Sporty But Dangerous by bmac62
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Description
I remember modeling this plane as a kid:)
Added a little filtering to this to dress up the sun-struck window behind...
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The Gee Bee Model Z Super Sportster was built to win the Thompson Trophy Race at the National Air Races in Cleveland, Ohio in 1931.
Its design was simple...the biggest engine in the smallest airframe possible.
It successfully set the world speed record for a land plane at 267.342 miles per hour. It then was fitted with a larger engine which took it to speeds of 280 miles per hour...until the right wing failed during one high speed run at 150 feet above the ground resulting in a massive fireball and the loss of the pilot.
This replica is in Seattle's Boeing Museum of Flight and has slightly longer wings and fuselage as well as a smaller engine to make the plane safer to fly. This plane appeared in the 1991 movie "Rocketman".
Comments (28)
Faemike55
Very cool looking aircraft
jendellas
It looks a nifty little plane!!
EJD64
Nice photo Bill. The colors on the plane make the shot against the glass wall.
helanker
Excellent shot, Bill :)
durleybeachbum
It's very cute, like a toy one. Wich fits in with my initial misreading of the ebot..'Spotty but dangerous'
lyron
Very cool plane!!
kgb224
Superb capture Bill. God Bless.
Sea_Dog Online Now!
Nice shot. I think I did a model of this plane, too.
kenmo
Cool plane and great photo...
bobrgallegos
Great POV and info of this awesome Plane Bill!
auntietk
I love the black-and-yellow paint job, and of course the round engine. As far as all the rest of the blah-blah ... oooooohh! Pretty! :D
bebopdlx
I built that model as well, cool photo of a cool plane.
jayfar
That is some plane Bill.
blinkings
What a beast!
goodoleboy
Wonderful POV employed and cool clarity in the capture of this little beauty, Bill. I've always marveled at the design of these little speedsters, apparently ahead of their time back in the early thirties. And they were most dangerous.
flavia49
gorgeous capture
npauling
It does look like a very sporty model with those very unusual looking feet. A great shot.
MrsRatbag
It looks to me like it has really big feet; will it grow into them, like puppies do? Excellent shot, Bill!
jocko500
cool shot
Chipka
Oh, I love this! I never knew that aircraft could wear such rockin' shoes! WOW! It looks like something Buggs Bunny would fly! Needless to say, I'm immensely pleased with that. What's life without Buggs Bunny with his own personal airplane? Great colors and I love the angle. Is it my imagination or is the cockpit kinda sorta far back? Maybe it's in a normal position, but it looks kinda swept back a bit, kinda like this is one of those racing planes.
whaleman
Yep, not everyone's kind of toy! Impressive machine.
fallen21
Fantastic capture.
MagikUnicorn
Yes NEAT and BEAUTIFUL SHOT Bill Lots of snow this winter yet...Now it's HOCKEY TIME :) Happy new year long live to Bill
debbielove
I made this as well.. lol I believe it was a Revell kit.. But not sure, so long ago.. It WAS very dangerous, and I believe someone is either building,or has built a replica somewhere.. GOOD LUCK I say! Great shot Bill.. Rob
neiwil
"Sporty but dangerous", don't think I've heard that one..I prefer "Night Fever", but then the Gee Bees have made so many great records....oh hang on....sorry! Wonderful capture Bill, like the 'mottled' post work....I can understand wanting to break the speed record, but I'll never understand building this to do it! I guess that's why they say pilots are a 'breed apart'....Tailspin would probably love this :-)
RodS
Yeah that was a little speed demon all right.... I remember seeing a film of that crash - it was pretty scary! Great shot of this little GeeBee, Bill!
moochagoo
Very powerful plane :)
Briney
Now... THIS is pod-racing..... ... did they ever consider making it VTOL too, just point it straight up! Zoom!