Cessna GC-1
| {{Infobox aircraft begin
| name=Cessna GC-1 | image=Cessna GC-1.jpg | caption= }}{{Infobox aircraft type | type=Air racer | national origin=United States of America | manufacturer=Clyde V. Cessna Aircraft Company | designer= | first flight= | introduced= | retired=1932 {{cite web |title=Cessna CR-1 |url=http://www.airport-data.com/aircraft/N144V.html |accessdate=27 April 2011}} | status= | primary user= | more users= | produced= | number built=1 | program cost= | unit cost= | developed from= | variants with their own articles= }} |
The Cessna GC-1 was an air racer built to compete in the Cirrus All American Air Derby in 1930.
Design and development
Cessna built the GC-1 for Blackwell Aviation to compete for a $25,000 prize in the 1930 Cirrus All American Air Derby. Blackwell registered the Cessna GC-1 NR-144V.{{cite journal|journal=Sport Aviation|title=The Cessna CR-1 and CR-2 Racers |date=April 1958}}
The aircraft was a mid-wing open cockpit taildragger. The landing gear was attached by struts to both the fuselage, and the wing spar.{{cite web |title=Clyde Cessna's budget racer |url=http://www.wingsoverkansas.com/murphy/article.asp?id=452 |accessdate=27 April 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101227190746/http://wingsoverkansas.com/murphy/article.asp?id=452 |archive-date=27 December 2010 |url-status=dead}}
A more powerful version with a shortened fuselage was built as the GC-2, powered by a {{convert|110|hp|kW|abbr=on}} Warner Scarab 7-cylinder radial engine.
Operational history
Stanley Stanton placed seventh in the 1930 Cirrus All American Air Derby with the GC-1. The press proclaimed the racer the "Winged Torpedo".{{cite book |title=The Golden Age of Air Racing: 1927-1933 |author1=Sylvester H. Schmid |author2=Truman C. Weaver |author3=EAA Aviation Foundation }} E.B Smith flew the aircraft in the 1930 National Air Races placing fourth with an average speed of 137.4 mph.
The GC-1 was destroyed in a landing accident, in collision with a mail plane at the Kansas City Municipal Airport.
Variants
;GC-1:The sole GC-1, given the name Miss Blackwell, was completed in 1929, powered by a {{convert|95|hp|kW|abbr=on}} Cirrus Ensign.{{cite web|last1=Eckland|first1=K.O.|title=Cessna|url=http://aerofiles.com/_cessna.html|website=aerofiles.com|accessdate=17 September 2014}} the GC-1 had two liveries, the first was Cessna Red with black registration numbers N144V the second was Cessna red with yellow registration numbers and the script "Miss Blackwell" added to the cowling.
;GC-2: A second aircraft almost identical to the GC-1, but powered by a {{convert|110|hp|kW|abbr=on}} Warner Scarab and fuselage length of {{convert|20|ft|5|in|m|abbr=on|2}}.
Specifications (Cessna GC-1)
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See also
References
{{commons category|Cessna GC-1}}
{{reflist}}
{{Cessna aircraft}}
Category:Single-engined tractor aircraft
Category:1930s United States sport aircraft