The RJ-5 became one of the most famous gliders ever built when Johnson flew it 535 mi (861 km) in 1951, setting a new world distance record that endured for 13 years.
The aircraft utilizes a NACA 63 (2)-615 laminar flow airfoil and was one of the first gliders to achieve a 40:1 glide ratio.
Johnson took delivery of it, finishing work on it at Mississippi State University, and incorporated some design changes of his own.
The aircraft was later sold to Dietrich Ennult and Rolf Bayer who modified it with a retractable monowheel landing gear from a Schweizer 1-34 and dive brakes, which somewhat lowered the performance.
Carris's second-place finish in 1963 was just 8 points behind the aircraft's former owner, Dick Johnson, who was flying a Slingsby Skylark 4.