I fell in love with these beautiful little planes while watching the Rocketeer when I was younger. This example is no different. It looks like something out of a cartoon than real life. What an incredibly beautiful plane. Congratulations.👍👍👍
That thing is terrifying-the touchiness of the controls, the nose heaviness, the close proximity of the engine to the pilot, how high the nose angle is on taxi, the fact that from the second those wheels hit the runway you’re only a twitch away from fishtailing, nosing over or groundlooping
Lol that Storch just gently floating to the ground! Love how these engines start on like 3 cylinders and slowly the rest wake up till the thing finds it's full roar. Then you hear the air getting abused as he rolls on the prop pitch. Truly a monster motor with the minimum wings and tail bolted on.
WOW! What a plane. Did any one else see the ironic contrast of the Fiessler Storch coming in for a landing as thr crew were wheeling the GeeBeeout on the tarmac for the engine tests? The fastest and the slowest!
This video is so impressive!!! When they released this a week ago for MSFS 2020, I purchased it without any hesitation and I am so impressed that there are real pilots out there that can pilot this craft because it is insane!
I got to stand next to and take some pics of this aircraft in 2008 when I visited Flights of Fantasy. Got to meet Kermit too .. he took a group I was with up in his Trimotor .. I got to fly seat! One of those memories for a lifetime. Thanks Kermit.
What a machine that stands out even today,she is a beauty Kermit and so pleased you have this one for your collection,we could see you working hard on that rudder as she came over the threshold,this will be a wonderful exhibit in the air racing section that you have planned.
Kermit, I grew up in Spfld, 1/4 mile from where these racers were built. Father built primary glider and Heath Parasol in one year at age SIXTEEN! I studied autopilot sys. in the USAFRes in the 70’s. Presently own Northwing ATF. Great thing you are doing there in FLA!
Memories of seeing the R2 flying (and climbing out) on knife edge At the DuPage County AirShow Some 30 years ago... Requiem! I cried THEN And am crying now.. God Bless ALL! BOTH planes need to be FLOWN! Regularly J.C. Age 74 years young! Born in Ybor City, Tampa FL. 1949 Hung out some weekends at our Vandenberg Airport Eurika Springs, US-92 & US-301 From 35rd grade to my early 20's Semper Fi
I wish you would comment on the flight characteristics of the Gee Bee. This plane had a reputation of being challenging to fly and to land. The "flying coffin," the "killer bee," Jimmy Doolittle called it "the most dangerous airplane I have ever flown." Wow, and hats off to Kermit and this gorgeous plane!
I'm probably the only person in the world who would LOVE to see the counter weights working on that huge prop in slow motion while you're running through the run up checks... Beautiful A/C sir!!! Thank you for preserving these amazing pieces of history :-) If I ever get back to FL, your aviation museum will be on my list of things to see, along with a SpaceX launch!!!
That's entirely possible. I'll give you some of those junky ass counterweights if you want, I can't stand them. Bunch of worthless greasy hockey pucks bolted to flimsy coffee cans that take weeks to get around to changing pitch. I'd take a hydromatic hub any day.
I passed my Private Pilot Knowledge Test about 2.5 months ago, so I’m one step closer to fulfilling my New Year’s Resolution from 2017 of obtaining my Pilot’s License so that I can fly planes for real like you do in these videos.
I have been a pilot for 30+ years , many different air craft. These airplanes are cool and General Doolittle made her sing in the sky, however this little beast would scare the hell out of me . Safe flights Kermit
I am in my 70's and love flying. I learned at 15 and had to wait until I was 16. I always admired the BG. A huge motor, a couple of wings and what more do you need!? My dad told me that it flew forward as well as backwards. That's what I wanted!! Thanks.
Have read extensively of the Granville brothers and their marvelous aircraft. Zantford "Granny" Granville was the inspirational leader of the group of 5 bros that created the Model Z. The idea was to take the most powerful engine they could find, the Wasp, and taper the rest of the aircraft rearward from that diameter. It worked and even looks FAST sitting still! They sold stock to investors to help fund the aircraft. It was called the "Springfield Air Racing Association" referred to as SARA, which is painted on the cowling. When Lowell Bayles won the 1931 Thompson Trophy race the investors did very well on their investments. Sadly Bayles was killed at the Detroit speed course in Dec of that year. Bayles was not only a great pilot but a great friend and almost a member of the Granville family. "Granny" was devastated by the loss and was going to give up, but found the courage to build the R-1 and R-2, the following year. Jimmy Doolittle, who was probably about the greatest flier America ever produced, won the Thompson in 1932 in the R-1, his only experience in that aircraft was flying it from Springfield to Cleveland. Theirs is a story of great pioneer work in the field of high speed flight, but tempered with tragedy as you would expect from that era where very little was known of the forces that worked on an aircraft at that kind of speed. Doolittle was the first man to receive a degree as an aeronautical engineer, was the first man to make an instrument flight and of course led the raid on Japan, flying an Army B-25 bomber off the deck of the aircraft carrier Hornet, early in 1942. He was also the only man who truly mastered this particular aircraft design.
There used to be one hanging from the ceiling in a building (I think it was the old welcoming center) off Interstate 91 in Springfield, MA. You could see it from the highway it was cool to see.
Dear Mr. Weeks, My son and I very much enjoyed your book "All of Life is a School" thank you for writing such a wonderful book about such an important subject as the attitude that one must allways be learning in life if life is to be lived to its fullest. Someday it would be wonderfull to learn of how you learned to fly the Gee Bee Z given that there was no simulator and the sad history that all of her pilots of the past had been killed under mysterious circumstances durring her heyday? How did you learn of what I believe was an aileron reversal without suffering the tragedy of your Gee Bee pilot forebearers? Cheers to you sir, Leo - now age 52 Stavros - now age 7
This is one of aviations coolest, but that hanger and airport is making me drool...did you happen to see that PBY in the background. I used to work on corporate jet interiors at Long Beach Airport decade's ago and saw a PBY5A all the time flying around and landing in the harbor. Nothing like prop jobs of yesteryear. Thanks for sharing the Bee Gee.
What an insane contraption. Tiniest plane, biggest engine combination possible. NO PADDING for the pilot's back. Must be about as comfortable as taking a nap in a washing machine.
I had a model of this plane as a child (I built many models, mostly flying; I'm about Kermit's age and also a pilot). It always scared me, just to look at it! I wouldn't try to fly one. But very cool to see.
Absolutely love this. I saw Delmar fly at OshKosh years ago. I even had an autographed sweatshirt from then. On that date the plane he flew was red and white I believe. I am an R/C modeler and have had a few Gee Bees my self.
PhalanxFire smalling The Red & White GeeBee most of us saw at Oshkosh was DElmars replica, different airplane. This was built for the Disney movie the Rocketeer I believe, cam available after movie.
@@davidwalsh7486 Actually, There was an R1, an R2, an R1/R2 made from parts, and the Long-Tailed Racer. Not all Gee Bees were intended as racers, although many of them were raced. In fact, the very first Gee Bee was a biplane. the Model A.
Great video, and brilliant to actually see it flying! Especially the landing. Good sink rate, then wheeling it on smoothly right at the beginning of the runway. Class!
I understand the mechanics of a variable pitch propeller, but when Paul did the engine check run and a bit of background reference point (the tree at 2:03) it emphasized the amount the hub moves!
When I was a wee lad I obsessed with aeroplanes, in particular this entrant in the 1988 Guinness Book of World Records. I always wondered what this little sucker sounded like. Now I know, and I thank you for that.
Mr. Weeks, Sir, YOU. HAVE. NERVES. OF. STEEL. Wow... What an amazing- and a bit scary- airplane. Remembering old newsreel images of men like Doolittle and Bayles actually racing those things, throttle to the firewall... GEEZ!!!
@@chokini2 I confirm Fi 156 landing, with argus engine it seems. Or a nice replica... Nice beats on this platform, 6:13 a civil converted Sunderland in the hangar...
Kermit-do you ever fly your Gee Bee Y sportster?Florence Klingensmith's gravesite is about 20 miles from my home,and even though it's in a small country cemetery,the local 4-H group has kept the site up nicely.
There are currently no scheduled flights planned at this time, that are open to the public. There will be plenty in the near future, so keep track here, on the FoF website, and on Kermit's Facebook page.
Only a aerobatic pilot like Kermit would attempt this plane . excellent flight Kermit. cant wait to see the typhoon flying or tempest . and P38 being restored to flight again
I got a chance to talk to the late Delmar Benjamin who built his own Gee Bee (that Kermit now has) and he said that they aren't all that dangerous to fly but from the moment you start the engine, until the plane comes to a stop and the engine is off, it requires 100% attention.
I fell in love with these beautiful little planes while watching the Rocketeer when I was younger. This example is no different. It looks like something out of a cartoon than real life. What an incredibly beautiful plane. Congratulations.👍👍👍
That thing is terrifying-the touchiness of the controls, the nose heaviness, the close proximity of the engine to the pilot, how high the nose angle is on taxi, the fact that from the second those wheels hit the runway you’re only a twitch away from fishtailing, nosing over or groundlooping
Lol that Storch just gently floating to the ground! Love how these engines start on like 3 cylinders and slowly the rest wake up till the thing finds it's full roar.
Then you hear the air getting abused as he rolls on the prop pitch.
Truly a monster motor with the minimum wings and tail bolted on.
When Kermit says "That's interesting", He means it was a wild ride.
WOW! What a plane. Did any one else see the ironic contrast of the Fiessler Storch coming in for a landing as thr crew were wheeling the GeeBeeout on the tarmac for the engine tests? The fastest and the slowest!
Thanks, I didn’t notice the Storch until I looked for it a second time. I like both of these planes.
This video is so impressive!!!
When they released this a week ago for MSFS 2020, I purchased it without any hesitation and I am so impressed that there are real pilots out there that can pilot this craft because it is insane!
I got to stand next to and take some pics of this aircraft in 2008 when I visited Flights of Fantasy. Got to meet Kermit too .. he took a group I was with up in his Trimotor .. I got to fly seat! One of those memories for a lifetime. Thanks Kermit.
The engine with a plane attached to it.
@owocek41 Sad I153 and i16 in the background
It seems more likely "an engine with wings on it".....lol.
@@dougscott8161 An engine test stand, "with wings!"
Exactly my first thought!
An engine with wings.
Got to have somewhere to put the fuel
What a machine that stands out even today,she is a beauty Kermit and so pleased you have this one for your collection,we could see you working hard on that rudder as she came over the threshold,this will be a wonderful exhibit in the air racing section that you have planned.
Kermit, I grew up in Spfld, 1/4 mile from where these racers were built. Father built primary glider and Heath Parasol in one year at age SIXTEEN! I studied autopilot sys. in the USAFRes in the 70’s. Presently own Northwing ATF. Great thing you are doing there in FLA!
Gee Bee aircrafts are so unique and impressive :)
I had the luck to see Delmar Benjamin displaying his R2 in flight.
Thank you for sharing !
This is Delmar’s Z! I now own it
Where oh where is Jennifer Connelly. One of my favorite movies " Rocketeer".
Lol she was an absolute babe in this movie...wait when still is😂
I'm sorry Donald, she doesn't even know you exist.
Yeah, don't know why it got such a bum rap, it was a great movie! And she was as spectacular as always...
Memories of seeing the R2 flying (and climbing out) on knife edge
At the DuPage County AirShow
Some 30 years ago...
Requiem!
I cried THEN
And am crying now..
God Bless ALL!
BOTH planes need to be FLOWN!
Regularly
J.C.
Age 74 years young!
Born in Ybor City, Tampa FL.
1949
Hung out some weekends at our Vandenberg Airport
Eurika Springs, US-92 & US-301
From 35rd grade to my early 20's
Semper Fi
My Dad (early Golden Age air racer for Cessna) was offered a seat in a Gee-Bee. Declined, he didn't like the prop wash over the control surfaces.
Dear Mr. Weeks, please stay healty and be with us for a long long time... THANK YOU for all your works !!! Frank
This is the airplane that scares the Gee Bees out of me! No joke, it really does. Kermit, total respect!
Just don't flight over 220 mph and you'll be fine
@@K-Effect Why not over 220?
yeah hes the greatest .But the plane looks like a russian polikarpov , wonder if there's a connection .
@@siddharthsharma8940 wing flutter will tear the wings off!
I wish you would comment on the flight characteristics of the Gee Bee. This plane had a reputation of being challenging to fly and to land. The "flying coffin," the "killer bee," Jimmy Doolittle called it "the most dangerous airplane I have ever flown." Wow, and hats off to Kermit and this gorgeous plane!
I've been a huge fan of the Gee Bee planes for years! So glad she will be running again! Now if we can get another Hughes H-1 airworthy!
"You sneeze and you'll end up upsidown in a bean field"
Upsidown
Nah, great safe plane, designed to race, needs a great pilot like weeks to keep ahead of it.
The tail feathers are just a suggestion.
@@airgliderz Quote from "The Rocketeer"
Holy Cow! What a beauty! Gee Bees are like real life cartoon planes. Very very cool. You guys just keep showing awesome stuff. Thank you so much.
I'm probably the only person in the world who would LOVE to see the counter weights working on that huge prop in slow motion while you're running through the run up checks... Beautiful A/C sir!!! Thank you for preserving these amazing pieces of history :-) If I ever get back to FL, your aviation museum will be on my list of things to see, along with a SpaceX launch!!!
That's entirely possible. I'll give you some of those junky ass counterweights if you want, I can't stand them. Bunch of worthless greasy hockey pucks bolted to flimsy coffee cans that take weeks to get around to changing pitch. I'd take a hydromatic hub any day.
I see so many aircraft and think “man I would love to fly that” then I see this GeeBee and I’m all....nope nope nope
Totally agree...I do not think that beast would be a lot of fun...of course, we could be wrong. Low passes at 260 might get the blood pumping!
The image that goes through my mind when ever I think of the Bee Gee is that one that crashed corkscrewing.
What a great looking aircraft. "Stubby" absolutely, but aggressive and graceful at the same time! Quite a handful I'm sure.
Go Speed Racer Go! 💨
Two guys that can fly anything, Bob Hoover, Kermit Weeks.
Jimmy Doolittle and Chuck Yeager!
She looks like an absolute handful to land & remain aware of where she is headed!
I passed my Private Pilot Knowledge Test about 2.5 months ago, so I’m one step closer to fulfilling my New Year’s Resolution from 2017 of obtaining my Pilot’s License so that I can fly planes for real like you do in these videos.
I give ya a thumbs up but not many folks can "fly" like Kermit.
Don't start with that one.
Just keep finding enough money. Some day it will end.
All of a sudden I'm getting flashed from Disney's "Rocketteer" though my head... what a lovely little plane!
Terrance Roff
I only remember Jennifer Connelly in that white dress. ua-cam.com/video/uA1hkbPwGM8/v-deo.html
Just watched that last Friday. There were two planes, or they painted it yellow and white, in the movie. Is this one of those A/C?
alohathaxted Me too!
rileycpo yes it was
@@alohathaxted Jennifer Connelly was my two favorite things about that movie
I have been a pilot for 30+ years , many different air craft. These airplanes are cool and General Doolittle made her sing in the sky, however this little beast would scare the hell out of me . Safe flights Kermit
I am in my 70's and love flying. I learned at 15 and had to wait until I was 16. I always admired the BG. A huge motor, a couple of wings and what more do you need!? My dad told me that it flew forward as well as backwards. That's what I wanted!! Thanks.
I wonder what material is at the end of the tailskid? Or is there some tiny wheel hidden in there for working off concrete?
A very small wheel is used.
Looking at the GB, it's easy to see where the design inspiration came for the Boeing P-26 Peashooter.
"Where's the damned CG?"
"You're SITTING in it."
,,, if this was a car, it would could be called, CCC, for Close Coupled Coupe .
I'm not entirely sure the Gee Bee Z had a CG.
Have read extensively of the Granville brothers and their marvelous aircraft. Zantford "Granny" Granville was the inspirational leader of the group of 5 bros that created the Model Z. The idea was to take the most powerful engine they could find, the Wasp, and taper the rest of the aircraft rearward from that diameter. It worked and even looks FAST sitting still! They sold stock to investors to help fund the aircraft. It was called the "Springfield Air Racing Association" referred to as SARA, which is painted on the cowling. When Lowell Bayles won the 1931 Thompson Trophy race the investors did very well on their investments. Sadly Bayles was killed at the Detroit speed course in Dec of that year. Bayles was not only a great pilot but a great friend and almost a member of the Granville family. "Granny" was devastated by the loss and was going to give up, but found the courage to build the R-1 and R-2, the following year. Jimmy Doolittle, who was probably about the greatest flier America ever produced, won the Thompson in 1932 in the R-1, his only experience in that aircraft was flying it from Springfield to Cleveland. Theirs is a story of great pioneer work in the field of high speed flight, but tempered with tragedy as you would expect from that era where very little was known of the forces that worked on an aircraft at that kind of speed. Doolittle was the first man to receive a degree as an aeronautical engineer, was the first man to make an instrument flight and of course led the raid on Japan, flying an Army B-25 bomber off the deck of the aircraft carrier Hornet, early in 1942. He was also the only man who truly mastered this particular aircraft design.
There used to be one hanging from the ceiling in a building (I think it was the old welcoming center) off Interstate 91 in Springfield, MA. You could see it from the highway it was cool to see.
Fantastic ! I am just fascinated with these Gee Bees, thank you so much .
Great video! Thanks for posting!
Iconic. Look forward to some modern HD flight video
Dear Mr. Weeks,
My son and I very much enjoyed your book "All of Life is a School" thank you for writing such a wonderful book about such an important subject as the attitude that one must allways be learning in life if life is to be lived to its fullest.
Someday it would be wonderfull to learn of how you learned to fly the Gee Bee Z given that there was no simulator and the sad history that all of her pilots of the past had been killed under mysterious circumstances durring her heyday? How did you learn of what I believe was an aileron reversal without suffering the tragedy of your Gee Bee pilot forebearers?
Cheers to you sir,
Leo - now age 52
Stavros - now age 7
I wish you wouldnt fly this one Mr. Weeks..... we love you.
That was some intense radial action!
Great footage.
Great video Mr. Weeks sir.....love the radial sounds.
Excellent film footage and sound. Great commentary.
Thank you that takes me back to my child Hood and my Grand Mother who worked for Nortnhwrop. Deeming ww2 and she was a pilot too.
Love the Gee Bee, my model is a great flying airplane but she needs your fullest attention at all times.
Belle machine, un bijoux historique ! Bravo !
Th Gee Bee is much smaller than I thought it was. Nice to get a sense of scale.
This is one of aviations coolest, but that hanger and airport is making me drool...did you happen to see that PBY in the background. I used to work on corporate jet interiors at Long Beach Airport decade's ago and saw a PBY5A all the time flying around and landing in the harbor. Nothing like prop jobs of yesteryear. Thanks for sharing the Bee Gee.
Insane aircraft, then and now.
What an insane contraption. Tiniest plane, biggest engine combination possible. NO PADDING for the pilot's back. Must be about as comfortable as taking a nap in a washing machine.
I had a model of this plane as a child (I built many models, mostly flying; I'm about Kermit's age and also a pilot). It always scared me, just to look at it! I wouldn't try to fly one. But very cool to see.
That's a beast... What a awesome machine..
Such magnificence!! Both to the plane and pilot!
can't wait to see you flying it again!
Love the hidden compartments for the electronics.
another great video kermit
Absolutely love this. I saw Delmar fly at OshKosh years ago. I even had an autographed sweatshirt from then. On that date the plane he flew was red and white I believe. I am an R/C modeler and have had a few Gee Bees my self.
PhalanxFire smalling The Red & White GeeBee most of us saw at Oshkosh was DElmars replica, different airplane. This was built for the Disney movie the Rocketeer I believe, cam available after movie.
The Red and white one is a Gee Bee R1. This yellow and Black one is a Gee Bee Z.
@@davidwalsh7486
Actually, There was an R1, an R2, an R1/R2 made from parts, and the Long-Tailed Racer.
Not all Gee Bees were intended as racers, although many of them were raced. In fact, the very first Gee Bee was a biplane. the Model A.
Great video, and brilliant to actually see it flying! Especially the landing. Good sink rate, then wheeling it on smoothly right at the beginning of the runway. Class!
Watched a documentary on the Granville Brothers, what a fascinating story.
always wondered what this red and white tower thing is all about comes into frame nicely here
@@damu1814 thanks but still none the wiser
@@damu1814 still none the wiser
In the archive flight video, that is one sweet, sweet sounding plane in the fly bys. Be safe. Peace.🇺🇸
The prettiest of all the twitchie widow makers in my opinion.
Great description
I understand the mechanics of a variable pitch propeller, but when Paul did the engine check run and a bit of background reference point (the tree at 2:03) it emphasized the amount the hub moves!
Memories..I remember in 1990 driving to Flabob airport and purchasing so we can use it for filming on “The Rocketeer”.
Looks like it tried to ground loop three times on roll out. You da man!
When I was a wee lad I obsessed with aeroplanes, in particular this entrant in the 1988 Guinness Book of World Records. I always wondered what this little sucker sounded like. Now I know, and I thank you for that.
535 h.p. and a short fuselage concept. If you double the engine power with same concept you get I-16
Awesome, Thanks for sharing. Looked like a handful to land!
Makes a challenging free flight rubber design but I have seen them fly quite well.
Mr. Weeks, Sir, YOU. HAVE. NERVES. OF. STEEL. Wow... What an amazing- and a bit scary- airplane. Remembering old newsreel images of men like Doolittle and Bayles actually racing those things, throttle to the firewall... GEEZ!!!
One SWEEEEEET sound and sight !
I’d love to see a Gee Bee back at Oshkosh in the near future!!!!
Brave man flying the geebee.
Beautiful aircraft. Must be interesting to fly being so short with a tiny rudder. Thanks for sharing.
Jimmy Doolittle won the Schneider Cup flying the GeeBee Speedster in the '30s. His comment after he won was "I'll never fly that thing again."
Thank you for sharing with us, great flying history in this Geebee, Jeff in LA USA
You can see the tip of the propeller hub moving when he cycles the propeller. Interesting.
Good catch. I wonder if that is a constant speed or some other adjustable pitch mechanism at work.
I didn't even know there was a gee bee still out there
Nice landing .I was holding my breath too.
That's a beautiful yellow and black engine stand
People: That's a nice Gee Bee
Me: Holy shit was that a Storch in the background landing?
@@JetFire9 0:57 I see a Storch too. What is it?
@@chokini2 I confirm Fi 156 landing, with argus engine it seems. Or a nice replica...
Nice beats on this platform, 6:13 a civil converted Sunderland in the hangar...
I thought so too.
Yea did you see that too? Oh so very cool
Ja
I wish you the best! This series is so interesting, from a pilot' view.
Thanks for a cool video. Looks great. That landing looked pretty hot. More skills than I have, that’s for sure.
lol, fun literally sat up in my seat when Kermit fired it up for the taxi run.
Great video! Thanks for sharing. Regards from Holland.
Kermit-do you ever fly your Gee Bee Y sportster?Florence Klingensmith's gravesite is about 20 miles from my home,and even though it's in a small country cemetery,the local 4-H group has kept the site up nicely.
Hope to again in the near future.
can't wait to see you flying it again!🤙🤙
What a wonderful looking aircraft, ... Would love one of those hats for my collection.
It's available through the FoF store. store.kermitweeks.com/?page_id=112
I would really like to know what improvements have been made compared to the original model to make it (a little) more manageable.
Sounds beautiful
Just wonderful. Always wonder about the drag ratio on that machine!
Electric start? When did they add that?
Any idea when your next flight might be? I'd love to come to watch.
There are currently no scheduled flights planned at this time, that are open to the public. There will be plenty in the near future, so keep track here, on the FoF website, and on Kermit's Facebook page.
OK Thanks for replying
Beautiful little machine.
That propeller shaft piece at the front reminds me of the WWII Navy Wildcat
Only a aerobatic pilot like Kermit would attempt this plane . excellent flight Kermit. cant wait to see the typhoon flying or tempest . and P38 being restored to flight again
Just bought TWO of those hats. Thank You
Gotta love it!! Keeping the spirit, Kermit!
I got a chance to talk to the late Delmar Benjamin who built his own Gee Bee (that Kermit now has) and he said that they aren't all that dangerous to fly but from the moment you start the engine, until the plane comes to a stop and the engine is off, it requires 100% attention.
He’s still very much alive and well. He did all the test flights on this Z as well
Sure has big feet for such a small aeroplane. Looked like a nasty yaw when it touched down but Kermit gathered it in stat.
Yeah that was a ton of rudder input