Hot rod in the air off topic

WZ JUNK · April 24, 2005, 07:34:39 PM

This plane is out of the local airport and is used in air shows around the country. Look closely between the wheels. I have always been a fan of aircraft and this one will go straight up.

47wood · April 24, 2005, 07:48:45 PM

Looks like a nice 'ole Stearman with a jet engine strapped to her! Cal

Ralph · April 24, 2005, 09:55:48 PM

Yep, that's a hot rod alright! Not really off topic at all. I want a ride!!
Ralph

Charlie Chops 1940 · April 24, 2005, 10:17:26 PM

Knowing that's a tough old airframe. Bet it's a RIDE. Never flown in a open cockpit plane. Was just telling Sharon the other day that I was gonna do it this summer somewhere.

Charlie

WZ JUNK · April 25, 2005, 08:12:20 AM

Quote from: "WZ JUNK"This plane is out of the local airport and is used in air shows around the country. Look closely between the wheels. I have always been a fan of aircraft and this one will go straight up.

Check these pictures out on the carnut site of the same plane in the air. Note the wing walker who I believe is the pilots son. http://carnut.com/photo/planes/_plnsm41.html

Ohio Blue Tip · April 25, 2005, 10:15:14 AM

There was one of them performing at last years Muskegon Air Fair, not sure if it was the same plane, but it's performance was assume, pure HOT ROD.

flt-blk · April 26, 2005, 03:22:48 PM

I am going to suggest that is a smoke generator, not a jet engine.

47wood · April 26, 2005, 05:28:30 PM

Yer right ...that could be a smoke generator. Cal

purplepickup · April 26, 2005, 05:51:30 PM

He's almost always at the air show during the annual Battle Creek Balloon festival in July. Once he raced Les Shockley in the Shock Wave Peterbilt. As he flies over Shockley out on a runway, they both nail it. I was real close to the runway and it was really something. That Peterbilt and the plane are both fast.

Here's a little bit about the plane. It's owned by Jimmy Franklin from Neosho, MO. It's a 1940 Waco with a T-38 (J-85) jet engine along with the 450 hp Pratt & Whitney radial prop engine. With both engines turning the Jet Waco puts out over 4500 pounds of thrust at over 2000 horsepower. His son, Kyle, is the wing walker.

WZ JUNK · April 26, 2005, 06:32:08 PM

Quote from: "purplepickup"He's almost always at the air show during the annual Battle Creek Balloon festival in July. Once he raced Les Shockley in the Shock Wave Peterbilt. As he flies over Shockley out on a runway, they both nail it. I was real close to the runway and it was really something. That Peterbilt and the plane are both fast.

Here's a little bit about the plane. It's owned by Jimmy Franklin from Neosho, MO. It's a 1940 Waco with a T-38 (J-85) jet engine along with the 450 hp Pratt & Whitney radial prop engine. With both engines turning the Jet Waco puts out over 4500 pounds of thrust at over 2000 horsepower. His son, Kyle, is the wing walker.

Shockley is or was local too. I have not seen much of them lately but at one time they were out of Galena, Kansas about 20 miles from here. I wonder what that Peterbilt would do on the salt ?

SKR8PN · April 26, 2005, 06:49:13 PM

About 6 years ago,there was a fellow with a Waco up on Put-In-Bay island selling rides. He had the front seat modified to seat two people and he flew it from the back seat. Willy and I bought the last ride of the day,and I have to tell you,that was the best and the smoothest airplane ride I have EVER had the pleasure of experiencing. If you ever get the opportunity to take a ride like that,DO IT,without hesitation. Flying out over Lake Erie in the early evening is something to behold......................

purplepickup · April 26, 2005, 06:57:31 PM

Quote from: "WZ JUNK"I wonder what that Peterbilt would do on the salt ?

It's supposed to go over 350 mph. We've got a military airport with a long runway and they said he was going over 300mph here. I don't know if that's true or not but I * near got whiplash watching him go by. It's weird to see a big blocky truck like that go so fast.

WZ JUNK · July 11, 2005, 07:10:28 AM

Quote from: "WZ JUNK"This plane is out of the local airport and is used in air shows around the country. Look closely between the wheels. I have always been a fan of aircraft and this one will go straight up.

My wife just told me she saw on the national news that the pilot of this plane, Jimmy Franklin, was killed yesterday (Sunday) during an air show somewhere in Canada. According to the news Jimmy and another local pilot were doing a mock dogfight when the accident occurred. He was an incredible pilot.

purplepickup · July 11, 2005, 07:32:36 AM

Wow, that is really bad news. :cry: We just saw him over the 4th of July weekend at an airshow in Battle Creek during their annual Balloon Festival.

He really did some amazing flying but very much daredevil type stuff. He'd use the jet engine to climb straight up then roll and fly straight to the ground with the prop engine roaring, then at the last minute pull it out and the jet engine would kick in to climb again...just a few feet off the ground. There wasn't any room for error. He was definitely a crowd pleaser. As I stood there watching him, I was thinking what a thrill that must be. The grandkids didn't understand what the plane really was but they said he was one of their favorite parts of the show.

Cword · July 11, 2005, 02:18:11 PM

The crash happend yesterday at CFB Moose Jaw about a 6 hour drive east of here.

CREDIT: Troy Fleece, CanWest News Service
Two members of the X-Team, Bobby Younkin and Jimmy Franklin, were performing in the Masters of Disaster show when their planes crashed, at left, and fell to the ground in flames, above, Sunday at CFB Wing Moose Jaw.

There's a story to go with the photos at
http://www.canada.com/calgary/calgaryherald/news/story.html?id=b7b26d7f-b1c7-4e72-bd92-715e67b8d59d

here's the text

Two pilots die in mid-air crash at show
Masters of Disaster program goes horribly wrong

Barb Pacholik
CanWest News Service; with files from The Associated Press

Monday, July 11, 2005

An air show dedicated to a fallen Snowbird pilot spun into further tragedy Sunday as horrified spectators watched two planes crash and explode in mid-air, killing their civilian pilots.

The crash occurred about 4:20 p.m. -- 15 minutes into a half-hour, daredevil flying show titled "Masters of Disaster" by the X-Team on the second day of the Saskatchewan Centennial 2005 Air Show.

Gerry Carline was one of the thousands of spectators watching the stunts and snapping pictures as the Waco, piloted by Jimmy Franklin, and a Samson, piloted by Bobby Younkin, crashed during a daring manoeuvre involving three small propeller aircraft. Franklin's plane had been customized with a jet engine strapped below its fuselage.

"I was watching through the lens, and all of a sudden there was a fireball," Carline said.

"They were coming at each other and just collided."

After the initial explosion, one fiery plane fell to the ground at CFB Wing Moose Jaw, followed by the other.

Officials confirmed about two hours later that two civilian pilots had been killed, but did not release their names.

"We are deeply saddened by this tragedy," said Clive Tolley, executive director of the Saskatchewan Centennial 2005 Air Show. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the two pilots."

Family members of the pilots, including Franklin's son Kyle -- who had earlier performed a "wing walker" act with his father -- were among the spectators. Kyle found himself in the announcer's booth to assist in describing the show when the crash occurred. One woman, whom some in the crowd identified as one of the pilot's wives, collapsed.

For mere seconds, some spectators wondered if the scene was part of the act, which includes a jet-powered truck spewing a flame. But wonder and hope quickly gave way to reality, and a hush fell over the audience.

Some in the crowd, which organizers had expected to number 20,000, wiped away tears. Others simply bowed their heads.

"I just said a prayer," said Margot Doiron.

The dumbstruck announcer told everyone to remain calm, that emergency personnel were taking care of matters, and suggested they take their children out for a snack.

But within minutes, an announcement was made that the show was over, and people were asked to kindly leave the base.

The famous Snowbirds, expected to honour one of their members who died in a training accident last winter, had been scheduled to perform after Masters of Disaster.

The crash was one of two air show double fatalities Sunday. Two small planes practising for an air show collided Sunday above Delaware Bay, killing at least one of the pilots, Delaware state police said.

Rescue crews retrieved one body and divers searched the waters near Cape Henlopen State Park for the other pilot until evening, but were unable to locate the plane's wreckage, police said.

The two had been part of a six-plane formation of experimental "homemade kit" planes that took off from Sussex County Airport in Georgetown.