RE: Worst Production Aircraft Of All Time
The Gee Bee Z had aileron flutter. It went from an R-985 powered 230 mph airplane to an R-1340 powered 300 plus mph airplane. Little was known of this stuff at that time. Granny came up with the gas cap thing. The R1 and R2 had ailerons 100% mass balanced after some tests at the Langley wind tunnel by Bob Hall. Hall went on to design for Grumman, Hellcat,Tigercat, Bearcat, etc.
Kermit Weeks has a Gee Bee Z that had the ailerons buzz during high speed flight, he had them re-balanced but hasn't flown it since to my knowledge.
The only "worst" there was about the Gee Bee line was they were subject to the worst myth fostering of any aircraft company. The sensationalism of the 30's reporting has been carried on as fact for so long it permeates the subject. Delmar Benjamin flew his R-2 for 1200 hours in cross country and aerobatic shows for ten years and there was never an accident or incident.
Chris...