Friday, November 16, 2018

The Jack Links Jet

I'm sure you've seen the 'Messin' with Sasquatch' commercials.  The company behind the product is Jack Links.
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Jack Links is the primary sponsor of the John Klatt Air Shows Demonstration program.
The Demonstration Team has two aircraft, one is traditional and one only looks traditional.  I may get to the traditional aircraft in a later post.  Clearly the most interesting aircraft is the one that looks like a barnstorming bi-plane.  The looks are where the similarities  diverge.
The Screamin' Sasquatch.
The Screamin' Sasquatch is power by two separate power plants.  There is a P&W radial engine to drive the prop.   And...  If that wasn't enough, there is a GE J-85 attached to the undercarriage for a little extra kick.  A bi-plane with 4,500 lbs of thrust.  Is that legal?
I'm guessing the original 1929 Taperwing Waco body is a bit reinforced.  Just a bit.  To see a video of flight: Screamin' Sasquatch in flight.
I have to wonder what value the prop has, other than visual and possible a speed brake.


ASA 100, f/8, 1/800 sec, 450mm

On a side note, I have a connection to the J-85 jet engine.  I don't talk about my time stationed at Reese AFB in Lubbock, TX.  Nothing wrong with the time there, but it just wasn't exciting.  Reese was a pilot training base.  I was assigned to the 64 FMS in the engine shop.  I worked supporting the T-38 Talon - which is powered by two J-85 engines.  With an afterburner attached.  Supersonic.  In the engine shop, we tore them apart and rebuilt them.  Most of the maintenance was scheduled, however being a training base there were a lot of over speeds and over temps that kept us busy.  After working on the J57s in Okinawa which powered the KC-135 and B-52s, the J-85s were quite small.  And the parts were small.  And the torque values were much different.

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