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An AeroGeek Enters the Hall of Kings
By Bob "Groucho" MarksStanding in the Hall of the Kings.
Jimmy Franklin’s turbojet augmented WACO UPF-7. Dare to be different
While the Yeager & Anderson flyby was significant from a historic standpoint, some of the other performers were outstanding through barely-controlled insanity. Taken strictly from a he’s-gotta-be-out-of-his-effing-mind standpoint, Jimmy Franklin wins. Flying a 1937 WACO UPF-7 biplane, Mr. Franklin does a routine that will make even the most jaded airshow fan giggle hysterically.
Vertical climbs to several thousand feet up, multiple loops with no loss of energy, instant changes in acceleration vectors, and other feats too impossible to mention are just another part of his routine. Granted, Jimmy’s WACO is augmented somewhat by the addition of a General Electric CJ610-6 turbojet slung underneath the big bipe (see image above). That’s the same engine used on the Learjet Model 24, and yes, it does add a bit of spice---an extra thousand pounds or so of thrust will have a tendency to do that.
But Oshkosh is much more than an airshow. It is, as I said, E3 for airplanes. OK, E3 without the glitz, lasers, and with a lot less pretty booth girls. Umm . . . maybe the E3 analogy is an imperfect one, but it works. Aircraft manufacturers---production, kit form, and plans only---are out in force. Every kind of avionics, add-on, modification, and trinket are on sale here.
It is also a statistical certainty that any random swing of a dead cat will strike a T-shirt booth. There are the food stands, although I barely qualified during the credit check necessary for buying a Polish sausage sandwich, fries, and a Coke. “OK, sir, if you’ll just go see our financial manager, he has some papers for you to sign . . .” There is a flight sim developer presence, although limited to just a couple of vendors. Wow. Maybe it’s a lot like the 2000 E3 show after all.
