All you Gee Bee people reply!
 

Been doing research on the Gee Bee here on RCU and have found people in the framing stages, but not much I have found when they complete them....I'm really interested in Page 1/4 scale R2 or the Hostetler 29% Z. Anyone that has built-flown or had any experience with the Gee bee please reply. What did you use for power.....any modifications to the kit or plans....cover with monokote or fabric?

Thanks for any advice
Bill

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Bill I have the smaller Page GeeBee. I didn't build it I bought it from a friend . He got tired of fixi
ng the tail from nosing over on the landing. .I fly it with an OS 91 FS and it flys fine. It is easy to fly, no bad habbits at all. Just make sure it is ballanced right or the elevator gets sensitive. 't tI have done a lot of work trying to keep it from nosing over on landing, opening the wheel pants so the tires don t touch moving the gear forward helped the most. It is not the landing but the roll out, thats when it wants to flop over. and we fly on asfault. I can imagine what it would be like on grass really bad. Page says you have to 3 point the landings we fly at 6000 ft and all planes come in a little faster. I think the design is goodI didnt have to add much nose weight. Mine is covered with monocoat. Hope this helps

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Hello; I have the Page R2, see it in my avatar. It was scratch built from Page's plans. It flies great, no surprises, but like everyone says, it tends to tumble over just before it comes to a stop. I have a Saito 91 in mine, plenty of power and able to swing a big stick, to clear the 13 inch engine cowl. I wouldn't reccomend this one to a beginner, as it uses some construction techniques I hadn't seen before, and is pretty easy to make a mistake, which will be really hard to correct later. I have only flown it 3 times since we fly off a grass field, I usually wait until conditions are perfect. Mine is covered with 21 century and painted. If I had to cover it again, I would use ultra cote, I didn't like that century 21 stuff.

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Hi!
I have the Henry Haffke 1/4 scale GEE BEE R-1, published in Model Aviation in 1984.
Started building it in 1985. but it has been unfinished laying primed for 15 years[:o].
Made my own glassfiber mold (cowl and spats) for it...might do something about the model this spring...my friends has been joking about it for more that a decade now...! Too many other projects.
30cc Laser V-twin for power.
Have been flying the GEE BEE R-2 by Great Planes since last summer. Easy to taxi, take off and fly but a bit difficult to land. Powered mine with a MVVS 15cc engine. Prop 14x6 APC. Weight under 5kg.
Regards!
Jan K
Sweden

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I know and understand the Gee Bee is kind of a hand full to land, but have been bitten by the bug of wanting one anyway. Several years ago I had a gee bee Z by Kyosho, and really enjoyed it and flew great!! never flip it or crashed it, but did have some landings that were not the prettiest ended up selling it in a swap meet and would like a big one. Anybody had any dealing with a Byron Gee Bee?

I have been wanting a Big Gee bee for a long time and have gotten over it, but
My boy came over the other night with the video "rocketeer" and got it all flared up again............

Bill

RE: All you Gee Bee people reply!
 

Hi Flynut,
Gotta love those GeeBees. Just looking at one puts a smile on your face. I've built a 56" span R2 from Henry Hafke plans and also the 60" span one from Adrian Page. The Hafke one was very scale and ended up being way too heavy. It did fly (but not below half throttle on a SuperTiger 90).
The Page GeeBee was significantly lighter and flew great. I did move the gear forward a little to help with the landing flip over issues. The horiz tail was not quite stiff enough and I probably didn't use optimal pushrod linkage setup as I lost the plane when it developed elev. flutter when I was racing a Voodoo Mustang.
I picked up a good deal on a KMP 1.20 size GB R2 arf and will put that together to fly while I build a 28% GB R2 from NorthWest HobbyTech. I think that NWHT has been sold to someone else so I'm not sure if they are still available. 85" span and hopefully under 20 lbs with a BME 50 for power.
Composite Arf also has a BIG GeeBee R2, and someone has a kit for a 50% size one if you really want to go BIG.
So if you want to build a kit, I would vote for the Page 1/4 scale GB as I think it is one of the lightest designs out there.
Or get one of the arfs and just have fun.

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I have a 1/4 Henry Haffke R-1 made into R-2 Q35 gas as the ST3250 didn't work.Built light at 14lbs ready to go hard wire gear but thinking of Byrons gear to smooth out taxing around great flyer century 21 fabric and will knife edge forever.Made tail wheel steerable which helps out alot as did it fix first time.Thanks John

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I have had 2 model Y's, and 3 model Z's, all have been great flyers, and landings not a big problem. The smaller Kyosho .40 size was the most sensitive, proving that bigger is always better, but none of them have ever been flipped. My next Z was a Haffke 1/4 scale, a good all around performer for only a 72" model.

My current Z is a Jack Devine Models kit. It's 33 1/3rd % scale, spans 85", weighs 24 lbs, and is powered by a Brison 3.2. It is by far my best performing Z to date. Again - when it come to Gee Bee's, Bigger Is Always Better ! It is Jack who recently purchased the NWHT company, is presently ramping up operations and revitalizing the company, and can be reached at [email protected]

> Jim

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Nice Gee bee.....geebeejim!! I have a few shots of my Kyosho several years ago.....really cool planes. I remember at the flying field everybody would have their high dollar Caps, extras,edge's, etc and no-one would really pay any attention to or any mind to them, and I would pull out a 250.00 ARF gee bee and everybody would stop flying and watch it fly and be amazed with a standing ovation and applause after the landing........lol
found a few old pics to share
Bill

RE: All you Gee Bee people reply!
 

Gee Bees always have a presence at the flying field because there is just not a lot of them out there. The real ones had a bad reputation of killing Pilots but they were always flown beyond the limits of the technology of the time. The models are a bit more user friendly and with sufficient power they can really perform. Here at Jack Devine Models we offer three Gee Bee designs. The R-2 and Model Z have 85" wingspans and the Model Y has a 90" span. These kits are constructed of balsa sheeted foam and are incredibly strong once they are assembled. A box is cut into the foam core fuselage and during construction the box is sheeted with balsa and triangle stock is glued in place in all four corners. The outside of the foam fuselage is also sheeted with balsa and this makes an exoskeleton fuselage that is quick to build and very strong. There is abundant space inside the fuselages for radio gear, fuel tanks and batteries. The wings and tail feathers are also foam core and balsa sheeted. Built correctly these planes will weigh about 20 pounds ready to fly.
Jim Lynch who posted above has been flying his for a few seasons and it performs extremely well. That plane has also won some scale honors at flyin's that Jim has attended and it's a plane that he just enjoys flying. You can email me at [email protected] if you would like any further information on these kits. The Gee Bee's are crowd pleaser's where ever you go!

Jack Devine

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sent you an email Jack....

Bill

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here's my R-2 that was built from the old NWHT (now Jack devine models) kit. Powered with a Brison 3.2. 21lbs. Covered in prepainted Coverite with Krylon Red trim. Dick Tristao did the grafics.

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I have built and flown the 1/5 Page R2. I have the 1/4 scale Page R2 nearly done and it will be flying this year.
The 1/5 is a very good flyer but, as pointed out here, it really likes to flip on roll out. I would suggest moving the gear a little forward and I also would put some light weight re enforcement in the vertical stab and rudder. I have put carbon fiber strips in my 1/4 scale one's fin and made parts of the rudder out of laminated 1/64th ply and balsa. Mr. Page says that the 1/4 scale is less prone to flipping that the 1/5.
The 1/5 model was powered with a 60 two stroke which had plenty of power. My friend who bought it from me uses a 91 fs which also powers it well.
My 1/4 scale one will have a Moki 1.5
In summary, while not exactly easy to build (Study plans, study instructions, keep Adrian Pages e-mail address handy or call him as he is very friendly and helpful) the construction materials provided are very good quality fit well and I am very pleased with both models.

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Has anybody had any dealings with the Byron-Ironbay gee bee with G-62 and purr power set up?

Bill

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well guys, i just broke down today and ordered the page 1/4 scale r2
cant wait till it gets here!!!!!!!!!! tomorrow nite i will start clearing a workbench! that pitts special will just have to wait lol

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Have fun with the model, I did

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Sort of OT, but if you get a chance to see Delmar Benjamin fly his replica at an airshow, go for it. It is nothing short of fantastic. He has a video of the project and it is true to life. In the video he talks about how he talks to young people about living life, not watching others, and telling kids they can do anything they put their mind to. My wife and I took our then 4 or 5 year old boy (got more now....) to the airshow and he already had a fixation on the Gee Bee from somewhere. Delmar scooted us all under the barricade and put our son in the cockpit, sat him on the tailplane, etc. . Simply wonderful...... Got the photos somewhere....
Sam

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Scratch built using Hostetler plans

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Hi, I have had and will have again on April 14th the composit-arf R2 great plane
[email protected]

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What will you be powering the composite-arf gee bee with?....dtopper.

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I picked up a Byron R2 with the G62 Purr-Power system at an estate sale. Haven't tried to fly it as yet as the builder really fowled up the downthrust and side thrust stand-offs. And he epoxied them to the fire wall. So will need to see if I can get sthose parts from Iron Bay and try to redo it.[img][/img]

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[X(] Yikes ! That's a lot of side and down thrust ! I used zero / zero on my 30% model Z and she flys just fine.

> Jim

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sir,
nice looking ARF :)

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I've got yer ARF ! ! !

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LMAO Jim, why thanks! cya later buddy, look forward to next
year Castle AFB (hopefully)