But while he could never achieve the Japanese manga character’s power of jet flight, the animation did spark his passion for all things aeronautic.
With a deep-rooted ambition to be at the controls of a military fighter jet, Mr Burton from Wetherill Park applied to become a pilot with the Royal Australian Airforce but his dreams were crushed when he discovered he had a colour vision problem.
So, he turned to the next best thing: studying aerospace engineering, landing a job with world renowned aircraft makers Boeing/Hawker de Havilland and ultimately designing his own high performance aerobatic jet aircraft.
So unique is the SJ1672A (the moniker stands for Super Jet, Mr Burton’s birthdate followed by ‘A’ for the first version) that Mr Burton patented his design which he believes will revolutionise the private aviation and motor sport air racing markets.
But first he needs to take the concept from the drawing board to development and he is seeking the assistance of a start-up company to get him there.
“I have worked on the aircraft mainly from an engineering perspective. I now need to work with a team of people with different skills to take it to the marketplace,” Mr Burton said of his quest to find pilots, entrepreneurs, marketing professionals, engineers and investors to come on board.
After resigning from his post as an aerospace engineer at Boeing/Hawker de Havilland, Mr Burton started Terence Jets to concentrate on his invention full time.
With the help of Western Sydney based patent attorney Andre Meyer of Myer West IP, he recently secured a provisional patent safeguarding the significant engineering data behind his detailed 3D digital mock-up.
“Over the next 12 months I want to strategically explore and pursue the commercial viability of the aircraft,” Mr Burton said.
This includes pitching his aircraft to the people behind Red Bull Air Racing which is known around the world for its adrenaline charged aerial challenges.
Mr Burton said the SJ1672A would modernise the motorsport of air racing because his modern and specifically designed jet aircraft has the capability to reach high speeds, long duration sustained G turns, high manoeuvrability and, of course, the very loud jet engine noise needed to enable a superior flying format.
“It will allow the top pilots in the world to showcase their skill, ability and precision as they perform to their maximum capabilities and push the limits,” he said.
The aircraft would also fill an existing gap in the private aviation market, Mr Burton said.
“For the private aviation market the idea of a high performance aerobatic jet aircraft has been around for a long time but so far this has not been realised due to high costs, poor design, and large size,” he said.
Mr Burton’s jet aircraft has been specifically designed so that it has the capabilities of a high performance military jet fighter but at a fraction of the cost to manufacture as a conventional aircraft.
It has been a hard slog for Mr Burton to get the SJ1672A to where it is today but that hasn’t perturbed him.
“Once I have the team I need I know I will be on my way,” he said.
“It’s automatic in me to keep going. I think about this all the time. It is always inside me and I haven’t reached a point where I can’t go forward.
“If I came to a point where no one was interested, if I let it go, of course I would disappointed but I could live with that. But I couldn’t live with knowing I didn’t try everything first.”
And if the aircraft does take off, Mr Burton said he would gain his pilot’s licence so as to be the first person to fly his invention.
“To fly something I have designed, to hear the engine come to life, that would be a dream,” he said.
To contact Terry Burton, visit www.terencejets.com
