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  • Not quite the same pioneer as Britten but equally as adept at making do with what he had to hand:

    Ken Warby - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ken_Warby

    He's held the water speed record since the 70's in a boat built with hand tools on his driveway. Tried buying a jet engine from the US air force and they told him it was too secret so he bought an older one that had been scrapped and "rebuilt" it.

    Didn't have any tools that could repair the damaged turbine blades or any that could even grind/shape them so he smashed the damaged blades out with a hammer and cold chisel then smashed the opposite blades to try and balance it up.

    Then strapped himself into the thing and did 300 mph on water, plenty have tried to break it since but no one has managed.

  • Didn't have any tools that could repair the damaged turbine blades or any that could even grind/shape them so he smashed the damaged blades out with a hammer and cold chisel then smashed the opposite blades to try and balance it up.

    Weight reduction. :)

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