Tsunami as it appeared right before its
ill-fated 1989 World Speed Record
attempt and miraculous, four-day rebuild
effort in Wendover, Utah.Gary Watts
Key Takeaways:
Tsunami was a pioneering, custom-built race plane, designed by top aeronautical engineers to achieve unprecedented speeds (over 500 mph) and break world records.
Despite its immense potential, its racing career was a series of "almosts" and calamities, plagued by mechanical failures, bad luck, and continuous, often counterproductive, modifications by its owner.
The plane tragically crashed, killing its owner Jack Sandberg, but it remains a significant symbol of innovative gumption and ambition, with efforts now underway to rebuild its likeness for a museum.
The Greeks would have had a name for it, I imagine. Not quite a full tragedy, because there were moments of greatness. But it’s a complex memory that I still can’t easily categorize. So when my friend Pat called and asked what should have been a couple of simple questions, I had no easy or adequate words with which to answer.
“Do you remember Tsunami?” she asked.
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