And we think we build sketchy vehicles

Probably 180-200 hp radial engine. Look at the size of the tube used for the engine mount. You guys that fly, you are out of your minds…

 

Those things were widow makers and not because of the tubing

 

I’d fly it

if I knew how

 

You'll be found at the scene of the acccident!

 

Flying is the safest form of transportation, right up to the point of impact.

 

The wings are probably popsicle sticks glued together wrapped in bed sheets dipped in Elmers glue. When you look at WWII scout planes that is about all there was.

 

There’s a good (or bad, point of view…), video of a fatal crash of the GeeBee racer in the 30s. It’s flying around and looking good, and just an instant later, it’s a ball of fire. It bordered on the edge of instability and required a very skilled pilot to take it to the limits. General Jimmy Doolittle was one of those pilots. Personally I’m deathly afraid of flying, a very irrational fear. But the engineering has always fascinated me. Especially these types of planes. One of my friends who was a pilot used to say anyone can fly, it’s not that difficult. But taking off and landing, now those require skill! No, I never went up in the air with him. He was a good pilot however, and he died in his sleep. No joke. Knocking on 80 and just went to sleep on his couch and never woke up. Not a bad way to go.

 

Those things are nuts. I’ve often heard that landing is just a controlled crash.

 

Gee Bees are the auto analog of a nose up fuel altered. Mortal men need not apply.

 

According to Wikipedia, its an 800HP motor pushing 2000lb to 300mph Sounds close enough to an altered (the altered gets there quicker, but somewhat lower in altitude).

Cheers,
Harv

 

There is a Great book about the Gee Bee. One to be respected, or indeed you will die.

 

Gee Bee was rumored to only have been successfully flown by Doolittle. All the others died.

 

Doolittle… He was an amazing individual.

 

Forget the engine mount, the whole airframe is the same tubing!

This is sort of a combination of mythology and reality. On one hand, both GeeBee R racers were lost to crashes based on ground crew errors, on the other hand, Delmar Benjamin, who flew a GeeBee R-2 replica in air shows for several years, said it was twitchy to fly and required a top notch pilot.

 

I saw that. Spent way too much time going down another rabbit hole when I found it! I also noticed that there appears to be some wood components involved in the structure. It took a rather large set of brass balls to fly the plane! Hell I don’t even want to be close to it upon starting it up.

 

Didn't watch the whole thing, but it does have a start up and engine check.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOTEvgpMktw