Video: The 'SLICK' Look At Oshkosh 2014 (Must See!)

 SLICK (Wesley Perkins) has crunched down the footage and his OSH14 video hit the streets (of youtube) over the weekend! This year's version is more of what we've come to expect in the way of a great video that captures the incredible aviation diversity that is Oshkosh, the world's greatest aviation event.

 With such strong attendance this year in both people and aircraft, there's no reason to think that OSH won't remain king of the hill for a long time to come. The reality tho is that Oshkosh isn't about being a mega event, it's really all about people with a passionate love for flying (and building, re-building, or restoring) airplanes of every imaginable kind. It's grass roots. It's down to earth. It's real. If for some reason this isn't the Oshkosh you know, may I suggest that you're doing it wrong. I've experienced 36 or 37 Oshkosh weeks since I was just 9 years old in 1970, and I love my time there every bit as much today as I ever have. 

 Thanx SLICK for another fabulous video reminder of how great Oshkosh Is!

(I've no idea what this A********e thingy is... I've never been to one of those and I never will. To understand what I mean, read reason #1 under 'WHY IT'LL NEVER HAPPEN'  : )

other Slick OSH videos:
OSH13
OSH11
 OSH10 

Like this post? Tell your friends... use the 'share' or 'email' article links below - thanx : )

Replica Gee Bee Q.E.D. In The Sky (The Beauty Of Teamwork)

(click pic to enlarge) The Jim Moss Gee Bee Q.E.D. in the air! (photo: James Polivka)

 There's a good chance you already know that the Gee Bee Q.E.D. replica envisioned by Jim Moss made its first flight back on September 26, 2013. But if you're like me you didn't realize that Jim had been ill for some time during the latter stages of the project, and in fact he passed away on September 1st. It was the team of dedicated friends (wonderful aviation craftsmen) that carried Jim's Gee Bee dream into the sky.

 This helps to explain why the Q.E.D. video that I posted back in August didn't feature Jim and instead showcased these friends who honored Jim by never giving up.

 It appears that the first flights were very successful, and it's encouraging to see that getting the airplane to Oshkosh 2014 to share it with the aviation world is definitely a goal. Congratulations to all involved for building an incredible aircraft, but even more for being such dedicated and hard-working friends.

(click pic to enlarge) The Q.E.D beauty is deeper than its skin (photo:  James Polivka)

more info:

QED Flight Update (Antique Airfield)

Jim Moss's Gee Bee Q.E.D. Makes Maiden Flight (EAA)

Video: Building The Gee Bee Q.E.D. Replica (And First Flight Coming Soon!)

 Back in May I posted a pic and a link to more pix of the amazing Gee Bee Q.E.D. replica being built by Jim Moss out in the pacific northwest. This recently released high-quality video shares so many more details about the project, and the team of builders that have come together to make it all possible. Both the size and the workmanship on this airplane are amazing! The video is almost 20 minutes long but it's worth every minute. If you don't have the time right now to watch it all, check out the engine start up sequence that starts at 12:30, and the high-speed taxi test that starts at about about 16:50... but seriously, find the time to watch the whole video.

The incredible QED replica out in the sunshine and firing up the big 1,425hp radial!

 The first flight is hoped to take place sometime this fall, but it won't happen until everything is truly ready. Given the size and relatively complexity of this replica, which has over twice the the horsepower as the one-and-only original Gee Bee Q.E.D., this is definitely not an airplane where you wanna rush the first flight in any way.

 It's interesting to note that this replica differs from the original in that it has the much bigger engine, a slightly larger fin and rudder to deal with that extra horsepower, and the landing gear is set further apart to give much better ground stability. That wider gear has also caused the wingspan to increase 2 feet over the original as well. This must be one of the most beastly homebuilt airplanes ever built. Wow!

 Stay tuned for first flight info.

Video screenshot: Big, beautiful beast of an airplane! Replica Q.E.D. from Jim Moss & crew

Video screenshot: wide angle view of the Q.E.D. from a wing mounted camera

Video screenshot: high-speed taxi test... looks like it's right of the Rocketeer!

The Adventures Of The 19XX: Online Comic In Dieselpunk Style (With Airplanes!)

Screenshot of the online comic viewer for the very cool: The Adventures of the 19XX

 I first learned about the online comic known as The Adventures of the 19XX about a year ago when I stumbled across the 19XX facebook page. I knew instantly that I'd love it because it had an awesome graphic style AND it includes the use of familiar Golden Age flying machines. Tho it's not a comic dedicated to this incredible era of aircraft, you'll often find them woven into this adventure story set between WWI and WWII and presented in a sweet dieselpunk style. Here's the comic overview as presented by the man behind it all, Paul Roman Martinez:

Somewhere in the 20th century…not long after the end of the Great War, those who were capable of hearing it, received a revelation… another Great War was coming. This coming war would push the limits of technology, split the atom to create the power of a small star, and bring together forces more evil than the world has ever known. That this war would happen was man’s fatal destiny, but the outcome of the war and the details of it were not as clear. A weak League of Nations banded together to form a group. A group capable of doing what those countries could not. A group of adventurers, explorers, and scientists from every allied country to search the globe and fight a battle far from the public eye. This group is The 19XX, all the public has been told is that they are fighting for all of the good in humanity to survive the nineteen hundreds and beyond.

Their mission is to track down every powerful relic, every modern and undiscovered weapon, and every magic incantation ever uttered on the earth’s crust, because the forces of evil responsible for the next Great War would be searching for the very same thing. Nothing in the realm of the tangible or intangible is off limits when the fate of the entire world is at stake. (19XX will be updated every weeks on Mondays and Fridays, with extra stuff uploaded now and then as well)

 You can also learn more about both the comic and Paul in this recent artist spotlight at FreshMonkeyFiction.com.

Beautiful airship print available in the online store at adventuresofthe19xx.storenvy.com

 In addition to being a free online comic that's now into its third book, the 19XX generates revenue to support Paul's work thru a store full of really cool products. Art prints like the airship one above really capture the awesome designs of the era. Paul has a good eye for 'cool' but he also does a great job of being true to the flying machines, so avgeeks should have nothing to complain about when they buy the printed versions of the comic, or maybe a t-shirt or canvas bag with printed graphics. It's all just really really cool stuff!

One of the current t-shirts design currently available thru the 19XX online store

 I'm especially excited about Paul's graphics because I've worked out a deal with him to do the actual airplane artwork for the FLY Energy Bar packages that I'm developing. The packaging for a product is such an important part of its success, and I have worked hard to create a truly fabulous design that includes Golden Age of air racing aircraft for each individual flavor... but I don't have the level art artistic skills to draw the actual airplane part of the design. Paul will be drawing up a Gee Bee R2 for me before long so that I can have a complete package design to share for the upcoming kickstarter.com campaign for FLY Energy Bar. I think you're gonna be very impressed!

 So please go check out the comic at the19xx.com and then be sure to check out all the hot products in the online store... you're cool factor is sure to increase when you enter the world of The Adventures of the 19XX!

Video: Kermit Takes The Gee Bee Z Out For A Spin

 
 Don't get too excited here, there's no 'spinning' or even leaving the ground with the beautiful replica Gee Bee Z that's part of Kermit Weeks' Fantasy of Flight collection, but he did fire her up again and do some taxi testing in preparation for possibly getting her back in the sky before long. Just seeing (and hearing) this replica of the iconic Golden Age air racer move around on the ground is enough to significantly elevate my heart rate : )

 You might remember a Fantasy of Flight video I posted about a year ago of Kermit running the engine on the Z... this airplane is stunning to look at whether it's in the air or not! And just to clarify once again, this replica is NOT the one seen in the 1991 film the Rocketeer. The one seen in the film was built in 1978 by Bill Turner and was modified from the original design by increasing the wing area some and lengthening the fuselage a little to help make it easier to fly. That replica is currently on display at The Museum of Flight in Seattle.

 The replica that Kermit has (in the video above) was built in 1996 to the same dimensions as the one-and-only original that was destroyed in a crash during a speed record attempt 1931. You can read a little more about the original Gee Bee Z history in the wiki. This replica is housed at Kermit's Fantasy of Flight museum and is where this video was shot the other day. 

Screenshot: Kermit Weeks doing taxi tests his replica Gee Bee Z the other day

 There's plenty of avgeek awesomeness to see in this video of the Z, but I wanted to point out what really caught my eye. Note how the tail lifts off the ground just a little at 1:50. On one hand it's no big deal... it's a small taildragger with a Pratt & Whitney R-985 making 450 hp hanging off the nose. You might easily expect the tail to get really light when running the engine up and holding the brakes. However, note that Kermit has the stick back and the elevator deflected in a manner meant to keep the tail on the ground, yet even with all that air going over the tail it still comes off the ground! It looks like the combination of buckets full of power and that short fuselage (limiting the arm that the elevator is mounted on) mean that this thing is a bona fide beast!

 Even more, the wing-loading on the Gee Bee Z is somewhere in the area of 30 to 35 pounds to the square foot which puts it more inline with fighter aircraft from WWII. I think you can imagine that a fairly high wing-loading and a short-coupled fuselage make an airplane that's definitely a handful to fly. The first flights on this replica back in 1996 were done by Delmar Benjamin of Gee Bee R-2 fame - and I saw him post on facebook not long ago that the Z was his favorite Gee Bee to fly. Kermit also flew this airplane, 13 years ago, so he's knows what it's like. It's sure gonna fun to see if he gets her back in the air once again!  #geebeelove

A Gee Bee Built For Two! Replica Q.E.D. By Jim Moss

Click the pic to see more Q.E.D. pix from AntiqueAirfield.com
Recent pic of the massive Gee Bee Q.E.D. replica by Jim Moss  (photo: AntiqueAirfield.com)

 Jim Moss from the Seattle area is no stranger to building replicas of fabulous aircraft from the Golden Age. His Laird Super Solution from back in 2000 showed he's got the skills for this kind of work - check out this link about his Laird from another Super Solution builder Pete Groves (info on Jim's starts at pic 3 on that page). And now, his replica of the big Gee Bee, the 1934 Q.E.D. appears to be either complete or very nearly so. Wow, that's one big and beautiful airplane!

 Jim has taken a few liberties with this airplane, making it a very nearly accurate replica but with some changes. It's my understanding that the overall dimensions are the same as the actual Q.E.D. and most all of the details are meant to be accurate, but the original 675hp Pratt & Whitney R-1690 engine has been replaced with a Wright R-1820 of 1,425hp! The bigger engine (from a T-28) is actually the same diameter and only about 200 pounds heavier than the R-1690, a weight differential made up by reducing the original Q.E.D.'s fuel capacity from a whopping 480 gallons to just 240. Even with the bigger engine and lower fuel capacity, this flying machine will still have some serious range! Oh, and the fin and rudder have been upsized a bit to help make sure there's a plenty of tail to tame the power in the nose. 

 I'm hoping the combo of appearing complete along with plenty of fuel capacity mean that there's a good chance it'll be flying and at OSH13, but I really don't know if that's the plan. I sure do hope so tho!

 You can see several more great pix of the Q.E.D. from a post a couple days ago at AntiqueAirfield.com: Jim Moss' Gee Bee Q.E.D. Project - they will likely have the first info related to when this big beautiful beast is first flown so stay tuned!

FLY Energy Bar Dips A Toe In The Water (Golden Age Of Air Racing Too!)

A version of the FLY Energy Bar logo... designed by me!
 

@FLYenergybar on twitter  |  FLY Energy Bar on facebook

 A came up with a concept for an energy bar and the branding to go with it in late October 2012. Since that time I have been developing the details of the graphic imagery and marketing concept, along with the actual food product itself. Yeah, I'm developing the recipe too! I've really enjoyed the research required to learn about how to make all this happen... and then there's the testing. Testing concepts, even food recipe concepts, is just pure awesome to me! I love the challenge and the quest for solutions.

 I'm very excited to present some of the details of what I've come up with. It's called FLY Energy Bar... they are premium-quality and all-natural energy/meal replacement bars made with grains, seeds, and fruit, with very little or no cane sugar, no high fructose corn syrup, low fat, most likely gluten-free, low sodium, high protein, good fiber, and with an energy kick! Best of all, these energy bars taste great! I'm still in development and tweaking the recipes, but I have two of the three flavors for launch already 95% defined.

 I don't have the cash to start a business like this, but crowd funding thru a website like kickstarter.com can make all the difference. That's why I'm revealing the basics of this project now, so I can create some awareness in preparation for launching a kickstarter campaign in July. That campaign will give you an opportunity to contribute to the project in return for some of the products, as well as a variety of unique rewards at varying contribution levels.

Gee Bee R-1 racer right after winning the 1932 Thompson Trophy race

 I'm most excited about the way I'm incorporating Gold Age of Air Racing aircraft into the packaging. I wish I could share the first package graphic with you but at the moment I can't, but I'll tell you that it's the coolest looking food package I've ever seen! I'm also confident that people who have no specific interest in aviation will find the packaging fun, exciting, and motivating. FLY bars are intended to be for everyone and anyone... it's just that people who love aviation will be all the more drawn in : )

 I'll be using custom artwork based on amazing race aircraft from the 20's and 30's like the Gee Bee R-1, Hughes H-1 and the Curtiss RC3 to encourage people to see how eating a FLY bar will help them feel like they're able to spread their wings and do their own flying thru the day.

The Howard Hughes record-setting H-1 racer - first flown in 1935

 FLY Energy Bar is meant to represent more than just food... it's all about a culture of being driven to succeed while also making the world a better place to live. I have some huge concepts to go along with the making-the-world-a-better-place idea, but again I have to wait to tell you about them. I'm as sure as I can be tho that you'll really connect with what I have in mind. I also feel that these benevolent aspects will really encourage people to contribute to the kickstarter campaign once it's up and running.

Curtiss R3C seaplane in the late 20's... beauty and grace meet power and speed!

 One other plan for the culture of FLY Energy Bar is an annual event called FLYfest... mixing several cool elements all into one awesome event: a fly-in focusing on antique/classic and homebuilt aircraft, a small airshow, lots of live blues music, AND a BBQ food fest! The goal would be for the first event to take place in the summer of 2014. And, since I founded and ran a Christian rock music fest for 10 years (1999-2008), I'm thinking pulling off an awesome FLYfest would be right up my alley : )

 I hope you think this all sounds cool and that you'll consider contributing to the kickstarter campaign, once it's up in July, so you can be a direct part of making FLY come to life. 

 FLY: fuel for you.

CoolPix: Jimmy Doolittle And The Gee Bee R-1 Race Past The Bendix Pylon! (1932)

(click pic for hi-res)  The iconic Gee Bee R-1 at 1932 Cleveland National Air Races

 (check out the Gee Bee category on AirPigz)

 This is actually a picture of a picture... the enlarged photograph is on the wall at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington DC and I captured a picture of that photograph during the NASM AirPigz MeetUp back in late January 2013. I was spending quite a bit of time channeling Howard Hughes in the presence of the Hughes H-1 racer, and this photograph was on the wall nearby along with other interesting items from the golden age of air racing. I went ahead and took the pic knowing that one day I'd wanna post it here. I really like how the off-center Gee Bee helps relate the speed that the racer was traveling - probably around 250 mph, but maybe more. Be sure to click this CoolPix to open it up hi-res.

 There's a similar picture viewable on the net (sample here) but it shows Jimmy and the Gee Bee going from left to right. After studying the two pix a bit I realized that the signboard in the pic here says 'Event L Lap' while the other pic says 'Event R Lap'. I haven't done the research to know for sure what that means, but I would assume that, for whatever reason, the airplane was flying the race course in opposite directions. One of these days I'll take the time to understand the meaning... but for now I'm content just imagining what it would have been like to be there in person (and in color) as this amazing aircraft and amazing pilot ripped a streak in the Cleveland sky. Seriously, if you do more than just look at this image, if you make a specific effort you can let your mind take you back to 1932 and a world that is so far away from the one we live in today. And yet there they were, less than 30 years after the Wright Brothers, and the Granville Brothers had a race airplane that could easily exceed 250 mph. (Jimmy set a world speed record in the Shell Speed Dash during the 1932 races of 296 mph!)

 So there you have it, my Gee Bee obsession remains intact. More to come : )

Hobbico E-FEST Was An Awesome Electriflying RC Display! (21 Pix)

(click any pic to enlarge)

The University of Illinois Armory building is a great place for indoor electric flying!

 Hobbico, headquartered in Champaign Illinois, is the largest distributor of hobby products in the world, so it's not hard to understand why they are the host for the E-FEST electric indoor RC event at the University of Illinois Armory building in Champaign Illinois! The big E-FEST event took place over this last weekend (Feb 9-10, 2013) and I made the 4-hour drive (each way) over there on Saturday with my 11 year old nephew Jaxon to check it all out. I figured any huge electric RC event would have to be interesting to see, and it didn't hurt that Scaled Composites had also sent Elliot Seguin to the event to conduct a forum and do a little Scaled engineer recruiting. And for Jaxon, who so far only has a peripheral interest in aviation, I figured some exposure to the world of foam and electric flying toys would have to be a good idea : )

 Btw, if you're an engineer looking for one of the coolest companies in the world to work for, I suggest you check out the Scaled careers page right now, this is a rare period of strong growth for the company.

 It was great to meet up with Elliot from Scaled, and, the electric RC flying on display was absolutely fantastic. In fact, the entire event was fantastic. It reminded me of the good ole days... lots of cool people doing cool stuff in a kind, gentle, and orderly fashion, with no need for pesky heavy-handed supervision. You just don't see Americans able to operate like this much any more, and it was extremely refreshing to me. Along with all that goodness, the changes and advancement in the world of RC in the last few years are just incredible. As my financial situation is finally showing signs of noticeable improvement, I can promise you that some affordable electric RC flying machines are in my future! If things continue to improve, I'll eventually graduate from RC back into full scale! (actually, you never really graduate from RC, you just add full size fun to the mix!)

 The star of the show for me was this little Gee Bee R-2 available from E-flite, which appears to have been out for a year or so but I sure wasn't aware of it. Given my general obsession with all things Gee Bee, the existence of this little critter is a big deal to me. With a small 20.1 inch wingspan and a flying weight of just 3.6 ounces, this Gee Bee would seem like it would have to be a handful to fly. It would be if it wasn't for some amazing technology called AS3X incorporated into the electronics. AS3X is a stability enhancing system that basically keeps the aircraft on whatever flight path you put it in, yet it doesn't prevent you from making the airplane do whatever you want it to. It compensates for aircraft instability and air turbulence, and creates both an easy to fly airplane and one that looks soooo real in flight. It takes a small and extremely twitchy design like the Gee Bee and makes it a fantastic flyer!

 Check out this E-flite Gee Bee video to learn more about the airplane and see it in the air. I can't emphasize enough how real and 'scale' the several Gee Bee's I saw at E-Fest looked when in the air. It's just stunning to see them fly. This little Gee Bee is on my short list for getting back into RC once again. They're essentially a ready-to-fly airplane and can be found for just $99 with motor, battery, and servos already installed. All you need to complete is a compatible transmitter that can be bought for as little as $59 (if you don't need anything fancy) or, a more expensive transmitter (about $159 to $250) makes more sense if you plan to expand your hangar of flying toys. Without a doubt, these little foam 'scale' aircraft, and systems like AS3X are transforming small model flying!

Click any pic to enlarge

My 11 year old nephew Jaxon building a freely-provided foam rubber-powered flyer

Click to read more ...

CoolPix: Gee Bee R-1 After Winning 1932 Thompson Trophy (+ Desktop Pix & Delmar Video)

(click pic for hi-res) Gee Bee R-1 after Jimmy Doolittle won the 1932 Thompson Trophy

 I'm convinced I should have been born in 1909... that would have made me 23 in 1932, a perfect age to be wowed by Jimmy Doolittle winning the Thompson Trophy race (closed course, 10 laps) in the National Air Races in Cleveland, Ohio. You might not agree, but I think there is something incredibly magical about airplanes made of steel tube and fabric, and powered by loud awesome-sounding radial engines that bleed a lot of oil. Wow, this is real air racing!

 And air racing was a huge spectator sport back in these days. Why would it not be? These airplanes and the people who flew them were like the rocket ships and astronauts of the 60's. Just imagine that by 1932, less then 30 years since the Wright brothers had lifted off the rail at Kitty Hawk, we had aviation pioneers building and racing airplanes that were able to fly at speeds of 300 mph. An interesting side note here is that seaplanes that raced in the Schneider Trophy races passed thru the 300 mph mark somewhat earlier in 1928. It would seem that having a runway of water that is both essentially endless and allows for wind-always-on-the-nose takeoffs and landings allowed these airplanes to be designed for maximum speed in ways that weren't as practical for aircraft operating off the land. As aircraft design progressed and piloting skills increased, the land planes finally took over the speed records again by 1939.

 My quest for more knowledge and accurate history about Golden Age of Air Racing aircraft is just getting started. Fortunately I have several books printed many years ago that chronicle much of what went on back in the 30's, and as I have more time to soak it up, I'll share some interesting details here. But for now you get a really sweet CoolPix of the Gee Bee R-1 being shown off like a race horse after its win with Jimmy Doolittle at the controls with a speed of 252 mpg in the Thompson Trophy race of 1932.

 I've also sized this image for desktop use on your computer in several of the common sizes, and then at the bottom of the page is a really great video of Delmar Benjamin flying his Gee Bee R-2 replica at the 1996 Cleveland National Airshow. (I'm working to gather MUCH more info on Delmar's incredible accomplishments doing low-level aerobatics with his R-2 replica... stay tuned!) Click here to see a pic of the retired replica at the fantasy of Flight museum in Polk City , Florida. 

Gee Bee R-1 1932 Thompson Trophy desktop pix:

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Reno Air Races
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