My Old Coverite Gee Bee Model E

[E-Challenged]

I built this ship over 20 yar ago, the Enya 46 4S died on the far side of Mile Square and I managed to stall and crash busting the wing. I finally got the wing rebuilt with the scalloped Gee Bee paint job and wing numerals. I have installed an ancient OS .40 FSR 2-stroke that is running and idling well. I have been mostly flying electric rudder/elev/esc planes lately and will have to remember to which is the rudder and which is the aileron stick. The "maiden" second flight will take place at El Toro ( So CA) next week if weather is good. It's a tad nose heavy, thank goodness. As I recall the plane flew rather slowly and the big round fuselage seemed to add to the lift at climbing angles. Will land with power-on fairly hot like with my P51 Fun Mustang.

[Mike Smart]

Welcome E-Challenged,

I built a 1/4 scale Gee Bee E many years back. It was a real 'pussy-cat' to fly, but like yours, it slowed down very quickly on landing approach. It is definitely a power on landing.

[E-Challenged]

Here's a pic of my ole Gee Bee E taken today

[E-Challenged]

Don't know what happened, tried preview, here goes nuthin!

[E-Challenged]

Here goes nuthing once more!

[Mike Smart]

Looks good E-Challenged,

The Skip Tilbert markings. Let us know how the second maiden flight goes.

Mike

[E-Challenged]

Forgot to mention my pilot came out looking a lot like Clark Gabel as he looked in his pilot's costume on an old billboard smoking a Camel cigarette in the late 30's when I was born. Will report on flight performance, more importantly the happyfirst landing. Did you "burl" your aluminum instrument panel, I did, but it's pretty dull from oxidation now.

Some company in Canada is producing these kits again and I understand the quality is better.

[Mike Smart]

I gave it my best shot, but it was litho plate glued on a balsa backing.

Mike

[E-Challenged]

I had planned to carefully do high speed taxi tests before lift-off, disregarded these plans. I have been flying rudder/elevator electrics recently with rudder on aileron stick. Plane veered to the left kept giving right aileron by mistake, hit a barricade and busted left wing. It probably would have flown well. Lesson re-learned, sit at home and rehearse with plane and transmitter when switching from simple electrics to 4-channel, practice take of run and resist urge to lift off . Wing will be easy to repair but recovering with Coveite, priming , painting, scalloped wing trim and trim film wing numerals will take some work. I won't be so apprehensive next time. Duh!!

[Mike Smart]

E-Challenged,

Sorry to hear about your mishap. I had hoped that it would fly successfully and we could keep this thread going, as we seem to be the only ones visiting this forum!

Mike

[E-Challenged]

I haven't given up. Will have wing repaired and "good as old" in about a week. Made patterns for shattered ribs this am, will add ply doublers for LE and spars. Recovering and finish will be a little painful.

I/C lovers on other newsgroups need to be made aware of this one. Will mention this one on "rec.models.rc.air"

[Martin W]

I used to have the Coverite Gee Bee model D

Fantastic flyer, rock steady - I used to use it at scale pylon racing events in the 1980s.

Wheel spats took a pounding from the grass though...

[The Blue Max]

Hello fellow Gee Bee pilots! I am a new member and this is the first message I have posted. I am a student again at the ripe old age of 38 and have finished my first year of autocad drafting at a local community college (vocational rehabilitation because of a minor disability) and as a first project I designed and drafted plans for an 88" span R-2. I also designed a belt reduction unit for a 41cc "weedeater" engine that is turning a Topflite Powerpoint 24x10 prop. I will let all know how it works out when finished. Also plan to sell my plans in future when first model is built and bugs are worked out of plans.<><><><><>J.B.

[retiredVTT]

Originally posted by E-Challenged
Some company in Canada is producing these kits again and I understand the quality is better.


yup ........'bout 70 miles down the road......

http://www.adrianpage.com/



Bill

[Code Red]

I had a free flight Gee Bee, one of the cockpit in front of the rudder versions, I can't seem to recall the name, with an 049, and it flew a few times succesfully. Then one day, aftyer a few flights, it went up fine, came down at top speed and disintegrated. Even the motor was wrecked. Oh well.:(

[Dereck]

Originally posted by Code Red
I had a free flight Gee Bee, one of the cockpit in front of the rudder versions, I can't seem to recall the name, with an 049, and it flew a few times succesfully. Then one day, aftyer a few flights, it went up fine, came down at top speed and disintegrated. Even the motor was wrecked. Oh well.:(

Gee Bee "Ascender". The Granvilles built it using the wings from a slightly bent Aeronca C2, to see if the canard layout was up to anything, and if there was any use for a tricycle UC layout. It flew some, until Granville got it banked steeply, couldn't get it out and some ground got in the way.

A few years back, was channel surfing the TV one afternoon and caught some footage of the 'real thing' flying - old B&W movie shot of it flying low over an airfield. That was on the NASA channel, never seen the likes of it since. Bill Hannan published a great three view in one of his modelling publications a while back.

An RC version would be one heck of a change from more Cubs!

Dereck

[E-Challenged]

I was advised to use an 11X5 prop on the ancient OS .40 FSR. I also read about pitts style muffler with to ports not having enough babk pressure to pressurize tank properly. I made restrictors from 5/16 brass tubes and flattened the ends to about 1/8", jammed them into the silicon rubber exhuast tubes. Engine still sounds healthy but has less "bark" . I tried taxiing a couple of times, trimmed /rudder tail wheel so it tracked straighter and poured the coal to it. It took a fairly long run with a few jabs of right rudder and lifted off nicely, trims were near perfect and plane flew very stable. Tried a loop after shallow dive, muffed it but recovered easily. Tried a steeper dive and she looped nicely. Flew around the pattern a few times while knee-knocking subsided and landed under low power, didn't flare, struck prop, killed engine no damage. I had built up a lot of anxiety but now I know it's a pussycat. Will try an 11x6 and 11X7 prop for a little more speed. Might try my old Enya .46 4-Stroke for cooler sound.
Life is good!!!

[ETIGER05]

you might check out spirit of Yesteryear. they produce a couple kits