NOTE: RADIO CONTROL AIRPLANES ARE ON THE BOTTOM HALF OF THE PAGE.
In the early 1930's the Granville Brothers built two unique aircraft designs for racing commonly referred to as the Gee Bee racers.
The Gee Bee racers were designated the Gee Bee R-1 and R-2 Supersportsters.
The designs of the two Gee Bee racers were very similar to one another with the primary exception being their engines. The Gee Bee R-1 was designed for pylon racing,
primarily the 1932 Thompson Trophy race. The Gee Bee R-2 was designed for straight line racing, primarily the 1932 Bendex Trophy race.
The distinctive design of the Gee Bee racers, built around their engines, was credited for their successful racing records. The high wing loading and small control surfaces of the
Gee Bee racers made them challenging to handle for all but the most experienced pilots of the day.
Famed aviator Jimmy Doolittle was know for his success in piloting his Gee Bee to a win in the Thompson Trophy race of 1932. Unfortunately other pilots met their demise in the unforgiving Gee Bee airplanes.
Pictured above is the rc Gee Bee R3 "Fantasy Racer" for sale from RC International. Wingspan and length are both 120". For power RC International recommends a AW215 radial engine. Construction is all fiberglass. All up weight is around 40 lbs.
Nitro Planes has a rc Gee Bee ARF for sale with a 48" wingspan.
Will Hobby has a rc Gee Bee airplane for sale. It has a wing span of 71" and a length of 47". You can power it with either a .91 two cycle or 1.20 four cycle engine. It has a fiberglass fuselage and balsa and ply built up wings. All up weight is about 9 lbs.
Green Model has a smaller rc Gee Bee. The wingspan is 40" and length is 30". All balsa is used throughout. A Torque 2830/1095 is recommended as the best motor.
Green Model has a larger rc Gee Bee with a 84 1/2" wing span. Fuselage length of the ARF is 62 1/2". Power can come from a 1.08 to 1.60 c.i.d. two stroke or 1.22 to 1.80 four stroke engine.
Cleveland Model & Supply has plans for a number of sizes of the Gee Bee rc Model Z rc airplane. Wing spans are 24", 36", 48" and 72".
Cleveland Model & Supply will sell you plans for the rc Gee Bee Model R . Wing spans are 25 1/2", 38", 51", and 76 1/2".
In the first picture below is the Pacific Aeromodels Gee Bee rc Model Y ARF built by Andy Steere. It has a wing span of 82" and a length of 62 1/2". Balsa and plywood were used for construction.
For power you can use a 1.08 to 1.6 two cycle or 1.20 to 1.80 four cycle engine. It weighs approximately 15 lbs.
Kit Cutters has a kit for the rc Gee Bee Model E. It is from Don Smith Plans and has a wing span of 75". For power you will need a .91 or larger engine. All up weight is about 12 lbs.
Kit Cutters has kits for a number of sizes of the Gee Bee rc R2. The design comes from Wendel Hostetler. The smallest has a wing span of 36" and should be powered with an electric motor.
Next up in size is the rc Gee Bee racers R2 with a wing span of 80" and a length of 56 1/2". All up weight is from 22 to 25 lbs.
The giant scale Kit Cutters rc Gee Bee has a 100" wing span and a 71" length. To power it you will need an engine from 6.0 to 8.0 c.i.d. Upon completion it will weigh around 35 lbs.
The second picture below is of the rc Gee Bee R-2 ARF from Great Planes. Wing span is 68" and length is 45". Great Planes recommends .91 to 1.08 two cycle or 1.20 four cycle engines. The model should weigh between 11 1/2 lbs. and 12 1/4 lbs. upon completion.
The next picture is of the Dare Hobby rc Gee Bee built from their kit. It is 32" in length and has a wing span of 56". Ideal power is a .40 two stroke engine. The all up weight should be somewhere between 4 1/2 and 6 lbs.
The final picture on this page is of the rc Gee Bee built from a kit for sale from Page Aviation. Its wingspan is 60" and length is 37". It is made from balsa and plywood and weighs around 6.5 lbs. You can power it with a .60 two cycle or .91 four cycle engine.
Would you like to recommend a rc Gee Bee? If so, please email us.
Gee Bee Racers
