N14307 —

S_U_P_E_R photo - cooooool historic aircraft -

Wonderful photo, love to the core. :-)

THE BEST PHOTO!

Five ***** ! photo of this Gee Bee z. Short wings, all the power from the big engine that you can hear here : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JcRzsgiTMM or https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8DIVVMH1WhM
On such vidéos if I love the plane itself, I like too all the old aviation enthusiasts around it !
And don't forget the fire extinctor !

Wasn't aware of "trainer" version, always nice to be surprised! Not sure I'd climb in this one.

The original QED was not built as a trainer nor this modified replica either.

The original Gee Bee R6 (later designated Q.E.D.) was designed and built as a two place transcontinental air racer specifically to complete in the MacRobertson Trophy Race - a transcontinental air race from London to Melbourne, Australia. The orignal QED was powered by a 650 hp P&W R-1690 Hornet engine. The original QED did not finish the MacRobertson Trophy Race and in 1939 was sold to Mexican competition pilot Francisco Sarabia. After setting a new speed record from Mexico City to New York City in 10 hrs 48 minutes, tradgedy struck and Sarabia was killed when the engine quit on take off from Washington D.C. and the aircraft plunged into the Potomac River. The Q.E.D. was not badly damaged, and was restored and is not on display in Mexico as a tribute to Francisco Sarabia.



In 2002, legendary aircraft builder Jim Moss set out to recreate the legendary Gee Bee QED. Starting with the basic original plans, Moss' recreation incorporated several modifications including wider landing gear, lengthened wings, a 20% larger vertical fin, and the installation of a 1425 hp. Wright R-1820 engine which replaced the original 650 hp. P&W R-1690. The construction of the QED II took place between 2002 and 2013 and encompassed in excess of 50,000 man hours to build.

This comment for Michael Murphy, the photographer: I had the distinct honor of working along side Howell "Pete" Miller, one of the design engineers of the R6 along with two of the Granville brothers, Mark and Ed. Mark and "Pete" worked at Pratt & Whitney in the Research Laboratories and Ed in the Main Plant's experimental machine shop until retirement. I wasn't aware of the R6 and the two-seater version. What a pleasant surprise. I'll have to share this photo with the rest of the P&W gang who remember these pioneers fondly. Thanks again.