Pilot needed? For the Gee Bee R-3

[Scott Richlen]

I hope you glued it in solid!  Years ago one of the guys in our club asked me to fix up a pilot for him for his speed plane.  I took a Williams Brothers pilot,  chopped his head off and glued it on at an angle per Al Rabe's pilots, and then painted it up real nice.

I should have used better glue.

During it's first race at the Nats (a .21 engine displacement - sort-of team race looking plane) the head came off and spent it's time bouncing around the cockpit.

Oh well.

I now run a dowel up the torso and into the head and glue it.  That's gotta hurt!

[Avaiojet]

I now run a dowel up the torso and into the head and glue it.  That's gotta hurt!

Scott,

Thanks for the reply.

I remember reading someone saying they had a pilot who's head fell off.

The head I made is balsa and the torso is plastic, so I did exactly what you said. I also Epoxied everything in place, head, dowel torso and all.

Weighs a ton. 

Well, more than most pilots.

I expect to do many touch n goes with the model it's going in, so I just wanted to be sure. Overkill works for me, even in my building.

Thanks again for your reply. It's appreciated.

Charles