This newsletter offers scanned plans from vintage modeling magazines, as well as some new
designs. Scattered among the collection are a number of scale plans. The plans
are taken from the monthly newsletter and usually feature a brief article on the subject,
as well as plan views and often a 3-view as well. Some of the "plans" are
actually just 3-views, but there are some real gems to be found.
A list of the plans done so far, is available HERE.
visit the web site: http://www.windysock.net/
Example: Handley Page H.P.39 (from the May 1999 issue of Windy Sock newsletter)
Handley Page H.P.39 Gugnunc
It didn't take long to recognize the model potential of the Handley Page H.P.39 Gugnunc: very long fuselage for packing in the rubber and for stability, a smaller lower wing (sesquiplanes seem to fly better), and general eye appeal (to my eye, at least....Joe). From the 3-view and article in WWI Aero magazine, Florent Baecke has produced a fine plan for a 26" span model. Windy Sock is really proud to present this professional quality plan, as good as any we've seen in the glossy model magazines. Thanks very much, Florent! Of course, we had to reduce it to half-size to fit our budget and the requirements of our web site, but a few pennies and a trip to Kinko's will bring it up to any size you want. And there's no doubt some will prefer it as a Peanut and make the balsa chips fly without further ado.This was a unique airplane, designed to compete in the Gugenheim Safe Aircraft Competition in the U.S. in 1928. More details on this interesting airplane next month, when we will present a 3-view, cockpit photos, and more info. Meanwhile, we will welcome input from our U.K. friends in the area of the Science Museum at Hayes, Middlesex, where the plane is stored.
More on the Handley Page H.P.39 Gugnunc
We presented Florent Baecke's excellent model construction plan for this airplane last month (May '99). This month concludes the presentation. Incidentally, Florent will provide the full-size construction plan in its original two-sheet, 11"x17" format, for five dollars postpaid. In order to save space with the Windy Sock version, it was necessary to not only reduce it in size, but also to "chop it up," as Florent says, in order to save even more space. Those who love the esthetic quality of a good plan will find their investment worthwhile.
Citing from the article in WWI Aero magazine: In 1927, the Gugenheim Safe Aircraft Competition was announced in the United States to advance aviation safety. In response, Britain's Handley Page company designed and built the H.P.39 Gugnunc using leading edge slots and trailing edge flaps on both wings. (The name "Gugnunc" came from a comic strip that was popular at the time.) Surprisingly, there was no manual control of the system; it operated automatically to reduce the landing speed to a mere 33 mph.In the competition at Mitchell Field, NY, held on October 1, 1929, fifteen aircraft arrived to compete, but the field narrowed down to just two: the H.P.39 and the Curtiss Tanager. The latter took first place in the fly-off, but it used wing slots similar to the Handley Page's, and a subsequent lawsuit resulted in Curtiss acknowledging patent infringement and settling out of court. (Editor: Judgement of Glen Curtiss should not be too harsh. He was a very aggressive, talented aeronaut and businessman. He fought a long court battle with the Wright brothers when they regarded his ailerons as being an infringement on their warped-wing patent. His talent and aggressiveness undoubtedly promoted aviation progress in those early days. His ability to produce super-light motorcycle engines was a great boon to early experimenters who had no other practical source of supply, and his motorcycles easily outran Indian and Harley Davidson in those days. The Wright lawsuit exasperated him and he lamented the necessity to fight lawsuits rather than concentrate on flying; it is no surprise that he settled out of court in the Handley Page matter.)
The Gugnunc was taken back to England where it flew in demonstrations until 1934, when it was presented to the Science Museum. Windy Sock thanks WWI Aero, Dennis Bryant (who drew the 3-view plan from actual measurements of the aircraft) and RC Models (for whom the 3-view was originally drawn) for use of this plan and accompanying data.
Example of Plans (click for larger images):
