Saturday, September 20, 2014

Gee Bee


Fast but notoriously difficult to fly racers, Jimmy Doolittle of the Doolittle Raiders won the Thomson Trophy in the R-1. Tiny control surfaces and a low polar moment of inertia meant you needed serious flying chops to keep one in the air.

4 comments:

  1. That's a different GeeBee than the one I saw and photographed at the National Championship Air Races in Reno. They flew that one at 50 meters AGL around the pylons in the experimental class. The pilot needed an extra large cockpit to stuff his large sack into. But damn, it's a cool little rocket ship.

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    Replies
    1. Can't help but smile when you look at it.

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    2. Imagine taking that beast down on the deck and winging around pylons right on the deck, wings at 90 degrees at 350 mph, 50 meters AGL with that Wright Cyclone engine screaming.

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