Other Aircraft
Updated:
1/24/10
Other Aircraft
Updated:
1/24/10
John R Sandberg - BIO
Note: If you have high speed internet (it is 88 mb in size), watch an episode about John R Sandberg and the Tsunami. It was part of a 1989 TV show called "Hidden Heroes". The video is done as streaming video in Apple's Quicktime format.
Check out the Tsunami History page for more information related to John's history with Tsunami. You can see the NTSB report of the crash that ended the life of John R. Sandberg and his Tsunami in September of 1991 by clicking here.
What follows is a biography as written by John's daughter, Sharon Sandberg.
John Sandberg was my father. To me he was a man that taught me many lessons throughout my life. When things did not go as expected he had a way of looking at you and you just knew you were in for it, or when you least expected it, he asked you unexpectedly "Did you have a good time?"
He had a passion for life, he believed in doing things right the first time or you don’t do them at all.
He was known in the family as Dad, JR, Grandpa, Jack and Sandy (from his earlier years).
When the decision came on where to hold a proper memorial for Dad, the only one logical place was in the Eagles Hangar at Oshkosh. In the Memorial tape that EAA provided for the family, the following was said about Dad from his friends:
Paul Poberezny (Pope): He achieved higher standards, set a goal many would never attempt to do. He was involved with many aviation organizations and gave of himself freely.
Uncle Jim (James D. Sandberg): Jack was the head of the household from the age of 8 – 10 when his own
Father was hospitalized for an extended period. He always had a great
knowledge of mechanical ability. All of his life he was involved with
speed. In 1950 he joined and helped start the national drag racing
association in Minnesota. He was a “Hell” raiser at school.
Jim Blomgren (Son-in- Law): married to Linda Sandberg: (oldest daughter): The day after the crash at
Wendover, UT (during the 3km speed run) Jim met Jack at the hangar to load parts
into the MU-2; Jim asked “Could they possible put this aircraft back together again?
Jack stated that he had to try because of all of the people out in Wendover.
George Timmerman (Long Time friend): Jack was a friend, generous, helpful, loyal, he was determined, he was intense, he was unique, he was charismatic, he was dedicated, he was a task master, he was extraordinary achiever. In 1989 Jack may not have broken the 3 km record; but he did achieve his goal: To build the fastest homebuilt piston prop plane in the world – this was proven by the speeds at Reno the last two years. Side note: as of today (2009), there still has not been a race as fast and furious as the Gold race of 1991 where speeds exceeded an average of 480 mph.
Gary Levitz (Long Time Friend): There was John Sandberg of the world and “Jack” Sandberg of MN, and
there was a difference. When a person needed a friend, John Sandberg
was there 100%. Gary associated John with shiny metal, the smell
of musty air, burnt brakes from long ago and hydraulic fluid; everything
that makes these warbirds fly.
Dennis Bradley (Canadian Heritage Warplanes): Jack left his mark in Aviation.
Ralph Royce: When Jack was your friend, he was your friend. He was a engineering
genius. JR was sometimes a mother^!#@*%. At times he could be
as stubborn as a mule; plus some. He was
extremely generous man. At that time (1991), JR was, and still is, the
single largest donor for the CAF. He helped establish their wings and
service program for their aircrafts. Few men were as generous with their resources
and their knowledge as Jack. He was forthright with strong integrity.
Jack said what he saw. His word was his bond. His hand shake was his commitment and if Jack told you something it was fact and you could
take it to the bank.
What would Jack say today if he was here? Let's get on with the
program. Let's do it right. Let's strike out on new paths and have fun while we are doing it. He flew so high he just couldn't come down.
Dad started in aviation in the early 50's. It was a natural step going from race cars to airplanes. In the early part of 1960, he and his brother Jim found an F6F Hellcat pushed back in the weeds in Fergus Falls. He was told by the guy on the property, if they could get it started it was his. Dad and Jim made numerous trips up to Fergus Falls to work on the derelict aircraft.
Several months later the Hellcat arrived at the Crystal Airport with her windshield broken; battered wings, tires that needed to be thrown away, etc. They completely restored this aircraft and painted her red. In 1965, Dad experienced engine failure over what is now 169 and Bass Lake Road in New Hope, MN. He landed in a field, which is now an industrial park. Realizing halfway through on rollout that there was a berm coming up fast, he had to try and stop the plane. In trying to stop, he ended up ground looping the aircraft causing it to roll over completely. Between Jim digging on the dirt outside and Jack on the inside of the canopy, they finally got him out but the aircraft was badly damaged. The brothers restored the aircraft again to a shiny black color scheme. In the late 60's the aircraft was donated to the CAF in Harlingen and you can still see her flying at some of the airshows around the country. By then he had a new interest the P-63 King Cobra. He had the racing bug. Mom and him had gone out to one of the first races in Reno and this bug picked him up and swooped him off. Originally he was going to race formulas but the noise and the sound of the big iron attracted him.
The cobra was another complete re-build. She was ready to go in the summer of 1969. She was a shiny all metal aircraft. Her engine, an Allison, was produced from the newly founded company "Metma Aircraft's Inc", later to be known as JRS Enterprises. The test flight was scheduled for Friday Morning, two months prior to the Reno Air Races. Jack taxied his beautiful aircraft over to Maxwell's the night before to fuel her. That night they were using 32L & 32R at Crystal, MN. Dad couldn't wait for Friday morning. He called the tower for a straight out departure. He powered his machinery up and started on roll out with his flaps one notch down. He lifted off. He went to move his flaps into an up position only going too far. The emergency gear switch was directly above the flap switch. His gears fell down and he was going in. He managed to land between two apartment complexes on the north side of the airport, shearing off his wings as he took out the telephone poles. The engine came forward pushing into his back. He walked away with only a few minor scratches, but his dream to race that year was gone. Most of the damage done to the aircraft was by the wrecker that came to pick the aircraft up that night. Over the next two years it was a major rebuild of the aircraft. The cobra with a bright orange/red paint scheme finally made it to Reno in 1971. Over a seven year period it was reported that over 33 engines were built for this aircraft.
The P-63 King Cobra was named into her third season of racing "Tipsy Miss" from the alcohol fuel that they were testing. It was too hard to control the aircraft. In 1977 Jack sold the aircraft.
It was shortly before the first incident with the Cobra that the FAA contacted Jack to start an aircraft engine shop in the Minneapolis, MN, area. They were impressed with his mechanical ability and gave him cart blanch to move forward with the first aircraft engine shop in the Minneapolis, MN, area.
In 1979 at the Tonopah speed record of the Red Barron, is when Bruce Boland and Jack Sandberg put their dream together. According to Bruce, this was more Jack’s dream than his. He wanted a private pilot to hold the 3km speed record and to dominate the air racing circuit. Bruce and Dad were not strangers with each other. Bruce had helped over the years with all of the calculations of the new designs of the King Cobra. It took 9 years before Tsunami would take to the skies.
During the period they were building Tsunami on the west coast, Jack went racing with a P-51 named "Tipsy Too". This P-51 was the testing ground for all of the new engine modifications that were going to be installed into Tsunami. This P-51 had a engine out failure in the eighties at Reno. The pilot landed Tipsy Too in the out lying fields at Stead Airport. Jack rebuilt Tipsy Too painted her a bright red color scheme and ended selling her to Gary Levitz. This aircraft was renamed "Miss Ashley" and continued to be the testing ground for all new modifications to the engines that were put into Tsunami.
Besides the air racing facet of Jack's life; he also had a strong business side. He was well known in both the aviation industry and the precision machine shop industry.
Jack's life was racing. He raced cars, boats, planes; anything that went fast. Out of all of this, he was to achieve his dream. To build the fastest aircraft in the world. (see Tsunami's History).
Jack left his legacy; to push the envelope in all that you do. (11/9/31 - 09/25/91).
Sharon Sandberg