1931 gee bee crash

[flyerme]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3IBybf3G6k8

[facthunter]

Structural failure. Probably flutter. The Gee Bee was little more than a flying engine nacelle. Have to be a hard plane to fly with an engine that big and so short a fuselage. Nev

 

 

[Deskpilot]

Looks like it lost it's outboard portion of the right hand (starboard) wing. Certainly structural failure.

 

 

[Sapphire]

Sounds like they had an ambulance there eveytime he flew.

 

 

[old man emu]

The failure of the right hand wing is pretty obvious. That initiates a roll with subsequent loss of lift, and at the height he was above ground, impact was pretty close top instantaneous.

 

The Gee Bee did get a bad reputation due to trial by media, however modern reproductions of this model are said to be quite good fliers - provided the pilot is fully alert. If you look at the take off and climb out, the plane appears to be flying nicely. And don't forget, this was his third attempt at a record, so there were previous flights during which the pilot would have got the feel for the plane. Yes, this plane was an engine with wings, but the Granville brothers did build a number of other planes which, although produced in small numbers due to the Depression, were good performers. Around the time that the Z model was built, the brothers were trying to earn money through air racing as sales of their Sportsters had been knocked on the head by the Depression.

 

A GeeBee built airplane started in the MacRobertson England to Australia Air Race, but withdrew due to engine problems, not airframe problems. That plane was at short odds with the bookies to either win or place in the race.

 

OME