Bob Hall (himself winner of the General Tire & Rubber Trophy and a mixed Free-for-All race) designed the Model Z Super Sportster (Gee Bee Z) which became a "one-off" production model, fitting a Wasp engine on loan from Pratt & Whitney and a propeller on loan from Curtiss. This same engine was responsible for a Thompson Trophy victory for the Laird Super Solution just one year before. The new Gee Bee Z model first flew on August 22nd, 1931 and later resulted in the winning of the 1931 Thompson Trophy for Granville. This same Granville was destroyed in a crash on December 5th, 1931, killing pilot Lowell Bayles. Bayles' experiences in the Z were notable for he also won in the Shell Speed Dash and the Goodyear Trophy Race recording speeds of 267.34 and 206.00 miles per hour respectively.
The Model R-1 and Model R-2 were developed at the same time and differed primarily in each design's goal. The Model R-1 was made specifically for achieving top speed in a short-distance course while the Model R-2 was built for achieving top speed in a longer-distance course. Both were fitted with Pratt & Whitney-brand radial piston engines. The ultimate goal for the Granvilles was to complete development of both airframes in time for the upcoming racing season of 1932. The Model R-1 and R-2 were direct successors to the crashed Model Z.
The Model R-1 Super Sportster was also fitted with a Pratt & Whitney Wasp engine of 800 horsepower. World War 2 American legend Jimmy Doolittle (of "Doolittle's Raiders" fame), won the 1932 Thompson Trophy and the Shell Speed Dash award. Doolittle also netted a new world speed record in the R-1 and regarded on the types natural qualities and flying capabilities. On July 1st, 1933, Russell Boardman - survivor of the August 1932 crash in a Model E Sportster - lost his life in the same R-1 Super Sportster flown by Doolittle. The R-1 featured a maximum speed of 294.38 miles per hour and a cruising speed of 260 miles per hour. A range of 925 miles was listed as was a rate-of-climb of up to 6,100 feet per minute.
The Model R-2 Super Sportster fitted the Pratt & Whitney Wasp powerplant. Pilot Jimmy Haizlip was hurt when it crashed in 1933. Remains of the R-1 and R-2 models were joined together as a "mutt" of sorts, producing the aptly-named Model R-1/R-2 Super Sportster. The R-1/R-2 was given another Pratt & Whitney Wasp radial engine and operated until it crashed in 1935, killing pilot Cecil Allen.
The Gee Bee QED was another Pratt & Whitney Wasp-powered radial engined Granville aircraft. A single example was produced and - as expected - crashed on June 7th, 1939. The crash killed pilot Francisco Sarabia. Despite the crash and loss of life, this particular aircraft was rebuilt and later retired as a museum showpiece to be housed at Lerdo, Mexico.
The aircraft was sometimes referred to as "The Flying Silo" for its stout tubular shape, reminiscent of grain storage silos used in farming. The Gee Bee is also featured in the Hollywood motion picture "the Rocketeer" as the chosen mount of fictional pilot Cliff Secord, getting ready to enter the upcoming national air races. True to form, his Gee Bee crashlands on the airfield after it is shot and has one of its landing gears destroyed by a passing car.
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