in Heat 1A. Finished in 3rd place with an average speed of 215.602 mph. Raced in the Reserve race. Finished in 1st place with an average speed of 212.845 mph.

8 September 1986

Photographer: Unknown
Notes: Photographed at the Reno Air Races.

From 14 September 1987 to 20 September 1987

Raced as #4, named Dash One.
Competed at the National Championship Air Races in the T-6 class. The primary pilot was David Bruce. Qualified in 12th place with an average speed of 215.367 mph. Raced in Heat 1B. Finished in 1st place with an average speed of 226.360 mph. Raced in Heat 2C. Finished in 1st place with an average speed of 229.166 mph. Raced in the Championship race. Finished in 6th place with an average speed of 225.658 mph.

From 1988 to 1993

To Anderson Racing Inc/Robert Mitchell and David Bruce, Belgrade, MT keeping c/r N8540Z.

6 July 1988

Certificate of airworthiness for N8540Z (SNJ-5, 88-13585-1) issued.

From 12 September 1988 to 18 September 1988

Raced as #4, named Dash One.
Competed at the National Championship Air Races in the T-6 class. The primary pilot was David Bruce. Qualified in 6th place with an average speed of 222.508 mph. Raced in Heat 1C. Finished in 2nd place with an average speed of 219.808 mph. Raced in Heat 2C. Finished in 3rd place with an average speed of 222.622 mph. Raced in the Championship race. Finished in 4th place with an average speed of 220.477 mph.

From 11 September 1989 to 17 September 1989

Raced as #4, named SLO THUNDER.
Competed at the National Championship Air Races in the T-6 class. The primary pilot was David F Bruce. Qualified in 6th place with an average speed of 220.289 mph. Raced in Heat 1C. Finished in 2nd place with an average speed of 221.171 mph. Raced in Heat 2C. Finished in 5th place with an average speed of 214.764 mph. Raced in the Consolation race. Finished in 2nd place with an average speed of 220.714 mph.

From 9 September 1991 to 15 September 1991

Raced as #55, named SLO Thunder.
Competed at the National Championship Air Races in the T-6 class. The primary pilot was David Bruce. Qualified in 12th place with an average speed of 216.695 mph. Raced in Heat 1A. Finished in 4th place with an average speed of 216.522 mph. Raced in Heat 2D. Finished in 4th place with an average speed of 188.444 mph. Raced in Heat 2C. Finished in 6th place with an average speed of 216.857 mph. Raced in the Consolation race. Finished in 3rd place with an average speed of 217.127 mph.

Circa 9 September 1991

Photographer: Charlene Aro
Notes: Photographed at the National Championship Air Races at Stead Field near Reno, NV.

From 4 July 1992 to 5 July 1992

Raced as #4, named SLO THUNDER.
Competed in the Redmond Air Races event. The primary pilot was Dave Bruce. Qualified in 1st place with an average speed of 218.076 mph. Raced in Heat 1A. Finished in 1st place with an average speed of 217.311 mph. Raced in the Championship race. Finished in 3rd place with an average speed of 214.458 mph.

From 14 September 1992 to 20 September 1992

Raced as #4, named SLO THUNDER.
Competed at the National Championship Air Races in the T-6 class. The primary pilot was David Bruce. Qualified in 6th place with an average speed of 226.561 mph. Raced in Heat 1C. Finished in 2nd place with an average speed of 222.107 mph. Raced in Heat 2C. Finished in 3rd place with an average speed of 226.956 mph. Raced in the Championship race. Finished in 5th place with an average speed of 225.216 mph.

From September 1993 to 1995

To WW2 Warbirds Inc/Ralph Twombley, Orchard Park, NY keeping c/r N8540Z.

From 13 September 1993 to 19 September 1993

Raced as #41, named Mis-Behavin.
Appeared at the National Championship Air Races to compete in the T-6 class, but did not qualify. The primary pilot was Ralph J Twombley from Wellsville, NY. Raced in Heat 1A. Finished in 4th place with an average speed of 207.087 mph. Raced in Heat 2B. Finished in 3rd place with an average speed of 221.543 mph. Raced in the Championship race. Finished in 5th place with an average speed of 218.957 mph.

From 13 September 1993 to 19 September 1993

Raced as #4.
Competed at the National Championship Air Races in the T-6 class. The primary pilot was Ralph J Twombley. Qualified in 1st place with an average speed of 230.249 mph.

From 18 March 1994 to 20 March 1994

Raced as #41, named Mis-Behavin.
Competed at the Phoenix 500 Air Races in the T-6 class. The primary pilot was Ralph J Twombley. Qualified in 5th place with an average speed of 221.194 mph. Raced in Heat 1B. Finished in 2nd place with an average speed of 222.472 mph.

From 12 September 1994 to 18 September 1994

Raced as #41, named Mis-Behavin.
Competed at the National Championship Air Races in the T-6 class. The primary pilot was Ralph J Twombley. Qualified in 12th place with an average speed of 222.079 mph. Raced in Heat 1C. Finished in 3rd place with an average speed of 219.872 mph. Raced in Heat 2B. Finished in 4th place with an average speed of 219.459 mph.

18 September 1994

Crashed.
Nick Taylor comments (16 December 2023): Collided with Race #5 Big Red N7404C at the start of the race 2 miles west of the field. Race #41 over corrected its position in a line abreast formation start and impacted the right leading edge of Race #5 then took off the left wingtip and aileron on Race #5. Race #41 lost its horizontal and vertical stabilizers, pitched upward and the left wing folded upwards. Race #41 came down in a residential yard killing pilot Ralph Twombley. Race #5 landed straight ahead on runway 8.

3 February 1998

To Westrum Enterprises Inc/Troy Westrum, Norwalk, IA keeping c/r N8540Z.

5 October 2017

Civil registration, N8540Z, cancelled.
Exported to Denmark.

5 October 2017

To unknown owner with c/r OY-.

It is unclear what became of this airframe, but it is known the identity was used to register a different airframe.
For more information about this other airframe see this Airframe Dossier