Gee Bee R1 / R2 BENDIX Trophy Air Racing original footage

[@SSmith-fm9kg]

The Rocketeer theme never gets old.

[@pgocon]

For those that are unaware, Lee Gehlbach was Doolittle's team mate, and the pilot of the R2, Lee was an Army aviator, and a test pilot for Grumman. Lee had a degree in Aeronautical Engineering. It is documented that Lee actually helped with the design of the R2 as it had "modifications" that the R1 did not. The R1 had a tail number of N2100 and was Doolittle's aircraft while the R2 had number N2101, this was Lee's aircraft. Lee Gehlbach was my wife's Great Uncle, and is seen climbing into the R2 at 0:49.

[@billwendell6886]

Jimmy Doolittle had the first American aeronautical Phd from MIT. After he wrote the syllabus.

[@ptoneonine2563]

Hannes, Thank you so much for this video. I first raced at Cleveland in 1979, (50th ananaversery)Jimmy Doolittle was there, I was too shy to talk to him. I have never seen this before, and it is FABULOUS!

[@22mikemike]

It's gorgeous, straight from a cartoon! And unforgiving - even Doolittle said it's the most difficult to fly, out of all the planes he had ever flown.

[@brettbuck7362]

Delmar Benjamin would disagree.

[@DerUfo]

Thank you for sharing this enjoyable video on the Gee Bee

[@fourfortyroadrunner6701]

Jimmy Doolittle. There aren't 10 men in this country have pulled off some of the stuff he has, or pulled it off and lived. This video here, plus high altitude equipment research, navigation equipment research, worked with Shell Oil to improve AC fuel and lubricants, and of course, the Tokyo Raid. I never got to meet the man.

[@vehdynam]

That was absolutely fantastic ! Thank you many times over !!!!!!!!!!!!

[@hannes_lutzenberger]

You are welcome!

[@victormanuelmoguelhernande1411]

Nuestro gran piloto aviador mexicano héroe nacionl Francisco Sarabia Tinoco tubo un GB tendencia para dos pasajeros y lo llamo El Conquistador del Cielo, rompió récord en el vuelo México Nueva York en la década de los treinta del siglo pasado.

[@terryboehler5752]

It was a beautiful, grand airplane

[@harkinsky]

AWESOME! I wish I could hear that engine!

[@Herrtaft]

NO, then you wouldent be able to hear that AWESOME music that is required in EVERY youtube video....

[@johnneedy3164]

Just wonderful just to have this footage of the real thing

[@TDCflyer]

I can only imagine what it must have felt like to pilot one of those planes. Just a remainder - those were the fastest machines mankind had ever created, no human had ever gone this fast before. And these machines were dangerous. Very very dangerous.

[@ivanloar7511]

Balls as hard as steel bearings to fly one. Go ever so slightly out of the flight envelope and in trouble you were. Good footage!

[@brianhaggerty871]

Wow! I've never seen some of that footage! Thank you so much for sharing.

[@painiscupcake5433]

Excellent choice of music

[@johnwayne1464]

That is Doolittle winning the 1932 Thompson Trophy race, Hal’s Bulldog was first off the racehorse start but was almost immediately overtaken by Doolittle in the R1 on the #3 pylon, Doolittle lapped every ship in the race. Bob Hall worked for the Granville’s but after disagreements he left and formed his own shop and created the Bulldog which came in 6th place in the Thompson. He was none too pleased and got rid of it shortly afterwards.

[@mildredk]

Very exciting stuff. And I really like the music. Bernard, whom you know was CEO, is pushing his 101th birthday.

[@TalkingGIJoe]

excellent! thanks for sharing!

[@stanleydomalewski8497]

Great Video ! Thanks for posting it !

[@AlanpittsS2b]

I’m building a third scale r2 with a moki radial right now. I have already built a third scale a model it is a fantastic plane to fly just not so much to land

[@Marcin_Matejko]

Superb !

[@billwendell6886]

These are flying again. The Granville Bros never wanted to see one fly ever it was so dangerous. One of them helped NEAM at Bradley build one only if it would be unflyable. The wings are held on by brackets from a screen door. Prop wash would rip them off.

[@ragemore7750]

Hilarious that the pilot wore a parachute but needs to get into the airplane through a small door... a door that would be IMPOSSIBLE to get out of if the plane was going down and you were in a bit of a panic to get out of.

[@tomfey6020]

Thanks for that!

[@brucec2635]

Death trap..no. Think of with the technology we have today race cars can,t make it three hundred miles. The only difference is when a part fails they are already on terra firma. These were cutting edge experiments.

[@robertlippman71]

What year is this? Who is the pilot? Wish there was more in the description.

[@douglaslorin739]

Well, in the last part of the video, we see pilot Jimmy Doolittle so some of this footage documents his win at the 1932 Thompson race in Cleveland, OH. He retired from racing shortly thereafter.

[@terryboehler5752]

Great!!!!!!!

[@skyhigh1278]

Built for one thing only. speed,.. akin and progress to lockheed F104, no wings but fins. Even rockets

[@joekurtz8303]

Is this J.Doolittle ? ? G🐝 this is why I Dig History.

[@Glrk10]

Where these gee bees death traps? The widow of one brother let Kermit Weeks of Fantasy of Flight use the original blueprints to build a replica but with one condition- that it never be flown.

[@leifvejby8023]

Delmar Benjamin has several thousand hours on his, so it can't be that bad - the accidents were what I would call pilot error.

[@pauletxfish4976]

@@leifvejby8023 kzbin.info/www/bejne/qWmQhoBubM6sj5o

[@leifvejby8023]

@@pauletxfish4976 Thanks, I hadn't seen this video. The saying in the days was, that if you banked more than 30 degrees it would roll in on you!

[@robertlafnear4865]

IF they could or would bring these back ( reproduce them ) and have a class of these flying at RENO........... That would FILL Two sets of stands, top to bottom ! I've never been to the Air Races but I sure would just to see these up close .

[@southjerseysound7340]

Kermit weeks has a reproduction of the R2 and the Gee Bee Z racer and there's a bunch of videos of the guy that built and flew it on here

[@robertlafnear4865]

Thanks, I've see most of the videos...... This such a really cool and fantastic little racer .... have not been able to visit Kermit's museum yet but thats coming !

[@douglaslorin739]

There are a few replicas of the original racing aircraft flying around. Heck, that wouldn't be a bad idea if Reno Air Race officials coordinated and brought it as many of these aircraft as possible and put them on the course.