8/2/2003: Jet-powered biplane

What could be crazier than putting a couple of jet engines on an authentic 1937 Waco biplane?



Having a wingwalker climb up on top of it while you're flying it.

The pilot here is Jimmy Franklin, and I had to look for images of him after hearing that this plane had been sighted by excited aviation folks at Oshkosh this year. There are a lot of shots of this guy and his wingwalkers because apparently they do their thing at air shows and get a lot of excitement.

Remember, you don't get a Darwin award if you live.

Photo credits: 1, Bill Van Pelt; 2, Rich Kolasa

Nice job UT.
So this guy is using a jet engine to turn the prop on his Waco. I guess the smoke is for effect. He must have been a crop duster that inhaled a lot of chemicals. Wait till Tom Ridge gets a load of this rig.
Since you'll have no IotD tomorrow, will you put up a thread so we can rag on you like last week?

Actually, it would seem he is not using the turbine engine to drive the prop. It is actually jet propelled. Crazy Missourian, this guy.

http://www.franklinairshow.com/

I initially thought the same thing, Bruce, due to the downward angle of the jet exhaust (obviously necessary to divert hot gases away from the Waco's fabric covering). I figured that would be problematic in terms of thrust vectoring, but the web page specs on the Waco seem to indicate that the jet is in addition to the Waco's normal Pratt and Whitney radial.

You're right, El. From the site it looks like when the plane is flying level the pipe follows the upward sweep of the bottom edge. That way the exhaust isn't *that* far off straight. Of course with jet thrust, it doesn't have to be *that* far off to be trouble.

They're a threat to national security. They distract you by having a wing walker, and while you're looking up in awe, a cloud of toxic death rains down on you. Damn terrorists anyway! I'm going to go email Bush and tell him to send out a hit squad^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^Hthe military.

Quzah.

For all we know they might BE national security. On their web site , much of the info on the plane is "classified". They could be IDing air show patrons as suspects.

I wonder if the wingwalker has to take off his shoes before climbing on board?

Not to get off topic, but doesn't that silo look just like a dick?

Certainly not mine

From Yahoo:<blockquote><i>Felix Baumgartner has become the first person ever to fly across the English Channel without the benefit of an aircraft, gliding from England to France wearing only a specially designed flying suit</i></blockquote>

Does this mean we can't rag on UT for no image today?

I just thought I'd help out.

Quote:

Originally posted by xoxoxoBruce Certainly not mine

Re: 8/2/2003: Jet-powered biplane