Warringah Radio Control
Society Incorporated
(Incorporated under the Association Incorporation Act 1984)

 HISTORY -
Gee Bee “Super Sportster” Model R-I
... one of the most famous aircraft in the history of air racing.
The famous Gee Bee Super Sportster travelled at a speed then considered terrific and its appearance was described as that of an inordinate missile with wings and going places. 
The first Gee Bee Model Z, placed its bid for supremacy of the air in 1931. This first model broke several records of long standing and firmly established a new trend in aeronautical design. Although it won the 1931 Thompson Trophy Race with a speed of 236.2mph, its career was cut short when in mid-summer it crashed. 
In 1932  a pair of redesigned Gee Bee racers were again enterd in races, the Model R-I and the Model R-2. Captain Jimmy Doolittle’s No. NR-2100, had completely shattered all existing speed records by land planes and was being further streamlined for bigger and better things. The fuselage was round and unusually stubby with tiny wings branching from its mid-section. The cowling was made from duraluminum as was the whole forward half of the airplane. 
The wings, tail and rudder were built of stiff plywood, fabric covered, painted with 14 coats of dope and smoothly finished in a white and red color scheme. The completed airplane with its reduced wing area and stub nose gave one a first class example of the stringent economy in aircraft design. 
The landing gear had set the style for many succeeding racers. It consisted of a streamlined “boot” and baloon tyred wheels, supported by a wide monostrut of rudder-like proportions. The whole unit then being affixed directly to the wing, a new procedure. 
The Model R-I, which was flown to victory in the 1932 Thompson by Doolittle, used an 800 H.P. Pratt & Whitney Wasp Sr. R-1344 engine. Its winning speed was 252.7 M.P.H.. The Model R-2 which placed fifth in the same race with a speed of 222,I M.P.H, and was piloted by Lee Gelbach had a 550 H.P. Pratt & Whitney Wasp Jr. R-585 for power. 
Both aircraft featuring identical color schemes were identified as Model R-I, racing number 11, reqistration No. NR-2100, Model R-2, racing number 7, reqistration No. NR-2101 . 
The specifications of both aircraft were; Wingspan 25' 0"; lenqth 17' 9"; wing area 85 square feet and the airplanes had a wing loading of 35 lbs, per square foot. 
In retrospect, the Gee Bee racers of the 1932 and 1933 racing campaigns were not without their detractors, as are many aircraft, even today.Hanger talk, has probably fueled mere discussions and commt both good and bad about all types of aircraft, racing, sport or otherwise. 
A comment oft repeated about the R-I was that here was an airplane you did not fly, you merely strapped it on and wore it and it would take you where it wanted to go no matter what you did, but a recent reconstruction of the 1932 Gee Bee in recent years showed the airplane to be quite docile and capable of inverted flight, knife edge flight and generally good flying characterisics. 
For an extremely good, well detailed 3-view drawing in authentic colors of the original machine, see the cover of the January 1969 issue of American Aircraft Modeler. In the May 1967 issue of American Modeler there is a full size plan by W. C. Hannan for the construction of an all sheet balsa rubber profile model of the R-1. Apparently Herr Engineering also has a fine kit. 

 * Index * Map * Membership * Committee * Events * Results * Newsletters *
* Beginners * Photos * Articles * Hints * Classifieds * Links *