Identify the man in the cockpit

[Widewing]

Rather than identify the aircraft, in this case, the Granville Brothers Gee Bee Model Z Super Sportster of 1931, identify the man standing in the cockpit. This fellow would later go on to be one of the more illustrious test pilots in American aviation history. His importance was greatest during WWII, and the aircraft he tested and helped to design were among the most effective of the war. If you figure out this one, you can be consider yourself at the top of the class when it comes to American aviation history.

 

My regards,

Widewing

[RAM]

Howard Hughes?

[GRUNHERZ]

Doolittle?

[Jimdandy]

WOW! Tuff. I'll guess Charles Lindbergh. (I hope I spelled that right.   )

[This message has been edited by Jimdandy (edited 01-28-2001).]

[Widewing]

 

Originally posted by RAM:
Howard Hughes?

No, it's not Hughes. Hughes did not become a real force in American aviation until the Palmer designed H-1 racer set the world speed record for landplanes in 1935 (352.39 mph).

My regards,

Widewing

[Sorrow[S=A]]

Shot in the dark- was it Alexander Kartveli?

Or was it a different member of Republic's design team like George Burrrell?

If it was Kartveli I wouldn't be surprised- any type of plane that consisted of a radial attached to an airframe was of great interest to him. His obsession with collecting them and learning more about them was what lead to Republic making the P-47.

[Widewing]

 

Originally posted by GRUNHERZ:
Doolittle?

No, it's not Doolittle.

Doolittle did race a Gee Bee, but not this one. Doolittle flew his Laird LC-DW-300 'Solution' against the Gee Bee Model Z in the 1931 Thompson Trophy race at Cleveland. The Gee Bee Z literally ran away from it. Doolittle won the 1931 Bendix, cross-continent race, with the finish line at Cleveland. When he squared-off against the Gee Bee (in the thompson, flown by Lowell Bayles), his fixed gear biplane Laird was badly out-classed.

In 1932, while testing his retractable gear, Laird 'Super Solution, Doolittle was unable to lower the wheels and was forced to belly in the racer. It was not possible for the aircraft to be repaired in time for the Thompson. When the Granville boys heard that Doolittle was without a ride, they telegraphed him an offer to fly the new Gee Bee R-1 Super Sportster. The next day, a Lockheed Orion landed at Springfield (Mass.)with Doolittle at the controls. After getting a briefing on the new racer, Doolittle climbed aboard and took off. When he didn't return, the Granvilles became very anxious. Finally, a telegram arrived late in the evening. It was from Doolittle, he was at Cleveland. The telegram continued, "could you kindly fly up my Lockheed when you come?"
STOP "I expect to win Thompson with this plane" END.

Doolittle went on to dominate the race and set a new record for the course.

To read about and view Delmar Benjamin's remarkable Gee Bee R-2 replica, visit:
 http://www.geebee.com

My regards,

Widewing

[Widewing]

 

Originally posted by Jimdandy:
WOW! Tuff. I'll guess Charles Lindbergh. (I hope I spelled that right.    )

No, it's not Lindbergh (you spelled his name correctly). Lindbergh was not involved in closed-course pylon racing. Slim would have hated the short coupled, basically unstable Gee Bees. He had a strong dislike for the Seversky P-35 for similar reasons.

My regards,

Widewing

[Widewing]

 

Originally posted by Sorrow[S=A]:
Shot in the dark- was it Alexander Kartveli?

Or was it a different member of Republic's design team like George Burrrell?

If it was Kartveli I wouldn't be surprised- any type of plane that consisted of a radial attached to an airframe was of great interest to him. His obsession with collecting them and learning more about them was what lead to Republic making the P-47.

Kartvelli is not the man. However, they have something in common. Both men worked for aircraft manufacturers who, at one time shared the same airfield. That's a significant clue, by the way.

My regards,

Widewing

[jihad]

Chuck

[GRUNHERZ]

 Robert Hall

[Jigster]

Chuck would of been 10 years old at the time...

 

[Widewing]

 

Originally posted by GRUNHERZ:
Robert Hall

Congratulations Grunherz! Excellent knowledge of American aviation history.

Robert Hall designed the Gee Bee Model Z, and he raced it with great success. Hall would leave the Granville gang after Bayles was killed towards the end of 1931. For 1932, Hall designed and built the Hall Bulldog, which he raced in the 1932 Thompson, even though it was never able to compete with the over-powered Gee Bees, Hall finished 6th. Not very long after, Hall was hired by Grumman as a engineer/test pilot. During his career at Grumman, he made the first flight in the XF4F-1, XTBF-1, XF6F-1, XF7F-1, and XF8F-1. Hall was far more than a test pilot, he was part of the design and engineering team and the Assistant Chief Engineer for Experimental Test. In 1943, Hall went to Britain where tested a captured Fw 190A. Very impressed with the 190, he returned and went to work on the XF8F-1 Bearcat. Like the Republic XP-47J, the Bearcat was designed to out-perform the much respected Fw 190.

Hall would continue on at Grumman for many years, rising to the position of Vice President of Engineering before retiring in 1970.

My regards,

Widewing

[DmdBT]

Oh drats.. and I was about to guess it was Al Gore...

T

[-towd_]

old, tired, oh yea its republican crap again.