Gee Bee Model R Super Sportster Model Airplane by Authentic Models AP407
The Gee Bee Model R Super Sportster was custom built in 1931 specifically as a special purpose racing aircraft.
The Gee Bee was made by the Granville Brothers a aircraft manufacturer located at the Springfield Airport in Springfield, Massachusetts. It was sometimes nicknamed The Flying Silo due to the short, fat fuselage resembling that type of farm storage building. This airplane was basically a huge engine with a stick and a seat behind it, a powerful plane with an endearing shape, somehow cartoon-like.
The R-1 won the 1932 Thompson Trophy cross-country speed race, piloted by Jimmy Doolittle. He also set a new world landplane speed record of 296 mph (476 km/h) in the Shell Speed Dash. During the 1933 Thompson Trophy race, racing pilot Russell Boardman was killed, flying Number 11. After taking off from a refueling stop in Indianapolis, Indiana, the R-1 stalled, caught a wingtip and crashed.
Features include: Delicate fabric stretched over a lightweight frame. Cockpit shield. Intricate engine design with metal detail. Metal cowling around engine. Decals down to the smallest details.
This model is not a kit. It comes fully assembled and is ready for display. Some setup is required.
Dimensions:
Length: 17.75 in. (45 cm)
Width: 23.5 in. (60 cm)
Height: 8.25 in. (21 cm)
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