This guy is GOOD!

[Niehart]

It’s a variation on the old air show “accidental pilot” act ….in this case a “drunk” …who ”inadvertently” takes off in a tail-dragger Cub whose engine is conveniently idling, and then manages to break all the laws of aerodynamics, the FAA, and sanity at the same time.

Actually, he’s an incredible stick and rudder man …..and a fair athlete as well.

https://www.franklinairshow.com/Video/Comedy%202010%20Net.WMV

 

[FJRGuy]

Impressive!

 

[ShinyPartsUp]

Wow. I hope it was his plane... :clapping:

 

[Hawkerplt]

Great video! I think that is the son of the late Jimmy Franklin . Jimmy Franklin was on the Airshow scene for many years. He had several airshow acts over the years. He flew an all black Piper Aerostar and a Waco with a JT-15D jet engine mounted on the belly. It is said that the first time Jimmy flew an airplane was when his folks went to "town" and he got his dad's plane out of the barn and went for a airplane ride!! (early teens!) He was tragically killed, along with Bobby Younkin, in a airshow accident (midair collision) in Saskatoon. They were both fantastic pilots!!

It's good to see he his son carry on his legacy. I think Bobby Younkin's son is flying airshows as well.

 

[jekirby]

Ok. For those of us who love to watch these things but don't know what kind of pre goes into stunts like this......what had to be done to the wing tips on a plane built like that to keep it from getting shredded?

 

[Checkswrecks]

Ok. For those of us who love to watch these things but don't know what kind of pre goes into stunts like this......what had to be done to the wing tips on a plane built like that to keep it from getting shredded?

The airplane's a Supercub and they just added an external rub guard like some of the old-time biplanes and barnstormers did. I'm not sure what material the Franklins use and while it has a metal color, the old-timers had no problem with wood. Also, Kyle's tips smoke white, which makes me suspect wood. He's been around a long time because he's a real pro - notice how gentle the tips contact the ground.

From the Franklin's website about this airplane:

For the most part this is a stock PA-18A Super Cub. The plane has been lightened about 25 pounds and the engine has gone from 150hp to 181hp. The engine is still the original O-320 but with higher compression pistons, a Leading Edge Exhaust System which added another 13hp by itself, and few other small modifications. The engine now has 181hp.

The Super Cub has been a longtime favorite of Franklin’s Flying Circus. This is the fifth Super Cub FFC has owned over the years. Built in 1956, it was bought in 1993 by FFC for airshowing and training purposes. The Super Cub and J-3 Cub have been essential aircraft in many FFC acts including the first motorcycle-to-airplane transfer, truck-to-airplane transfers, comedies, duel comedies, and the flaming fire-wall crash. This Cub is also the same airplane Kyle soloed in.

I'll add that their family's been doing the airshow circuit forever. I'm pretty sure it was Kyle's Dad who had a Supercub with what appeared to be a hole behind the right rear window when I worked the air races in the 70s. The hole was really a mod to the fabric, kind of like a REAL big access panel hole that he'd tape paper over and then paint the paper in matching Cub yellow. He'd be standing there with his bottle in this drunk flying farmer act and "lean" on the paper. His hand would go thorough and he'd pull out a handfull of rusty broken steel tubes, hand it to a cop, then hop in and fly off to do a show like what Kyle now does.

 

[jekirby]

Thanks. :good:

 

[Mooseonagoose]

Great Fun!!!!!! Regardless of the sport, before you can make it look really bad, ya gotta be able to do it reallllllly good!! Made me think of the wild flying boat landing in Endless Summer II, but I don't think that'n was staged. Thanks.