Awesome jet Waco.

**wonwinglo** · 19-10-2004

Take a look at this unusual jet powered biplane ! currently doing the rounds in America is this remarkable combination of piston power and jet engine,can you imagine the thrust developed by this combination ? wonder if any of the jet boys will reproduce this one just for the fun of it ?
Not sure what type of engine is fitted but it looks mighty large.

duncan · 19-10-2004

April Fool joke ? Looks like he/she is still using piston engine for smoke. I imagine the jet engine would be pretty small and what we see is 90% ducting to prevent heat affecting the rear fuselage, its tip is also angled downwards,to avoid same problem with tailplane? Only in America !!!!..."and for my next trick I will set myself on fire".

**wonwinglo** · 19-10-2004

Quote:

Originally Posted by duncan

April Fool joke ? Looks like he/she is still using piston engine for smoke. I imagine the jet engine would be pretty small and what we see is 90% ducting to prevent heat affecting the rear fuselage, its tip is also angled downwards,to avoid same problem with tailplane? Only in America !!!!..."and for my next trick I will set myself on fire".

*** Its sure for real Duncan,a friend saw her at Oshkosh and said the noise was really odd with that combination of engines,yes I spotted the angled jet pipe to avoid fabric burn up ! I have some more info on its way and will update about this Waco.
Sure is a brave guy to hang like that onto the airplane ! cannot imagine our own CAA sanctioning such a bizarre machine.
Saw the jet powered microlight last year at the World microlight rally,now that was some weird machine as well with a Turbomeca Mabore for power.

**wonwinglo** · 19-10-2004

Well this is what I have just received from my good friend-
The jet powered Waco has been around for 3 or 4 years now. it was in my Oshkosh report in Popular flying a few years back! It is owned by famous airshow performer Jimmy Franklin. The aircraft is a Waco UPF-7, but I dont know how original it is now! It has newly built wings, which probably have extra ribs and other strengthening, I guess the tail and probably fueselage is also strengthened. It is not just jet powered but has the normal radial engine as well. Im not sure if this is the standard 220hp Continental, or if it has been replaced by something like a 450hp Pratt And Whitney R-985, as fitted on many airshow Stearman such as the Crunchie team. The Jet engine is I think a J-58 out of a Northrop T-38, but I might be wrong here. The aircraft always flies with the piston engine running. I guess the Jet runs all of the time as well, although at Idle quite a lot.
The acceleration is phenominal with the Jet and the vertical climbs are out of this world! And even with a wing walker on!
Im not a big fan of aerobatic displays like the airshow at Oshkosh where you get one Pitts followed by an Extra followed by a CAP 232 and then the same again, but Jimmy Franklin has always been great to see, whether in the Jet Waco, or previosly just under piston power! He was also the demo pilot for the Denny Kitfox for a few years, quite a boring aircraft to see flying you would think, but not with Jimmy Franklin flying it!!!!
Currently he flies a solo act in the Waco, together with his son as wingwalker and he also performs as part of the "Masters of Disaster" team, which includes Bobby Younkin in the Pitts Samson (an enlarged R-985 powered version of the Pitts, originally designed in the 50s I think) someone else flying a Pitts S-2 and a guy driving a tri-jet Truck!! They all make lots of smoke and noise, its a bit more exciting than the usual Pitts displays! All the kids love it, but I dont think the CAA would approve! (actually you never know as US airshows are generally further away and less daring than UK ones)