Designer Walter Barling went to America, where General ‘Billy’ Mitchell provided him with a $375,000 contract, let by Engineering Division, McCook Field, to build a bomber capable of carrying a 2268-kg / 5000-lb bombload for 12 hours at 160 kph (100 mph). Not surprisingly the Barling NBL-1 bore a strong resemblance to the Tarrant Tabor, though its triplane wings spanned 3.35 m (11 ft) less and its six 12-cylinder Liberty engines were all mounted on the same level, between the lower and middle wings. On 22 August 1923 from Wilbur Wright Field at Dayton, Ohio, whence it had been railroaded from the Witteman-Lewis Aircraft Company’s works in New Jersey where it was constructed.
As AS64215, Barling was aboard for that 20-minute maiden flight and later that year the Barling bomber flew to the Inter¬national Air Race at St Louis with Major General Mason Patrick, chief of the Army Air Service, as a passenger. It later carried a 2000-kg (4408-lb) load up to 2,050 m (6722 ft).
But with Billy Mitchell’s proposed bomb load the burly Barling could not top 160 kph (100 mph) and had a range of 275 km (170 miles) rather than the 1930 km (1200 miles) the general wanted. It flew around (slowly) for years, appearing as a curiosity at airshows, and was eventually broken up in 1928, save for its ten huge undercarriage wheels which are preserved at Wright-Patterson Air Force base from where the triplane made its first flight.
This monoplane-like kite of Barlatier and Blanc (France) was powered by a small engine (1.25 to 2.25 hp) driving two tractor propellers. It was a proof-of-concept model for a planned bigger machine, and was tested in the spring of 1906, showing “remarkable stability”.
The designers and builders were M. Barlatier, president of the Automobile-Club de Marseille and M. Blanc, a lawyer.
This aircraft was built in a small hanger at the Detroit City Airport, Michign, and operated in the Canadian north into the sixties. It was a flexable aircraft for the bush as it could operate on wheels, skis or floats. The pictured plane was Canadian registered and operated by Pacific Western Airlines.
Barkley-Grow NC18388 sn.1
Barkley-Grow T8P-1 CF-BLV 1938
The design incorporated a multispar stressed-skin wing with two X-spars patented by A. S. Barkley (US patent #2,122,709 to Barkley in 1938) that eliminated the need for ribs or bulkheads in the wing.
The initial example made its first flight in April 1937, piloted by Frank Cordova.
After a series of demonstration flights, the prototype went to Canada where it was registered CF-BVE.
Canadian Car & Foundry obtained the world-wide distributing rights for all but the United States.
Only 11 T8P-1s were constructed. Canadian Car demonstrated the aircraft to the Department of Defence but apart from selling only one aircraft to the RCAF, no government orders were obtained. The RCAF preferred the Beech 18.
Receiving ATC 662 and priced at $37,500, those built include prototype NX18388=CF-BVE=NC18388, NC18470, NX26400=CF-BQM, NC26496=CF-BTX, YRAHA=OB-GGK, CF-BLV, CF-BMG, CF-BMV, CF-BMW, some on twin EDO floats.
As a robust aircraft, three T8P-1 survived into the late 1960s.
Through the purchase of Yukon Southen Air Transport, Mackenzie Air Service and Prairie Airways, CPAL acquired a total of six Barkley-Grows.
The prototype aircraft, CF-BVE, was sold in 1945 and BMG and BTX were written off. CF-BLV, BMV, BMW and BQM served until late 1949/early 1950 when replaced by more modern aircraft.
CF-BTX and CF-BMW
CF-BQM was being restored at the Aeo Space Museum in Calgary, Canada.
T8P-1 Engine: Pratt & Whitney Junior, 400 hp Wingspan: 50 ft 8 in Length: 36 ft 2 in Height: 9 ft 7.5 in Empty weight: 5880 lb Loaded weight: 8750 lb Max speed: 220 mph at 5000 ft Cruise: 185 mph at 10,000 ft ROC: 1400 fpm Cruise range: 1000 mi Crew: 2 Passengers: 8
Very little is known about this French Voisin-like biplane, powered by a 50 hp Anzani engine weighing 120 kg in running order and equipped with a Chauvière propeller and Bergougnan tyres. It was perhaps flown by Louis Cottereau Jr, probably son of the Dijon car manufacturer and bicycle racer of the same name. There is no solid evidence for the “Barkers” ID of this machine, which is only known from a single postcard, only circumstantial indications.
Optionally a powered light sailplane circa 1998, the Graal is of plywood construction with carbonfibre longerons. The Graal conforms to french and FAI ultralight rules.
Bill Barber conceived, designed and built three members of the Snark family with no outside assistance. The first Barber Snark was a single place Snark HA 1.
Snark HA 2 ZK-FYE (c/n MAANZ 450) was Bill Barber’s first attempt at a two-seat aircraft and it was first registered to him on 30/5/91.
HA 2
The HA 2 was literally designed on the back of an envelope but is an efficient carbon fibre and Kevlar design with the cockpit/main undercarriage/engine mount structural area being very compact with only a single bulkhead. The cockpit layout gives both the pilot and passenger almost helicopter-like visibility. The HA 2 model was powered by a Rotax 503 engine. It also had a retractable front wheel which Bill found to make no appreciable difference to the performance so his later Snarks have fixed front wheels. It was sold to JM Young of Wanaka on 24/4/98. It crashed on take off from a strip near Wanaka on 3/2/01.
The damaged aircraft was sold to GD McMillan of Invercargill on 26/3/01. He employed Bill Barber to rebuild the aircraft and he re-registered it as ZK-DQL on 16/11/01.
HA 2
HA 2
It is photo’d here at Queenstown on 10/9/05 where it can be seen that an addition had been made to the upper fin.
Bill Barber built the Mark II Special NZ Flag Anniversary Version repowered with a 93 HP two stroke engine, offering very smooth acceleration right up to 120MPH using a variable speed prop along with communications gear, Ballistic Shute and F16 cockpit seating arrangement. The extensive wing and low aspect ratio allows for low speed approaches recorded at only 20 MPH under full 4 notches of flaps. The wing leading edge and full composite body with carbon back end tail boom strut offers very high strength and low weight ratios to enable full in flight soaring and thermal lift comparable to a low end glider. The take off angle can be close on 65 degrees with such a low stall speed. The lift off rotation is achieved at 30mph in limited space at 6,700 revs. Full rear brakes and castoring nose wheel, hi-strength aluminum sprung undercarriage are on cast wheels on new rubber tubed tyres
Snark Mark II Special NZ Flag Anniversary Version
Snark 2 was the prototype and the Snark 3 machine (registered ZK-JEK) is a much more swept up development with a different wing, altered tail and different construction. All three have made extensive use of composite materials, Snark 3 being entirely of composite – mainly carbon and kevlar.
ZK-JEK (c/n 001) originally had the c/n of MAANZ/528, and was first registered to Bill Barber on 20/3/95. This aircraft was the first HA 3 model and was powered by a Suzuki G 13 engine. It had less wing area than ZK-FYE and it had full span flaperons. It was sold to MC Hopper of Otautau on 1/1/03, and he later moved to Whitianga and based the aircraft there. Later he replaced the 1300cc G 13 Suzuki engine with a twin carburettor 1500cc Suzuki engine, and the performance was spectacular. J & C Dale of Papakura purchased the aircraft on 31/10/12, and it was based at Ardmore.
It is photo’d above at Ardmore on 20/7/13. It was destroyed at Ardmore on 4/1/14 when it suffered an engine fire. Fortunately, it made it back to the runway for the occupants to get out before the fire completely destroyed the aircraft. It was cancelled on 28/4/14.
The second HA 3, ZK-PIE (c/n 002) was built by David Laing of Dunedin from moulds supplied by Bill Barber. It was registered to the Duncan Laing Trust of Dunedin on 28/2/96.
ZK-PIE also was powered by a Suzuki G 13 engine, but it had slotted flaps and ailerons instead of flaperons – as all subsequent Snarks have had. ZK-PIE suffered an engine failure on take-off on a test flight from Taieri on 25/1/98 and went through a fence.
Snark H/A3
It was repaired as seen in a hangar at Timaru on 6/10/99. It was sold to JR Lissington of Otorohanga on 1/11/99.
Above at the 2009 Black Sands flyin at Raglan on 7/11/09. Finally, it was sold to J & C Dale of Papakura on 23/3/14 to replace their departed ZK-JEK.
ZK-JIU (c/n 003) is a HA 3B model and was first registered to Bill Blair on 12/11/97. It had a Suzuki G 13-GTI engine. It was sold to P Dunn of Mildura in Australia and its registration was cancelled on 19/2/99 and transferred to the Australian microlight register as 19-3116. It was sold to B Cooper of Melbourne in 2005, and still registered in Australia.
Snark HA 3C model ZK-JPS (c/n 004) was registered to Bill Barber on 10/7/03. It is powered by a Rotax 912 engine which is 30 kg lighter than the Suzuki. Bill has based his aircraft at Cromwell and flown it locally. It is shown at the 2014 Wings Over Wanaka airshow, on 18/4/14.
The Snark was flown and reviewed by experienced UK general aviation and microlight pilot Tim Cripps for Today’s Pilot Magazine where he stated “This is the most enjoyable of the many aircraft I have flown – and that includes the Hunter”. There were plans for UK production but those have not come to fruition.
Snark HA 3 Engine: Rotax 912 Wingspan: 9.3 m / 30 ft 6 in Length: 6.24 m / 20 ft 4 in Height: 2.43 m / 7 ft 9 in Empty weight: 263 kg / 580 lb MAUW: 450 kg / 992 lb Cruise: 104 kt Stall: 32 kt
