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I flew with Bob in the mid to late 1960s and really admired his willingness to step outside the box and experiment with new concepts. He often told me that, "Pioneers always end up with arrows in their heads." That was so true, as I don't think he was really appreciated for the original thinking that he did. He was often ridiculed for his radical ideas. He took lots of abuse when he started flying the Humbug in competition, but I believe that even those who kidded him realized that his model was capable of superior performance.
Bob could be frustrating and sometimes a bit irritable, but what genius couldn't? History will finally, in the end, bestow the credit he deserved as one of the greats.
Bob Hunt
----------------------GREAT POST ABOUT BOB!-------------------------------------Thanks Bob Hunt, for this truly beautiful post about BOB BARON, who truly was one of the greatest innovators of stunt. I will never forget the first time at the nationals...when I saw BOB BARON take that big flap-less stunter, with that tiny little screamin' combat/speed engine out to the line up on conventional stunters.
I can still see the looks on the faces of the flyers who started to gather around that beautifully crafted and finished airplane. The looks on the faces...ran everywhere from shock, bewilderment- and other faces reflexed an almost hateful air of discust.
I even heard a well known previous nationals competitior leaning over Bob's airplane, grinning and making a rather snide remark "Hey, Bob....this is the stunt line up.....the combat and speed events are waaaaaaaay over on the other side of the building. That brought smiles and a laugh or two.
THAT IS:
Until Bob put in one of the most consistant, smooth, error free high speed patterns performances that I had ever seen in my life. Even the square corners were an illustration in perfection.
That little engine that all of us thought we waaaaaay to small....carried that large sized but extremely light weight, short moment armed stunter through the pattern with ease.
After he landed and carried that model back to the staging area. The laughter and razzin' had not only been stiffled but the look on the faces of those who were doin' the hanger-trashin' had turned to seriousness.
It was boldly apparent that BOB BARON was going to be one huge and worthy competitior from that day and thoughout the nationals.
Yes, History will prove that Bob Baron...was truly a rare and gifted stunt ACE that will be long remembered for his boldness and innovative ideas and concept airplanes.
Topic: El-Jay (Read 4790 times)
