The Aircraft of Bill Barnes, his Friends & his Enemies Barnes  Homepage Later  Good Guy Planes Old  Good Guy Planes Bad Guy  Planes Eaglet & Transport Miscellanies 3 Vus and Models Tinsley Covers Site Homepage Mail & Bill Barnes club Evanescent Goodies write me

I am running out of space. So here's a page where Barnes stuff can sprout, bloom, wither and die in a month, leaving space for what ever comes next. I'll leave the stuff here for at least a month. So if you swing by monthly you won't miss anything. I don't intend to be rigorous about putting up notes and links and all the other frustrating unnecessaries.

I encourage folks to steal from this page. Let me know and I'll post a link

John Writes...
" The model has a 42 inch span, 300 square inches of wing area, weighs 15.5 oz, powered by one ungeared Speed 400 motor on 6 cells (the same RC outfit as in a Graupner "Terry"), rudder and elevator only (but ailerons made for the future)."

The rest of these pictures were taken before the plane was "finished". Enjoy.

&.. It Flies!

And he sends the following.

A Special Mission for the Snorter  (Bill Barnes Jr. In Action)  by John Hunton  At the request of the United States President, Bill Barnes, Jr., agreed to use the fabled airplane called the “Snorter” on an urgent mission that demanded its unique capabilities. The original Snorter had been fully maintained in secret storage since the 1930s and now it was needed. The Snorter could fly very fast and low, barely skimming waves. With wooden construction and radar reflection shielded engines it was nearly invisible to radar. Its two special 12 cylinder diesels had an infrared signature that was undetectable with look-down detection systems. It could be refueled at sea eliminating any tell-tale aerial refueling. The Snorter was the only airplane in the world that could get in undetected and close enough to the movable man made island (now known as Terror Harbor) to pop-up and get a quick glimpse of what the arch terrorist,Dr. Hisson, was up to now. One photograph of the island, digitally transmitted back to the Homeland Defense Agency, would show them what the next terrorist threat to the world might be.  Bill Barnes, Jr., was cruising at 400 knots now. The Snorter was flying just over the crests, its large main float wet from ocean spray. When cruising, the Snorter only used only one of its diesels in order to save fuel, but on approaching the island, Bill fired up the other engine and its other contra-rotating propeller. Airspeed was climbing well past 500mph now, this speed achievable because all defensive weaponry had been removed to aid in undetectability and speed. A special camera had been installed for the desired overall shot of the island. Of course, the diabolical Dr. Hisson had tracked all satellites and covered up his operations when they passed overhead. Snorter was going to make its run between satellite passes and catch the island with everything open for the camera’s eye. The island grew large in the windshield and it was time for Bill Jr. and the Snorter to pop up. When Bill Jr. pulled on the yoke, the G-meter read 9. He slammed the stick to the right to start the roll and was immediately inverted over the island. The upward looking camera, which was now facing downward, was triggered. Bill rolled to level again just past the island, at just a few feet over the rolling waves. The invaluable photograph of Dr. Hisson’s island was automatically digitized and microwaved home.  During that flash of vision that Bill Jr. had of the island, he realized that the mission was a success. All manner and kinds of hardware had been exposed on the tarmac. But one thing caught his eye. In that quick glimpse, he had seen an airplane sitting on the tarmac, propellers turning. It was pointed in the direction that Bill Jr. was going. If this was the Hisson Special, it would be the only propeller driven airplane that could catch the Snorter. The Hisson had originally been designed by Bill Jr.’s father as a follow-on to the Snorter; and with design input from Bill Winter, the Hisson was even faster. But the plans had been stolen. Now Bill Jr. knew who had stolen them; the sinister Dr. Hisson. As Bill Barnes Jr. sped from the island in the Snorter, he glanced behind briefly. A chill ran down his spine. There was the Hisson Special, in firing position, directly behind him. His mind raced, but what could he do? To be Continued.

 

 Dan Jordan Sky Soldier

   Robert Fabris has been sending us some good stuff.,

These appeared in Air Wars in the eighties, along with the following explanation.  The editor of Air Wars received a  letter from a Mr. Arnold Willoughby saying that his father, Martin Willoughby, who wrote, under a nom de plume,  “trashsy bread and butter stuff”  for True Romances , Cowboy   and anyone else that would pay him , had been involved in a scheme to publish a pulp in competition with the then successful Bill Barnes magazine. So in 1934 he and an artist Konrad Steel, who likewise toiled in the pulp world under an assumed name, put together “dozens of stories” A Mr. Ebert an expilot who owed real estate was to finance the magazine as a silent partner. But Mr. Ebert had business reversals and the magazine was never published.. Arnold’s father died in 1963. Konrad Steel disappeared. Perhaps he died in Oregon. Arnold continued,  that his mother was 86 and in poor health and requested that she not be disturbed. .He offered to send the material. Three weeks later two large boxes of material arrived, with stories, finished  art. unfinished art, plot outlines, business correspondence and more.. The material appeared in 2 issues of air wars. There is some skepticism about all this and I am utterly incompetent to judge it. .But never mind. the art is superb and I am anxious to see more and read the rest.