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Lowell
Bayles
On September 1st 1931, Lowell Bayles raced over the Shell
qualifying course in the Gee Bee "Z" setting an unofficial
speed record of 267 mph, and later in the week won the
Thompson Trophy. In November of 1931, the Gee Bee "Z" was
refitted with a new and more powerful Pratt & Whitney Wasp
Sr. engine. It was capable of 314 mph. That same month
Bayles made three attempts to break the world's speed
record. On his first two attempts, Bayles failed to break
the record. On his third attempt he was killed when his Gee
Bee spun out of
control due to an aileron flutter problem.
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