Gee Bee R-1

The Gee Bee R-1, also nick-named "Super Sportster", was a special purpose aircraft exclusively made for racing by Granville Brothers Aircraft (in fact Gee Bee stands for Granville Brothers).

Related Topics:
Aircraft - Racing

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The aircraft had a very peculiar design, having its cockpit very far aft, just in front of the tail rudder. In

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addition, the main body of the aircraft looked oversized compared to its small wings. It was in effect a Pratt & Whitney R-1340 engine with wings and a tail stuck on it.

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The R-1 won the 1932 Thompson Trophy race, piloted by Jimmy Doolittle. He also set a new

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world landplane speed record of 296 mi/h (476 km/h) in the Shell Speed Dash. The distinction of a landplane record was noteworthy because at that time, specialized speed seaplanes outran landplanes.

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The R-1 rapidly earned a reputation as very dangerous machine. The small wings, very low polar moment, and tiny control surfaces made for an aircraft that could rapidly get away from all but the most skilled pilots. This temperament was unfortunately shared with most air racers of the day.

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