Granville Brothers Aircraft
Granville Brothers Aircraft was an aircraft manufacturer from 1929 until its bankruptcy in 1934 that was located at the Springfield Airport in Springfield, Massachusetts. The Granville Brothers—Zantford, Thomas, Robert, Mark and Edward—are best known for the three Gee Bee Super Sportster racers, the Models Z, R-1 and R-2. Prior to building aircraft, Zantford ran a mobile aircraft repair service.
Granville Brothers Aircraft
Airworthy reproduction of the Gee Bee Model Z "City of Springfield" at the Museum of Flight in Seattle
Granville Brothers Model A
Airworthy Gee Bee R-2 Super Sportster replica at Fantasy of Flight
Granville Gee Bee Model Z Super Sportster
The Granville Gee Bee Model Z was an American racing aircraft that was built, successfully raced to victory, then destroyed in a deadly crash – all in 1931. It was the first of the Super Sportster aircraft built by Granville Brothers Aircraft of Springfield, Massachusetts, with the sole intent of winning the Thompson Trophy, which it did in September 1931. Its fatal crash that December started the reputation of subsequent Gee Bee aircraft as killers.
Granville Gee Bee Model Z Super Sportster