Seagull Gee Bee Z
#728
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Assembling the 1/5th Scale R-986D from Atwood Aviation which was 3D printed for me at 9.6 inch diameter. I put it together with extra thick CA versus the epoxy recommended by Damon. The 4-Stroke 40cc gasoline engine runs very smooth so I don't think it will get shaken apart. We will see. Lower 2 cylinders omitted for cooling. Sprayed it with KRYLON Aluminum. I need to get some dark grey gloss for the crankcase tomorrow. I am studying the installation and contemplating a baffle, I have to figure out how to mount it all inside the cowling. Leo
Last edited by Spychalla Aircraft; 01-01-2019 at 04:51 PM.
#730
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I decided to go with a baffle. It is a circular light ply ring that is set at the mid-point of the Saito cylinder. It will guide the cooling air through the fins plus it will provide support to the dummy engine. I will glass it into the cowling when it is done and it will come off complete with the cowl when dis-assembled. Also installed the stock tail wheel assembly yesterday, it went on really easy. It's going to need some black paint. Installed a slightly over-sized tire for better grass field control. Leo
#733
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This is a really fun stage on the dummy engine. Added some Rustoleum gloss grey for the crankcase. Nice color, sets off the aluminum. Added spark plugs which are just brass tubes and shrink tubing. Went with my own version of the distributor ring location which is supposed to be behind the rocker shafts. Mounting the cowl with screws from the back is always an easier option. This required making 2 new plywood rings that are slighly, 1/16" larger than the kit ring. From the pictures you should see how the cowl mount screws and t-nuts go. Leo
#735
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Displayed the Gee Bee Z on a table at the last GeneseeRC Club meeting. Pilots liked it but I am not sure they know what they are looking at? I think they lack the knowledge of the Golden Age of Air Racing to know how significant this airplane was. If they only understood, then I think they would have been more excited. Hmm. It must be just me. Leo
#737
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This is Lowell Bayles, he looks terrified! and he should.
Last edited by Spychalla Aircraft; 03-03-2019 at 05:21 PM.
#739
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Oh am I bummed. When I got to weight and balance I've learned that the airframe cannot handle the nose weight of this 10 oz. dummy engine. I have had to pull it out. I had all the batteries in the tail and it still was not enough. Now with the dummy engine out and the Saito FG-40 up front I still had to put the RX batteries in the tail under the stab and the Ignition battery is still at the back edge of the wing. This is a really nose heavy bird with a 40cc on it! Ready for flight now. We will see how it goes tomorrow. Leo
#742
My Feedback: (34)
Jim, yes the Saito FG-40 is a really big engine for this airplane. That is where all the nose weight comes from. But what fun!
Flight report: 5 flights yesterday. Landed upright 4 out of 5 times. I learned that you cannot set it down early, you have to wait on it, and wait on it. The airplane is not going to snap, it has a straight forward mushy stall, just wonderful. So I am balanced now at about 25% of wing cord. A very safe location. Engine wise the power is just perfect, I would not want any less or any more. We are running it very rich for now turning a Xoar 19 X 10 at 6,500 on the ground. In time I will lean it up and go over 7,000. This little airplane is deceptively easy to fly. In an effort to duplicate some of Delmar Benjamin's R-2 routine it will hold confident inverted passes without wandering. The low level knife edge is great, and at full power you can also do a slight knife edge climb which I saw Delmar do at Oshkosh one year. I went to altitude and tested the stall. At just above idle you could go to nearly full up and it would just mush forward and not fall off on a wing!!! It never really stalled for me. I have to explore this some more, because if I can really control this, then the GeeBee is a candidate for a low-level high alpha pass. Ha! Wouldn't that be a sight, a GeeBee crawling along with the nose up. What a hoot! We will see. Great little bird, lots of fun, it leaves smiles on your face on and off the field. Leo
Flight report: 5 flights yesterday. Landed upright 4 out of 5 times. I learned that you cannot set it down early, you have to wait on it, and wait on it. The airplane is not going to snap, it has a straight forward mushy stall, just wonderful. So I am balanced now at about 25% of wing cord. A very safe location. Engine wise the power is just perfect, I would not want any less or any more. We are running it very rich for now turning a Xoar 19 X 10 at 6,500 on the ground. In time I will lean it up and go over 7,000. This little airplane is deceptively easy to fly. In an effort to duplicate some of Delmar Benjamin's R-2 routine it will hold confident inverted passes without wandering. The low level knife edge is great, and at full power you can also do a slight knife edge climb which I saw Delmar do at Oshkosh one year. I went to altitude and tested the stall. At just above idle you could go to nearly full up and it would just mush forward and not fall off on a wing!!! It never really stalled for me. I have to explore this some more, because if I can really control this, then the GeeBee is a candidate for a low-level high alpha pass. Ha! Wouldn't that be a sight, a GeeBee crawling along with the nose up. What a hoot! We will see. Great little bird, lots of fun, it leaves smiles on your face on and off the field. Leo
#744
My Feedback: (21)
I got in a successful maiden. A bit stressful till it was trimmed out. It wanted to climb hard to the left. It’s surprisingly easy to fly. Take offs need to be slow on the up throttle and be on the right rudder. Landing is easy. You have to keep the tail flying to keep it from flying again but also not so much as to flip over. With a bit more practice this will be an enjoyable plane. Set up with a Saito 180
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gbman (07-08-2022)
#747
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Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: BILLERICA, MA
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Landing gear
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