Humbug plans?

[Bob Hunt]

Does anyone here have a copy of Bob Baron's Humbug plans (For the model that appeared in the January 1971 issue of MAN)? If so, could I arrange to get a copy of them? I'll be happy to payfor the copy and the shipping.

Thanks - Bob Hunt

[John Miller]

Bob, is that the lost Humbug, the big one having almost 800sq. inches, that used a McCoy series 21 40 for power? If it, is, I do know who has what is likely the only set of plans for it. Bob had forgotten he gave the plans away.

If this s the one, drop a line, and I'll put the two of you together.

[Dan McEntee]

   Mr. Hunt;
     I have a pretty large collection of M.A.N. plans, but I don't know for sure if I have that one. Since you have the month and date of publication nailed down, it should only take a few minutes for me to find out when I get home from work tonight. I remember reading a Humbug article once, where Bob talked about using a ST.35 combat engine and low pitch prop to control model speed. Is that the article in question? Didn't he fly that model at a VSC in the early 90's? I think I was there for that one. Anyhow, I'll ping you here and off line if I have the plan or not.
   Type at you later,
    Dan McEntee

[Steve Helmick]

Hi John:

Nope, this is the one that he flew at the 1969 Nats in Willow Grove. It had a Lee/Veco .19 in it and I'd guess it had around 525 square inches of area, The plans in MAN do not have a scale on them, so enlarging them to the exact correct size might be a challenge. The plan shows a 2-inch diameter wheel, so I suppose we could key on that dimension and the rest would be darn close in turn.

Thanks for the offer, though! 

Later - Bob

That's the one that RSM kits, I think. I know Doc Holliday built one of the kits a few years ago, and at least took it to VSC. If Doc has the plans, he might be able to rescue them (with Sandy's help) and find out who did the CAD for Eric Rule, perhaps Pat Johnston. But on second thought, maybe Wild Bill did the CAD drawings himself? Contacting Eric would be a good bet...and I think you'll see him in Tucson in a few weeks. I assume that you want to make a lost foam craddle for one...I don't know how Eric would feel about that, but it might not hurt to ask.     Steve

[ericrule]

Hey Bob:

I have the original plan that Wild Bill drew up in AutoCAd. He gave them to me for use in the kit we produce. If you wish a set just let me know. I can either mail one to you or simply take one to Tucson and see you at the VSC. Let me know which you would prefer.

Best Regards
Eric rule

[Shultzie]

 NEVER FORGET SEEING THAT FIRST QUALIFICATION FLIGHT OUR BUD BOB BARON PUT IN THAT WIND SWEPT DAY WITH THAT  COMBATISH' LOOKING .19 POWERED AIRPLANE.

THAT DAY....JUST ONE LOOK DOWN THE STAGING AREA LINE UP AND SEEING THAT LOW SLUNG COMBAT LOOKING AIRPLANE SITTING IN THAT LINE UP OF LARGE TRADITIONAL STUNT MACHINES...COMBINED WITH THE LOOK ON THE FACES OF HIS FELLOW COMPETITORS AFTER SEEING BOB FLY THE VERY BEST FLIGHT OF THE DAY...HAD GAINED A NEW FOUND RESPECT FOR BOTH BOB'S FLYING AND DESIGN ABILITIES.

From that day forward Bob's amazing talent for building flying would long be remembered.

Our CLPA world lost this amazingly gifted flyer and friend--------All too soon! He has been greatly missed till we meet again....on the other side--between the earth n' sky where so many of our departed CLPA flyers fly,

[Trostle]

Another view ---

Photo by Jim Mayfield.

[PerttiMe]

I get confused about the different Humbug models.
Is there something available about this one? The texts say 1993.

[Dennis Toth]

Bob,
I think Roy Trantham has the orange plane. Not sure about the size I've seen it at the house.

Best,          DennisT

[Allen Brickhaus]

Contact Jim Renkar as Bob stayed at his home during the latter days of his life.  Jim might have at least one of the models.  Also contact Roy Trantham as he might have one also.

Allen Brickhaus

[Dan McEntee]

  Hi Bob;
    According to my listing, I don't have that plan. Around that time M.A.N. went to a singular plan offering for each model presented in a month instead of making  them available as a group. In that mag it's listed as #62, and I don't show that on my list. If you know the exact wingspan, you could scale it by half of that dimension. I can't find the wingspan in the article anywhere. I'll head to the basement tonight and do a plan by plan search, but I don't remember ever having it.
    Good luck and have fun,
    Dan McEntee

[David Hoover]

The Bob Baron design using the ST 35 combat engine and low pitch prop was the PA-6 Published in American Aircraft Modeller, probably around the mid-seventies.

It was a more conventional layout than the Humbug but with an upright engine.

[phil c]

The 1971 is structurally weak.  The original lasted maybe 200 flights, I believe.  I'd go with a D-tube wing and a Nobler style spar- vertical sheet spar slotted to the ribs with a 1/8 x 1/4 cap on the slotted side of the spar.  Wrap the leading edge sheeting, ala' Bob Hunt's molded method to avoid the weight of a standard leading edge joint.

You might be able to sneak in a combat style airfoil and get steadier performance.
Push the highpoint to 16-17% and make the back 50% of chord a straight shot to the trailing edge.  Or get PTG's Granderdog airfoil, or Gary James special design.  It looks very similar to the original, but has been optimized for lift and a soft stall.

The article did say that you had to use the expo type crank shown in the article to tame the corners down to a doable level.  The handle neutral and the bellcrank neutral have to be trimmed very closely or you'll get erratic results.

[David Hoover]

Phil,

I'm not trying to be annoying here, but I just reread the article in the January 1971 MAN and there is no mention of an expo bellcrank, in fact, the plans specify a Top Flite 3" crank.  Also, the article states that "It is quite strong and several hundred flights have had no ill effects other than some minor paint stress cracks".

Perhaps you were thinking of one of the earlier iterations?  The article does state that some of the earlier versions "aged prematurely".

[Bart Klapinski]

     I believe Bob Barron flew a yellow Humbug at the '67 NATS and if memory serves he had the high flight score,but the plane garnished few appearance points. I flew with hi quite a bit when he moved to Calif. This will need some checking.

                             Bart

[Brett Buck]

I get confused about the different Humbug models.
Is there something available about this one? The texts say 1993.

     I recall that airplane. If flew fairly well but as I recall was very heavy. Windy, in his inimitable style, said something to the effect of "Baron is flying an airplane that looks like something you would scoop out a cat box with".

    The Patternmaster he flew at the 96 NATs was A LOT better than this one.

    Brett