The Gee Bee Z is Out!

[Roger]

Looks fabulous! If I didn't already have Wozza's and Alphasim's FsX native Gee Bee's I' buy. I'm really waiting for the Staggerwing though.

[luckydog]

Looks fabulous! If I didn't already have Wozza's and Alphasim's FsX native Gee Bee's I' buy. I'm really waiting for the Staggerwing though.

Ditto......

[dvj]

Looks fabulous! If I didn't already have Wozza's and Alphasim's FsX native Gee Bee's I' buy. I'm really waiting for the Staggerwing though.

Funny you should mention the Alphasim Gee Bee. I'm using the Alphasim Gee Bee sound set with the Alabeao model. More of a classic aircraft buzz IMO.

[mgchrist5]

Looks fabulous! If I didn't already have Wozza's and Alphasim's FsX native Gee Bee's I' buy. I'm really waiting for the Staggerwing though.

Same here. The Staggerwing looks...er...staggering. I'll probably eventually grab the Alabeo Gee Bee if it goes on sale around the holidays, though. Looks too nice to resist.

Don't forget the upcoming Travel Air Mystery Ship series from Golden Age Simulations, too. Another fine vintage racer that I'm really looking forward to.

[griphos]

Whoa! You guys weren't kidding about the challenge! She's as hard to take off and land as the Hughes H1B (which I love but rarely fly). NO visibility, and twitchy. No wonder the real one doesn't get flown that much! She is pretty though.

[Whitehawk]

The Challenge....

You're mad!

As for take-offs I had a nicer time last night starting with only 20" MaP, getting the tail up once there is plenty of rudder authority (still a nasty twitch of yaw but far less scary!) then smoothly bringing in the rest of the power. Much more subdued although it took a good 1200 metres to get airborne so it's no short field technique lol!

Also getting more comfortable landing, with a nice long stabilised approach, crabbing in and being slow and smooth un-crossing it at the threshold!

[griphos]

What are you using as an approach speed, and what are you aiming for crossing the fence?

[Whitehawk]

Flying the approach at 110, crossing the fence about 100 but to be honest at that point I'm focussed on getting the damn thing on the deck! Speed bleed off is very slow, and once on the ground the fun starts!

Could probably fly in slower with more practice lol!

[dvj]

What are you using as an approach speed, and what are you aiming for crossing the fence?

Slipping in at 95 knots puts you right at the edge of the aileron reversal, but if you can hold it, you'll touch down on a single bounce. I try and two wheel it down the runway bleeding off airspeed and slowly pull back on the stick to settle the tail softly. But by this time I've run out of runway....... :isadizzy:

[Bomber_12th]

Here's a video of a video that is played at Fantasy of Flight, of Kermit Weeks flying his GeeBee Z reproduction: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xaCT_8sK-aM

[T6flyer]

What a superb aeroplane....really enjoying it...well perhaps except on landing. More like an arrival most times than anything else. But getting there. Taking off proved a little difficult at first (took 8 attempts on my first session before all the wheels left the ground!), but still having the odd spot of bother upon reaching the ground again. But then, I love a challenge and am getting it with this aeroplane!!!

Happy (and successful) landings,

MartinAttachment 81599

[dvj]

The reason I'm so nuts abouthe Alabeao GeeBee Z is that the Alphsim FSX GEE BEE is still a stunner. Hope some of the expert painters will add some cool skins to the Alabeao model.

[Odie]

What a superb aeroplane....really enjoying it...well perhaps except on landing. More like an arrival most times than anything else. But getting there. Taking off proved a little difficult at first (took 8 attempts on my first session before all the wheels left the ground!), but still having the odd spot of bother upon reaching the ground again. But then, I love a challenge and am getting it with this aeroplane!!!

Happy (and successful) landings,

MartinAttachment 81599

T6, what a great screenshot! A 1920x1080 would make a great desktop wallpaper!

[Lionheart]

Here's a video of a video that is played at Fantasy of Flight, of Kermit Weeks flying his GeeBee Z reproduction: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xaCT_8sK-aM

Thanks John for the link to that Video. Kermit did an excellent job of landing that tiger. What a beauty. Must be nice to just have a look at one of those things, but imagine being able to fly it!?


Nice Screenshot Odie. Love that angle.

[Lionheart]

The Challenge....

YOU WILD MAN!!!

[T6flyer]

T6, what a great screenshot! A 1920x1080 would make a great desktop wallpaper!

PM me and I'll email one over to you. Taken over Darite in South East Cornwall.

Cheers,

Martin

[Lionheart]

PM me and I'll email one over to you. Taken over Darite in South East Cornwall.

Cheers,

Martin

T6,

Is that the British ORBX scenery?

[T6flyer]

T6,

Is that the British ORBX scenery?

No, its the Horizon VFR scenery. The ORBX scenery is quite generic, whilst the Horizon is ideal for accurate navigation. That's my opinion of course!

Cheers,

Martin

[Motormouse]

Thanks John for the link to that Video. Kermit did an excellent job of landing that tiger. What a beauty. Must be nice to just have a look at one of those things, but imagine being able to fly it!?

Last time I visited there, Kermit was no longer flying it, not wanting to shake the tiger by the tail too much!

ttfn

Pete

[Lionheart]

Last time I visited there, Kermit was no longer flying it, not wanting to shake the tiger by the tail too much!

ttfn

Pete

I wouldnt blame him. He may have been a bit intimidated by flying such a beast. :S

[Bomber_12th]

The only concern that Kermit Weeks has had in flying his near-exact copy of the GeeBee Z, and a serious one at that, is aileron flutter, which is well believed to be the reason of the original's demise. He had some engineers look at it after the first flight or two he did with it, and found that the aircraft was prone to developing aileron flutter above 240 mph. When the original broke-up in flight, it had likely been going over 300 mph at the time. The plan at least at one time was to add a mass weight balance on the bottom of each aileron to prevent this and allow the aircraft to safely fly above 240 mph, but I believe the plan has since changed, and that when/if flying it again, the plan is just to stay under 240 mph with it. Weeks was also concerned about aileron flutter on his GeeBee R2 (former Delmar Benjamin), and had that one tested as well.

As of last summer attention has been paid to Fantasy of Flight's GeeBee Z, with a number of engine runs and inspections to check that all is healthy and set to go, so that it will hopefully be flown again soon.

For a little technical addition - Kermit Weeks' replica has the exact same airframe design to the original, as that was the goal when it was produced. The replica that was used in the movie Rocketeer, built by Bill Turner in 1978, however, has a slightly larger wing and longer fuselage, to make it more forgiving. That airplane is on display at the Museum of Flight.

[heywooood]

I wouldnt blame him. He may have been a bit intimidated by flying such a beast. :S

seriously - after a few simulated flights in it - and after the first three tries that would have ended fatally for me in r/l - I can see why even the most experienced pilot would balk...

one flight - for the history and heritage of the beast, and the ability to claim it in ones log book...ok - for the very best all around aviator with so many types already flown - yes maybe

but to tempt fate again and again? no - that's just crazy talk

this aircraft is a demon witch on an average day - who could survive it on a regular basis?

[Bomber_12th]

Speaking of GeeBee's, there are a few to-fly reproductions well underway at this time (though not any more "Z's", that I'm aware of).

Jim Moss, a well known name in vintage aircraft circles for having built an absolutely incredible, authentic, reproduction of the Laird Super Solution (do a Google search for Jim Moss Laird Super Solution, if you aren't familiar), is currently nearing completion of a reproduction of a GeeBee Q.E.D., the largest GeeBee variant, fitted with two seats. The aircraft, especially compared to the GeeBee Z, is massive. In addition, Mac Transtrum has been at work building a GeeBee R2, and there are two different GeeBee R1 projects advancing along, one being done by Harold Forth and another by Lee Oman. All of these projects are being done with a tremendous level of attention to authenticity.

On this page, there are a few photos of these three different projects. As you view the page, take note of where one project ends and the next begins. (There is also a great photo of Richard Seeley's very accurate and beautiful "Mystery Ship" which was just recently completed.) http://supersolutionproject.blogspot...-projects.html

(If you look at some of the other past pages at the link above, there are a number of photos of Jim Moss' Laird Super Solution. After having flown the aircraft for a while, it was retired to the EAA Museum where it can be viewed on static display.)

EAA recently posted this photo of Jim Moss' Q.E.D. to their Facebook page, showing how large the thing is: https://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/...type=3&theater

[fsxar177]

Wow! That QUD replica does lend to the size of that model. I never realized how big that was! Should be an interesting aircraft to see fly, for sure. Thanks for the link John.

Joseph

[Bomber_12th]

Joseph, I thought you might like the fact that Lee Oman (veteran Reno AT-6 pilot - "EROS" Race #69) is working on a GeeBee R1. As is mentioned on the Super Solution page, it would be fantastic to see him bring it to Reno and fly it around the pylons, even if just for show.