"Every Circus needs a Clown!"
As a young female pilot, Liz Franklin gets ready to perform in her Piper Super Cub. When she realizes things don’t quite feel right, she jumps out to check the tail wheel. When an obnoxious spectator, Ben Whabnoski (Kyle Franklin), surprises her by jumping in and taking the plane to the air. Liz attempts to catch the man that has taken her airplane but he leaves her stunned as she watches him drag the wing tips of her plane on the ground, bouncing all over the field and performing maneuvers that gets everyone laughing and wondering just exactly what is going on.
Anyone who knows flying understands that comedy acts are the most difficult acts to perform. As Kyle has said, “It’s a lot of work to fly that badly”. This unique act is, a crowd favorite and brings fans from all over the country. It is a one of a kind show that you don’t want to miss.
Flying & Aerobatics 101
Kyle displays the down to earth basics of flying and aerobatics 101 in his Super Cub. Not only does Kyle perform a loop, roll, hammerhead and snap rolls in the Cub, an airplane never desiged to do aerobatics, but he also describes from the cockpit exactly what is happening throughout the entire performance.
After performing the basics of aerobatics Kyle will then shut off the engine low enough so that the crowd can witness the propeller come to a stop so they know the engine is completely off. He will then explain to the crowd “Just because the engine is off does not mean the airplane stops flying.” At this point Kyle will display how to perfectly manage the energy of the aircraft to not only land it safely but also that he can taxi right up to Liz.
This performance is a crowd favorite because anyone from young to old can get involved in understanding the basics of flying. This is a very interactive act that inspires many kids to want to learn to be pilots themselves.
(Military Designation L-21)
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.
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 150 horsepower to 181 horsepower. 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.
INFO:
-Type..........................Super Cub
-Model........................PA-18A
-Year...........................1956
-Manufacturer............Piper
-Engine………………Lycoming O-320…181 Horsepower
-Wing span…………..35.3 Feet
-Wing Area…….……178.5 Feet
-Length.......................22.5 Feet
-Height………...…….6.7 Feet
-Empty Weight………1062 lbs.
-Gross Weight.............1750 lbs.
-Fuel Capacity.............36 Gallons
-Fuel Consumption..….6.5 gph
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