Granville Brothers Aircraft
Encyclopedia
Springfield, Massachusetts
Springfield is the most populous city in Western New England, and the seat of Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. Springfield sits on the eastern bank of the Connecticut River near its confluence with three rivers; the western Westfield River, the eastern Chicopee River, and the eastern...
. The Granville Brothers, Zantford, Thomas, Robert, Mark and Edward are best known for the production of the three Gee Bee Super Sportster
Gee Bee R-1
The Gee Bee Model R Super Sportster was a special purpose racing aircraft made by Granville Brothers Aircraft of Springfield, Massachusetts. Gee Bee stands for Granville Brothers.-Design and development:...
air racers, the Models Z, R1 and R2, which are synonymous with the golden age
Golden Age of Aviation
The Golden Age of Aviation was the period between World War I and World War II in which civil aviation, fueled by many daring and dramatic record-breaking feats, became popularized...
of air racing
Air racing
- History :The first ever air race was held in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1908. The participants piloted the only 4 airships in the U.S. around a course located at Forest Park...
.
Aircraft
The Granville Brothers built only 24 aircraft. Only two originals are known to exist.- Model A biplaneBiplaneA biplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with two superimposed main wings. The Wright brothers' Wright Flyer used a biplane design, as did most aircraft in the early years of aviation. While a biplane wing structure has a structural advantage, it produces more drag than a similar monoplane wing...
(nine built, one survives at the New England Air MuseumNew England Air MuseumThe New England Air Museum is located at Bradley International Airport, Windsor Locks, Connecticut, USA. The museum is housed in three large display buildings consisting of more than of exhibit space...
). - Model X Sportster flown in the Cirrus Derby (one built, crashed September 1931, Roscoe Brinton bailed out.)
- Model B Sportster with a Warner radialWarner Aircraft CorporationThe Warner Aircraft Corporation of Detroit, Michigan was the manufacturer of the Scarab family of radial engines for airplanes in 1928 through the early 1930s.-History:...
engine (one built, rumored to have been used in the Spanish Civil WarSpanish Civil WarThe Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
, still flying in late 1940s in Spain) - Model C Sportster, Menasco inline engine (one built, destroyed at an air show crash in Jersey City, New Jersey October 25, 1931)
- Model D Sportster with in-line Menasco Engine (one built, crashed July 1936, pilot Channing Seabury killed bailing out)
- Model E Sportsters with Warner radial engine (four built, all destroyed)
- Crashed February 1934, Z.D. Granville killed, Spartanburg, South CarolinaSpartanburg, South CarolinathgSpartanburg is the largest city in and the county seat of Spartanburg County, South Carolina, United States. It is the second-largest city of the three primary cities in the Upstate region of South Carolina, and is located northwest of Columbia, west of Charlotte, and about northeast of...
. - Crashed August 1932, Russell Boardman suffered a bad concussion
- Crashed February 14, 1931 airshow at Candler Field Atlanta. Johnny Kytle killed
- Destroyed in crash. The wing is at the EAA AirVenture MuseumEAA AirVenture MuseumThe EAA AirVenture Museum is a museum dedicated to the preservation and display of historical and experimental aircraft located in Oshkosh, Wisconsin adjacent to the Wittman Regional Airport. Paul Poberezny proposed the idea of the EAA Air Museum-Air Education center in August 1958. The current...
- Model Y Senior SportsterGee Bee Senior Sportster-References:* *...
, (two built, both destroyed)
- Model Y Senior Sportster
- Warner radial, prop came apart and the plane spun in
- LycomingLycoming EnginesLycoming Engines is a U.S. aircraft engine company, known primarily for its general aviation engines. For most of its history Lycoming has been part of the AVCO group as AVCO Lycoming. In 1987 AVCO was purchased by Textron to become Textron Lycoming...
test bed, later fitted with a Wright WhirlwindWright WhirlwindThe Wright R-975 Whirlwind was a series of nine-cylinder air-cooled radial aircraft engines built by the Wright Aeronautical division of Curtiss-Wright. These engines had a displacement of about 975 in³ and power ratings of 300-450 hp...
. Florence KlingensmithFlorence KlingensmithFlorence Gunderson Klingensmith was an American Aviator of the Golden Age of Air Racing. She was also a founding member of the Ninety-Nines, a women's pilot group. She was one of the first women to participate in Air Races with men...
killed in 1933 National Air RacesNational Air RacesThe National Air Races were a series of pylon and cross-country races that took place in the United States from 1920 to 1949. The science of aviation, and the speed and reliability of aircraft and engines grew rapidly during this period; the National Air Races were both a proving ground and...
crash.- Model Z Super SportsterGee Bee Model Z-Popular culture:Kermit Weeks, founder of Fantasy of Flight, used a Gee Bee Model Z as his main character "Zee" in a series of children's books set around the Golden Age of Aviation.-See also:-References:NotesReferences...
— Pratt & WhitneyPratt & WhitneyPratt & Whitney is a U.S.-based aerospace manufacturer with global service operations. It is a subsidiary of United Technologies Corporation . Pratt & Whitney's aircraft engines are widely used in both civil aviation and military aviation. Its headquarters are in East Hartford, Connecticut, USA...
"Wasp" powered, 1931 Thompson Trophy winner (one built, destroyed December 5, 1931, Lowell BaylesLowell BaylesLowell R. Bayles was an Air Race pilot of the "Golden Age of Air Racing." He was the winner of the 1931 Thompson Trophy flying the Gee Bee Model Z. Bayles was killed in the crash of the Model Z during an attempt at the landplane speed record when the plane crashed at over mph.-Early life:Bayles...
killed) - Model R-1 Super SportsterGee Bee R-1The Gee Bee Model R Super Sportster was a special purpose racing aircraft made by Granville Brothers Aircraft of Springfield, Massachusetts. Gee Bee stands for Granville Brothers.-Design and development:...
— Pratt & Whitney "Wasp" powered, 1932 Thompson Trophy and Shell Speed Dash winner, Jimmy DoolittleJimmy DoolittleGeneral James Harold "Jimmy" Doolittle, USAF was an American aviation pioneer. Doolittle served as a brigadier general, major general and lieutenant general in the United States Army Air Forces during the Second World War...
pilot. (one built, destroyed July 1, 1933, Russell Boardman killed) - Model R-2 Super Sportster — Pratt & Whitney "Wasp" powered, (one built, destroyed late 1933, Jimmy Haizlip injured)
- Model R-1/2 Super Sportster — Pratt & Whitney "Wasp" powered, built from remains of the R1 and R2 (one built, destroyed 1935, Cecil Allen killed)
- Gee Bee Q.E.D.Gee Bee Q.E.D.-External links:***...
— Pratt & Whitney "Wasp" powered (one built, crashed June 7, 1939, Francisco Sarabia killed, plane rebuilt and retired to a museum in Ciudad LerdoLerdoCiudad Lerdo is a small city in the northeastern portion of the Mexican state of Durango. It serves as the municipal seat for the surrounding municipality of the same name....
, DurangoDurangoDurango officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Durango is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. The state is located in Northwest Mexico. With a population of 1,632,934, it has Mexico's second-lowest population density, after Baja...
, MexicoMexicoThe United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
)
- Model Z Super Sportster
Replica and reproduction Gee Bee aircraft
In 1970 Ken Flaglor began building a reproduction of the Florence Klingensmith's Model Y. Completed in 1984, this reproduction is powered by a 300 horsepower LycomingLycoming Engines
Lycoming Engines is a U.S. aircraft engine company, known primarily for its general aviation engines. For most of its history Lycoming has been part of the AVCO group as AVCO Lycoming. In 1987 AVCO was purchased by Textron to become Textron Lycoming...
R-680. Jack Venaleck now owns this aircraft.
David Gouldsmith, owner of Golden Aviation in Cassville, Mo, completed another replica of the Model Y Senior Sportster in 2001. Powered by a 300 hp Jacobs R-755, the Gee Bee is currently kept in Monett, Missouri (M58).
Another Menasco powered D Model should now be about completed by Al Lathum of Valdosta, Georgia
Valdosta, Georgia
Valdosta is the county seat of Lowndes County, Georgia, United States. It is the principal city of the Valdosta Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 Census, the city had a total population of 54,518. The Valdosta metropolitan area, according to the 2010 estimate, has a population of 139,588...
, USA.
Scott Crosby of Antelope, California
Antelope, California
Antelope is a census-designated place in Sacramento County, California, United States located approximately 15 miles northeast of downtown Sacramento and 5 miles southwest of Roseville. The population was 45,770 at the 2010 census....
and Jim Jenkins of Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
have built replica E Models. Crosby's aircraft crashed several times and was re-built prior to donation to the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum in McMinnville, Oregon.
Dennis Emms of Australia is building an E model reproduction.
Gee Bee Model Z — Bill Turner made a close but not an exact replica, because it had a longer fuselage, longer wings, and 85 less horsepower. It was completed and flown on November 25, 1978. This aircraft was ultimately purchased by the Disney Corporation and was used in the movie The Rocketeer
The Rocketeer (film)
The Rocketeer is a 1991 period superhero adventure film produced by Walt Disney Pictures and based on the character of the same name created by comic book writer/artist Dave Stevens. Directed by Joe Johnston, the film stars Billy Campbell, Jennifer Connelly, Alan Arkin, Timothy Dalton, Paul Sorvino...
. In the movie, the Gee Bee Z appears with the same paint scheme and tail number "NR77V" as the original. It is now on display at the Seattle Museum of Flight.
An exact reproduction Gee Bee Z has been completed by Jim Kimball Enterprises and is on display at Kermit Weeks
Kermit Weeks
Kermit Weeks is an aviation enthusiast, pilot, and aircraft collector. He was recently inducted into Florida's Aviation Hall Of Fame for his services to Florida's aviation history.Weeks was twice U.S. National Aerobatic Champion...
' Fantasy of Flight
Fantasy of Flight
Fantasy of Flight is an aviation-related attraction in Polk City, Florida, USA that takes visitors back to the pioneering days of early flight, World War I, World War II and beyond. The attraction opened in November of 1995, and houses the world's largest private aircraft collection on display...
, Polk City, Florida
Polk City, Florida
Polk City is a city in Polk County, Florida, United States. The population was 1,516 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 1,515. It is part of the Lakeland–Winter Haven Metropolitan Statistical Area...
.
The Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum
Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum
The Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum, is a museum in the University Circle neighborhood of Cleveland, Ohio. Part of the Western Reserve Historical Society, it was founded by industrialist, Frederick C. Crawford, of TRW and opened in 1965...
in Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
has an R-1 replica, although not currently on display.
The New England Air Museum
New England Air Museum
The New England Air Museum is located at Bradley International Airport, Windsor Locks, Connecticut, USA. The museum is housed in three large display buildings consisting of more than of exhibit space...
in Windsor Locks, Connecticut
Windsor Locks, Connecticut
Windsor Locks is a town located in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. As of the 2000 census, its population was 12,043. It is the site of Bradley International Airport, which serves the Greater Hartford-Springfield region. It is also the site of the New England Air Museum...
has a R-1 replica built with much assistance from the surviving Granvilles and Pete Miller, possibly qualifying as a replica
Replica
A replica is a copy closely resembling the original concerning its shape and appearance. An inverted replica complements the original by filling its gaps. It can be a copy used for historical purposes, such as being placed in a museum. Sometimes the original never existed. For example, Difference...
aircraft, since people working for the original Gee Bee firm helped in its construction.
In Springfield, Massachusetts
Springfield, Massachusetts
Springfield is the most populous city in Western New England, and the seat of Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. Springfield sits on the eastern bank of the Connecticut River near its confluence with three rivers; the western Westfield River, the eastern Chicopee River, and the eastern...
, the Museum of Springfield History has a non-flying, full scale fiberglass reproduction of the Gee Bee R-1 hanging in the atrium.
The most famous flying reproduction of any of the Super Sportsters was the Gee Bee R2 example built by Delmar Benjamin and Steve Wolf, which was test flown December 23, 1991. After being flown for many years, the plane was retired to Kermit Weeks'
Kermit Weeks
Kermit Weeks is an aviation enthusiast, pilot, and aircraft collector. He was recently inducted into Florida's Aviation Hall Of Fame for his services to Florida's aviation history.Weeks was twice U.S. National Aerobatic Champion...
Fantasy of Flight
Fantasy of Flight
Fantasy of Flight is an aviation-related attraction in Polk City, Florida, USA that takes visitors back to the pioneering days of early flight, World War I, World War II and beyond. The attraction opened in November of 1995, and houses the world's largest private aircraft collection on display...
in Polk City, Florida alongside the Model Z reproduction.
The San Diego Air & Space Museum is nearing completion of a Gee Bee R1, using original plans supplied by the Granville family. The plans were supplied under the agreement that the aircraft will never be flown or sold. Craftsmen working on the aircraft say it will be the most exact R1 Super Sportster reproduction in existence when finished.