Setting up for my next Lego project, something that could have rolled out of Granville Brothers former dance hall in Springfield. Ideally I’d like to get as close to a Model R as possible but it’s not an easy shape to reproduce in Lego.
For the starting point I’ve used an off-the-shelf kit, Aviation Adventures which has a plane as the featured build. With the big rotary engine and the rounded wings it’s got two elements that are a key part of the Gee Bee designs.
There are some nice features of the model that I won’t be retaining, first is when you slide the tail wheel backwards and forwards it works a bi-directional gear assembly that turns the propeller. It’s nice but it’s going to be to restrictive to retain.
The other is the retractable undercarriage, again a nicely implemented feature but the Gee Bees had fixed, spatted, undercarriage and housing it makes the wing more restrictive.