Black Drape

Question,

Why are your Gee Bees coming out tail heavy? Mine has an OS120Fs in it and I had to mount the battery on the top of the stab to get it to balance. I am still running my engine very rich, only 4 tanks of fuel through it and it has plenty of power to fly this plane. I did not have any problem with tip stalling, the plane seems to fly great, do avoid cross winds.

Ron

Craig-RCU

Those who are trying to mount lighter 90 size engines will need to lighten the tail of the GB to get it to balance properly. Stock built, the GP GB needs an engine that weighs about 2# to balance it without modifications. If I remember the OS 120fs weighs in at around 2#s. My GB with a Saito 180 that weighs about 2# balances with the battery just aft of the wing. There should be no problems with tip stalling if the C.G. and elevator throws are set as per the instructions.

lear31A

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I just bought one on RCU and picked it up on monday. It has an RCV 120 and the Robart gear. It has never flown and I have not balanced it yet. Will this motor be about right?

Craig-RCU

I'm not really too familiar with that engine. From the information on the RCV site, it weighs about 5oz more than the Saito 180, so you may need an oz or so of lead in the tail or move the servos aft of their stock position to get your GB to balance. The rudder and/or elevator servos could be hidden under the elevators and mounted on the fuse exterior like the aileron servos are mounted under the wing for easy access. The RCV 120 has a similar hp rating to the OS 120, so power shouldn't be a problem.

I've heard that the RCV 120 needs a different cooling strategy because of its piston arrangement. If you are going to use the dummy radial, you could make a cone to force the air into the cooling fins like has been mounted to the cowling in the pictures in post #6 of this thread. http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_88...tm.htm#8870699 The fan and the other baffling shouldn't be necessary because the cooling exhaust area created by the GB's cowling should be able to make plenty of negative pressure to pull air in through the front. The fan was only needed in the model Spitfire because the air inlet is obstructed somewhat by the spinner.

rowdog_14

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Anyone have any good news or new videos of a gee bee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!???

GaGeeBees

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We're still waiting on your wife to let you fly yours!

Black Drape

Rowdog 14

I only have one flight on mine, but it flew great. I put the plywood inserts in my landing gear and opened up the front of the wheel pant about a quarter of an inch and I didn't have any problems. You really do not want to fly it in a cross wind. Other than that I don't think you need to be afraid of it.

Ron

rowdog_14

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Good to hear. I decided last week that I am going to take it up. Hopefully I will have a flight report on Tuesday or Wednesday I am just not going to tell my wife!!!! I am going to take the wheel pants off, because my last wheels pants got destroyed on my last gee bee.

jaka

Hi!
The problem with the GP GEE BEE R-2 isn't it's take of or flight characteristics...they are very good! The problem is landing it!!
Even if you have built it light as possible , moving the servos , receiver and batteries forward, taking up lightening holes in the side rudder, moving the tank forward, removing some of the glas-fiber where ever possible, choosing the lightest possible engine (15cc two stroke) making the plane weight out 5kg (5000g) sharp...despite this it still snaps fairly easy on landings!!!

I have been and still is, a pylon racer since 34 years, being used to fast flying airplanes, flying both F3D and Q-500 racers and having constructed many airplanes both pylon racers and others ...and despite this experience I find it difficult to land the GP GEE BEE R-2!

One problem with the plane is that the wings sits at 6 degrees positive to the stab, making landings hard to do due to the wing stalling at fairly low angles of attack.
I think that using differential throw on aileron will help, but I haven't tried it myself...yet!


As for my silencer ...it's just a mousse can! It's fasten to the firewall by 3mm plywood plates, siliconed to the bottom and top end of the mousse can.
A silicon tube goes from the steel (MVVS silencer) down to the mousse can.
Why I made this extra silencer was not to reduce noise, but to have a much more scale sound to the airplane!
We don't have any sound restrictions at our flying site!

bigbird3

Jaka, thank you for replying to my quiery about the muffler. I was beginning to think you might not see it. thanks again. bird.

rowdog_14

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Well took my 2nd GP gee bee up today and had 3 great flights, 1 GREAT smooth landing, and 2 good 3 point landings. I will get my wife to take a video next time. I flew it with the wheel pants off, but next time it will be with the wheel pants on. I still do not think the robart landing gear are needed. My first gee bee landed fine without them and this one lands even better without them. Bellow are some picture of it at the flying field

GaGeeBees

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Congrats on the flights! Glad it all went well. Will look forward to the video.

p.s. The guys up in High Point, NC are holding a Golden Age fly-in on 9/26. You oughta bring your Gee Bee. I'm hoping to make it with at least 4 or 5 planes.

rowdog_14

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Well another day with two good flights and three great landings. On the first landing my left tire turned 90 degrees. I landed it as smooth as silk but the tire was loose and after about 10 feet of role it turned 90 degrees again and the gee bee stop right in its track and tip over and scratched the cowl . Not worried because it was still in one. The next flight was great, I did a great landing but I ended up doing a two point landing, which is still OK in my book. I would of rather greased it in again. I run a 16x6 because this allows it to slow down the last gee bee I had, I put a 16x8 on it and the thing did not want to slow down on landings. I hope to get the video up this Sunday.

Here is my setup:
OS 120 4 cycle
16X6 prop
15% coolpower
recommended throws for high/low settings
30% expo on the low settings and 50% expo on the high
10.5 lbs with everything but fuel

Lifer

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Rowdog,


Ditto on the 16x6 prop. Allows for very nice landings whereas the 16x8 flies faster but makes landings more difficult. I think this is something all GeeBee owners should try once (A 6 inch pitch prop).

rowdog_14

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Well on towerhobbies the gee bee has finally been put to rest. They do not sale it anymore. They do have a few parts left along with the robart landing gear. So this will make me only want to fly it on near perfect days. I am sure someone else sales them, and you can find them used all day long or new rtf .

GaGeeBees

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Good! The value of my new-in-box version is going up.

rowdog_14

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Well I will be going out to the field tomorrow to take some video of the plane!!! I will try and have it post by tomorrow night if I get it done.

rowdog_14

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Here is a video.

[link]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ns7KwODzMxo[/link]

rowdog_14

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I went flying again yesterday and a gentleman took some pictures for me. I actually like flying this plane more now. After figuring out how to land the plane it is fun. I now just take my gee bee to the field and fly it like a everyday flier. Here are the pictures.

bigbird3

Hey rowdog, very nice and I saw the video yesterday. I sat here writing a piece to you for about forty five minutes and when I tried to upload it, it said that I took too long to get it in. So, rather than do it again, lets E-mail. I think I have some ideas that will tame that thing down for you. It worked for me on a few planes that have the same charactor as the red and white fat boy!. [email protected] is my address. If this works for you then you can let every one else know about it. K? K!
Look forward to hearing from you. bird.

mrbee

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they still have the pants 59.00

bigbird3

Somebody said that they discontinued this plane! Well, it is in this latest issue of the catalog! Sup? bird.

rowdog_14

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It is in the catalog but it is still discontinued on the website. You may want to call tower and see whats up if you are trying to get one.

bigbird3

Rowdog, thanks for the info. I really couldn't afford one at this point. Things have become very difficult financially. It is all I can do to keep my current stable up and running. I am self employeed and it just isn't coming in.
Any way, how are you coming 'the project' we discussed?
Hope all is well. Take care buddy. bird.
Here is my latest for a friend. It is a 64'' version of the 84" 1937 Super Buckaneer.
Started covering it yesterday.
Took a lot of mod's, I didn't do the undercamber airfoil and the placement of wing dowls were supposed to be half way down the fuse around the thrust line. Thinking about doing the big one this winter along with many others. Gonna be a busy winter. We actually fly on skis here. Neat! Later dude.

pencon

CMP version are also all gone. I grabbed one of the last ones That I've seen online off a member here along with the robart gear and great planes decals .My maiden will probably this Saturday weather permitting .