Granville Gee Bee R-6
Granville, Miller & De Lackner · United States · first flew 1934 · light aircraft
The Granville Gee Bee R-6 International Super Sportster, named "Q.E.D.", was the last in a series of racing and touring monoplanes from the Granville Brothers. It was dogged by bad luck and never finished any race it entered.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Low-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Fin built integral with the fuselage structure |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Teardrop-shaped racing monoplane with a low wing
- Pratt & Whitney Hornet radial engine in a NACA cowling
- Fin built integral with the fuselage structure
Look for a short, fat-fuselaged racer with a low wing and a large radial engine in a smooth cowling.
Specifications
- The Granville Gee Bee R-6 has a length of 8.28 m (27 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 10.44 m (34 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 475 km/h (295 mph).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Design work began in 1933, but the firm went bankrupt in October 1933 and Zanford Granville was killed in February 1934. The R-6H was completed for Floyd Odlum for Jacqueline Cochran to fly in the 1934 MacRobertson Air Race from England to Australia, with large fuel tanks for the long stages. A Pratt & Whitney Hornet was fitted because Curtiss-Wright could not deliver the Curtiss Conqueror she preferred.
Variants
It shared the general shape of the Gee Bee R-1 Super Sportster but was nearly 10 ft larger in span and length. Only one was built, and it was later renamed "Conquistador del Cielo".
Where you'll see it
A replica with a 1,425 hp Wright R-1820 Cyclone, considerably modified from the original, first flew on 26 September 2013.
Related aircraft
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