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  • #16
    Re: Gee Bee flying

    Based on all I've read about it, I don't think the Lear Fan deserves to be lumped in with that crowd.
    _________
    -Matt
    Red Bull has no earthly idea what "air racing" is.

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    • #17
      Re: Gee Bee flying

      The GeeBee either! Del proved that without a doubt the GeeBee mankiller rep. was nothing but a myth. The truth is it was a very advanced design for the time and most pilots were't up to the challenge. Jimmy D. obviously "got it".

      My earlier comment about not seeing Del do any snapping highlighted exactly that, he knows the limits of the design and respects them. No one who has ever seen his act would lament that he wasn't the master of that aircraft. He understood where to push it and where no too.

      I miss Del and the GeeBee act. Sigh.
      Red
      chanting...400+

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      • #18
        Re: Gee Bee flying

        why did they stop doing airshows?

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        • #19
          Re: Gee Bee flying

          Something weird happened and then they stopped abruptly.
          _________
          -Matt
          Red Bull has no earthly idea what "air racing" is.

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          • #20
            Re: Gee Bee flying

            Cue the Kenny Rogers.........

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            • #21
              Re: Gee Bee flying

              I may be remembering this wrong, but didnt the Gee Bee have an accident at Reno? Like a torque roll problem on landing or something?
              I know the plane by design had to be landed very carefully, (same on take off to I would think) due to a narrow landing gear and lots of rotating mass.
              I may be completely wrong about this. Sure hope I am.

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              • #22
                Re: Gee Bee flying

                Not that I know of. I think I read on here that Delmar built it with the intention of flying shows just long enough to prove it was not a deathtrap and then hang it up.

                Job done.

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                • #23
                  Re: Gee Bee flying

                  I sure did enjoy watching it fly... Way cool!

                  Eric
                  Last edited by ebutner; 06-20-2008, 01:03 PM.
                  Cheers

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                  • #24
                    Re: Gee Bee flying

                    Originally posted by Bob
                    I may be remembering this wrong, but didnt the Gee Bee have an accident at Reno? Like a torque roll problem on landing or something?
                    I know the plane by design had to be landed very carefully, (same on take off to I would think) due to a narrow landing gear and lots of rotating mass.
                    I may be completely wrong about this. Sure hope I am.
                    It wasn't a torque roll, but rather aileron reversal at landing speeds. The original was thought to have suffered from that, and he proved it. Luckily he knew that it could possibly occur, and was able to get it on the ground in one piece. I believe that happened fairly early on it it's testing program and he was able to change his flight profile to avoid it.

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                    • #25
                      Re: Gee Bee flying

                      Race 5 is correct. Delmar did experience that early in testing and only drug a wingtiptip as a result.

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                      • #26
                        Re: Gee Bee flying

                        Originally posted by Race5
                        It wasn't a torque roll, but rather aileron reversal at landing speeds. The original was thought to have suffered from that, and he proved it. Luckily he knew that it could possibly occur, and was able to get it on the ground in one piece. I believe that happened fairly early on it it's testing program and he was able to change his flight profile to avoid it.
                        There was an article about the R-2 project and its first flights in EAA's Sport Aviation magazine in the March 1992 issue. There was a great section about one of the project crew getting Pete Miller, one of the original designers, on the phone to hear the fly-bys during the initial flights. Wonderful stuff! Try this link:



                        You may have to be an EAA member to open the link.
                        Last edited by Peashooter; 06-20-2008, 02:59 PM.
                        Rutan Long EZ, N-LONG
                        World Speed Record Holder

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                        • #27
                          Re: Gee Bee flying

                          Delmar's Gee Bee act was one of the best aerobatic acts that I've ever seen. Anyone who didn't get a chance to see it really missed out as it was pure magic. Damn, he was good. Does anyone know where he got the skills to fly that thing so well? Was Delmar a former aerobatic champ or what? He was impressive!

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                          • #28
                            Re: Gee Bee flying

                            I feel lucky to have seen him several times (Reno and here in the Phoenix area). One day at a show here in Phoenix the announcer kept calling it a Bee Gee and no one corrected him….. I couldn’t stop laughing.
                            Jason Schillereff

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                            • #29
                              Re: Gee Bee flying

                              Originally posted by Jason S.
                              I feel lucky to have seen him several times (Reno and here in the Phoenix area). One day at a show here in Phoenix the announcer kept calling it a Bee Gee and no one corrected him….. I couldn’t stop laughing.
                              Well, Delmar did keep "Stayin' Alive" while flying it though.

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                              • #30
                                Re: Gee Bee flying

                                Originally posted by dvddude
                                Delmar's Gee Bee act was one of the best aerobatic acts that I've ever seen. Anyone who didn't get a chance to see it really missed out as it was pure magic. Damn, he was good. Does anyone know where he got the skills to fly that thing so well? Was Delmar a former aerobatic champ or what? He was impressive!
                                Back in the days when Mark Kallio and I did Delmar's website, his wife told me he had taught himself acro...

                                He then went on for "official" training so he could become "certified"...


                                Wayne Sagar
                                "Pusher of Electrons"

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