fourth year of publication second quarter, 2004 issue no ...fourth year of publication second...

Fourth Year of Publication Second Quarter, 2004 Issue No. 14

No Longer Fly In Our Skies

From Canadato USA

Classifieds

POU RENEWdu Ciel

The magazine for enthusiasts of Henri Mignet’s designs

4 5 7

Part 1 of a several part series.

By Paul Pontois

HOW IT STARTEDWhile traveling in France in June

2003 before the Montpezat gathering,we saw a beautiful HM-8 in Angers'smuseum and two more in Marennesinside Michel Monnereau’s hangar. Myfriends and I realize that, even thoughthe HMS Foundation had a wide rangeof Flying Fleas from the 1934 HM-14 to

the HM-293, 360, 1000 Balerit and tothe latest Cordouan, there was nothingto evoke the years when Mignet stillbelieved in the classical aircraft.

SOME HISTORY

Some background for those readerswho are not familiar with the history ofthe Flying Flea: Mignet, after designing

and building 7 prototypes of various con-

DATES of FRENCHASSEMBLIES ofPOU DU CIEL:

5 et 6 June 2004 :Saint Andri de l'Eure

19 et 20 June 2004 :Montpezat d'Agenais

11 et 12 September2004 : Pont sur Yonne

Pictured are aircraft that hang at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center whichinclude: Grumman G22, Schweizer 2-22 EK, Bucker Bu-133C jungmeister, dehavilland-Canada DHC-1A Chipmunk, Monocoupe 110 Special, Arrow Sport A2-60, Laudensiager Laser 200 and the Crosley Flea.

THE CANADIAN HM-8 REPLICA - continued on page 2

and color photos on page 5

The Canadian HM-8 Replica

Web Site InstructionsInstructions for

accessing the massivetabulation of FLEA facts

from Hans Engles

Located on:http://pou.guide.free.fr

1. You go to: COMPRENDRE. LA

THEORIE ET LA PRATIQUE

2. Then, go to: LESPOU(X) DU CIEL

3. Then go to: TABLEAU COMPARATIF

DES POU(X)

4. For a more completespread sheet table of allMIGNET and MIGNET-

type aircraft click:http://pou.guide.free.fr/

comprendre/tableau_des_poux/vergel_tabel.xls

TILICHARGER LE PLUSRICENT TABLEAU XLS

POU RENEW • 2 E-mail: [email protected] Second Quarter, 2004

figurations had designed and flown asmall monoseater, "une avionette",the HM-8. This occurred before hediscovered the staggered-wing for-mula which should have revolution-ized the aviation world, and hopefullyone day will.

In 1929 he published a hand-writ-ten book describing his philosophyof flight and which contained theplans of the HM-8 with accuratebuilding instructions.

About two hundred aviation fans,for which purchasing a factory-builtairplane was financially impossible,built and flew their own HM-8. Themachine flew quite well, but, as everyclassical aircraft, was not stall-proof.One day, Mignet crashed his HM-8,fortunately without injuring himself.This incident made him realize thatthe HM-8 would never be the totallysafe airplane he was dreaming of andhe burned his own idol!

Henri Mignet went back to thedrawing board, built a small wind tun-nel, and carried out extensiveresearch. Three years later the first Fly-ing Flea, a tailless plane using the sloteffect between wings was flying. Con-sequently, the HM-8 is now almostforgotten, which is a pity; it was a verynice light plane, contemporary andcomparable to the Heath Parasol andto the Pietenpol. It triggered thehomebuilt movement in Europe in thelate 20s and the early 30s.

The Mignet history would beincomplete without including theHM-8 and we were quite sorry not tohave one to show to the many visi-tors of the HMS Pou collection.

WHO WILL BUILD IT?

Back home, I recall the woodwork-ing workshops a few friends and Iorganized in Beloeil, near Montréal.A few years ago in AndréLétourneau's place and under histalented supervision, we built two _scale Piper-Cubs. Would Andréagree to build an HM-8 replica forHMS?

I discussed it with the HMS staff,who immediately accepted the ideaand asked me to make the necessarycontacts.

I got in touch with AndréLétourneau, who was very interest-ed. He loves vintage aircraft and hisown project, an amphibian OspreyII, was close to making its first flightafter 14 years of meticulous con-struction.

I gave him a copy of the handwrit-ten book "Comment j'ai construitmon avionette". I also gave one toPaul Fournier, another member ofthe Piper-Cub workshops team, anamateur builder and a talenteddraftsman who had already built aZenair CH 250. We scheduled ameeting for the following Wednes-day.

Both of them agreed to do the job,André Létourneau was going to dothe woodworking and Paul Fournierwas going to refresh and update theplans, build the ribs templates andfabricate the metal parts.

NEW PLANS FOR A VINTAGE AIR-CRAFT.

Why did we have to redraw theplans?

In the beginning, it was AndréLétourneau's request. He is from afamily of organ builders and is accus-tomed to working with detailed plansthat do not leave anything to thebuilder's initiative. The Osprey 2 andthe Cubs he built also had detailedplans. The broad-brush approachMignet had of building with longwritten explanations and artisticsketches, in his view, gave the buildertoo much initiative. He did not feelfamiliar enough with Mignet's spiritto interpret the drawings.

The second reason the plans werere-drawn was that, after long discus-sions with the HMS staff, we decid-ed to build an HM-8 that could bedisplayed in flight. It is not reallymuch more complicated to build aflying model than a static displayreplica; it is more rewarding for the

builder and more interesting for thevisitor. We have the examples of OldRhinebeck in the United States andLa-Ferté-Allais in France that clearlyillustrate this point.

But, as we had to fly it, we had tomake sure that the aircraft would beas safe as possible. Some detailsneeded to be updated, which is notunusual for a 70-year-old design.The proper choice of wing airfoil isan important safety factor, andHenri Mignet left several possibili-ties to the builder.

Most of the original HM-8s hadutilized sharp-nosed ribs, which isno longer considered an optimalsolution. Mignet may have alreadyhad this feeling, as he mentions thepossibility of using a round nose air-foil. We decided to use a Riblet air-foil, derived from a Göttingen airfoilcontemporary to the HM-8 and veryclose to the airfoil that was used byLérin, one of the most talented HM-8 builders. This airfoil is currentlyused on several light aircraft withexcellent results.

Another example of the originaldesign requiring updating: theailerons. At the time, ailerons werevery often activated by a single cablethat was kept under tension bysome kind of spring (Mignet speaksof a piece of saw blade). We couldobviously not take the risk of usingthis method, even though it couldwork quite well. So we decided touse a very classical device with stan-dard bellcranks. A differential con-trol would eliminate the risk ofadverse yaw.

Mignet also gave three possibili-ties of wing shapes, rectangular, rec-tangular with round tips and ellip-tic. He obviously had a preferencefor this third version, as most of theartistic drawings he made depictedelliptical wings. His preferencepointed us the proper direction.

ANOTHER HM-8.

Looking one day at the American

CANADIAN HM-8 REPLICA-continued from page 1

CANADIAN HM-8 REPLICA-continued on page 3


Flying Flea Web page, onthe chapter dedicated tothe HM-8, I was extremelysurprised to discover thatthe HM-8 drawings, whichI had so often looked atwithout really seeingthem, were different fromthe classical HM-8 plansshown in Mignet's book. Icould not believe my eyesand enlarged the draw-ings. No confusion waspossible. The drawing fig-ured the HM-8D, a lateand apparently unknownversion which was notshown the book.

I asked the Web pageeditor where these sketch-es (and the correspondingtext) were coming fromand he referred me to oneof the booklets publishedby Raymond Buckland,who for years worked tire-lessly to spread the goodword about the Mignetformula. That gave me aperfect opportunity torenew contact with Buckand I was pleased to hearthat he was OK and busierthan ever with his writing.Buck informed me that hehad picked up the text anddrawings from an oldissue of the EAA Experi-

menter. With his usualcheerful kindness, hemailed a copy to me.

The text was a transla-tion of a French magazinedated 1932 "L'Almanachde l'Aviation" and itbecame more and moreobvious to me that theHM-8D was the missinglink between the conven-tional HM-8 and the firstFlying Flea, the triplaneHM-11. The front part ofthe fuselage and the shapeof the wingtips werealready very close to whatMignet designed for thePou-du-Ciel.

I told Pierre Mignet aboutmy conclusion and I mustsay that he was very sur-prised, as he did notremember anything abouta last version of the HM-8.He suspected some kind offraud and when I asked himif we should build a replicaof the HM-8D, he persuad-ed us not to do it. We werequite sure that he waswrong and that the draw-ings were authentic, but,after discussion, we decid-ed that we could not goagainst his advice and westarted working on the clas-sical HM-8, as per the book.

Nevertheless, I contin-ued my investigation andcalled M. Ravel, the direc-tor of the Angers aviationmuseum. There is an HM-8 on display in this muse-um and I thought that M.Ravel could give me moreinformation. M. Ravel stat-ed that he knew only of theconventional HM-8, buthe suggested me to callDaniel Château, a builderand collector very interest-ed in the Mignet designsand who had built a website about the HM-8:

http://perso.wanadoo.fr/ a i r c o l l e c t i o n / c a m -pagne_hm8.htm

Color photos on page 5

CANADIAN HM-8 REPLICA-continued from page 2

“Blast from the past” owned by Duane Rock


CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

Letters from youWe received a letter from Louis C. Dagne, Okee

Chobee, FL mentioning he has built an HM-162redesigned by Jacquiemin.

I enjoy this publication very much and only wish itcould be larger. Thank you.

Albert M. Osterman1644 West 10th StreetJunction City, OR 97448

The year 2004 should have been a great one for theFlying Flea in the United States.

The HMS Foundation had arranged for one of thebest and most experienced Pou-du-Ciel pilots, YvesSegonds, to conduct a demonstration tour in the U.S.and in Quebec.

Only the last details needed to be finalized. His HM-293, which had been admired at each Pou-du-Ciel gath-

ering in France, was already waiting for him in Brod-head. It was not to happen. His friends were thunder-struck when they heard of his death at the end of lastyear.

Yves was flying a brand new HM-293 he had just builtfor a friend. The weather was calm and the landing stripwas unobstructed. Yves came in on final at idle, as usual.For reasons unknown, he did not flare his HM-293before touchdown and crashed into the ground. Exami-nation of the plane after the crash did not reveal anystructural or mechanical problems.

According to his family, he did not feel well and suf-fered from dizzy spells a few days before the accident.Could he have had some sort of black out? We maynever know the actual cause of Yves’s death.

Yves was 65. The father of 3 children, he had beenvery affected by the death of one of his sons, carried offby cancer.

Yves worked for a long time as an electrician in theParis region. There he started building and flying largeradio controlled aircraft models. When he retired, hecame back to live in his native region, Tarn, in the south-eastern part of France. He decided to build his first full-size plane, opted for the Mignet formula, and choseRodolphe Grunberg's HM-293 design.

In addition to this aircraft, which became famous inFrance and was shipped to the States last year in antici-pation of his demonstration tour, Yves built three or fouraircraft for friends. He also built a Croses Flying Flea"Criquet liger", a two-seater Flying-Flea of his owndesign and an Ultralight mono-seater Flying Flea,which weighed less than 180 lbs and was close to itsmaiden flight.

He was present at the friendly supper and receptionorganized in Agen, France by HMS, after the Montpezatgathering in June 2003. Everyone appreciated hishumor and his kindness.

POU-RENEW offers its deepest sympathy to Yves'family, to his numerous friends and to the French Pou-du-Ciel community.

Yves Segonds will no longer fly in our skies

Editor’s note: Thank you for the note. Remember to send us photos of your projects also.


DemonstrationFlight:

Photos by JEAN-JACQUES LEFEVRE.

PAUL PONTOISdemonstration flight pictures.

Canadian HM-8 Replica


About the POU RENEW…The POU RENEW is the official English language newsletter featuring Henri

Mignet’s designs: Pou-du-Ciel, also known as the “Flying Flea”, and other designsderived from it. The newsletter is a source of information for all enthusiasts whoown or love the POU, and who are building, will build, or have built a Flying Flea.

POU RENEW is published quarterly in January, April, July, and October. Sub-scription rates are US $16, anywhere outside the US $20. Overseas subscriptions bycash or international money order only.

We encourage you to send letters, articles, comments, needs, etc., to: POURENEW, c/o The Independent-Register, PO Box 255, Brodhead, WI 53520-0255.E-mail us at: [email protected].

Expired!Many thanks to all of you who have sent in their subscription in sup-

port of the POU RENEW! Your mailing label shows when your subscriptionexpires. If you have the word expired on your label your subscription is DUE andyou risk the chance of not receiving the next issue of the newsletter. If you wouldlike to receive the POU RENEW Newsletter, please send your subscription dues toPOU RENEW, c/o The Independent-Register, P.O. Box 255, Brodhead, WI 53520-0255.

If you move, please promptly inform the POU RENEW. The USPO informs the POURENEW with a postage due notice which is payable by POU RENEW. Informing usthat you will be moving helps keep the subscription rates down.

Disclaimer: The newsletter is published to provide a common means of communication among builders,owners and historians of Flea style aircraft. The newsletters are a compilation of ideas and data from varioussources. Technical material in the newsletter is for reference and education only and its use is not recommend-ed by the POU RENEW, nor the newsletter editor, or The Independent-Register publishing company, nor byany member of the POU RENEW. POU RENEWdoes not sanction, nor does it accept responsibility for, partic-ipation by any member, or other reader, at any fly-ins, gatherings, or events that may be mentioned herein.

Two different approaches for making

the HM-14 safe to flyBy DAVE ISLEY

Web sites to check out!

Mr. Henri Mignet’s first fix was to increase the full-up angle of the front wing and add a complicated con-jugating linkage to the rear wing to provide up eleva-tor, these did produce enough pitch authority to recov-er from a dive, but the cause remained. His next fixaddressed the cause. The fuselage was lengthened toallow moving the rear wing back. It shifted the neutralpoint aft with respect to combined chord (C) toimprove static margin. With Mignet’s new airfoil, theHM-14 was then a viable aircraft.

The British fix was to apply established aerodynamicprinciples. It is interesting to note that when Mr. L. E.Baynes engineered the rebuild of Mr. Appleby’s HM-14he not only placed the C.G. at about 22%C, butincreased front wing area to compensate and providemore positive pitch authority. The increased wing areacontributed to improved performance. After final con-trol system rigging adjustments, Mr. Appleby reportedthe rebuilt HM-14 was stable in normal flight attitudesand was easy to fly. However, a lack of cockpit torsion-al rigidity allowed the flying wires to impart a twist.Thus, the front wing slewed back and forth some ofwhich Mr. Appleby expressed concern and deemedunacceptable.

The lessons learned led to the Abbott-Baynes “Can-tilever Pou”, which was a well engineered and logicalevolution of the basic HM-14. Only the nose section,cockpit area structure and front wing struts, includinga new airfoil, were changed. The HM-14 fuselage lay-out and dimensions, from landing gear to rudder post,were retained by Mr. Baynes.

Regardless of the approach, both achieved the sameresult.

Respectfully submitted,

Dave Isley

Jerome Falc’s Vintage Fleas:http://jolly.roger.free.fr/Vintage.htm

http://perso.wanadoo.fr/aircollection/index.htm

http://pistoz.no-ip.com/Home_perso/Pou/IXpou.htm

http://www.pouduciel.com/

It seems that the RSA is on the way upagain.They are starting a new site:

www.rsafrance.com/


Grunberg’s HM-293Ultralight, Folding Wings

More Than 130 In Flight

or Under Construction

Construction manual and detailed drawingswith French-English translation brochure

Also agent for MIGNETHM 360/380 plans

Paul PONTOIS1890 Rang des Chutes - Sainte Ursule

Quebec-JOK3MO-CANADA819-228-3159 • Fax: 819-228-4138

E-mail: [email protected]

See French JOLLY ROGER FLEA

pictures/videos:http://jolly.roger.

free.fr/lespoux.htm

NEW POU WEB SITES: http://perso.wanadoo.fr/aircollection/essais.htm

http://www.avion.ch/hm8/

Superb publication directed by Michel JACQUET, the Flying-Flea

Convention organizer

Subscriptions are available (23 Euros for the year 2004)

Send subscriptions to:Michel JACQUET

Amicale Prouducieliste30 rue Boudon de St Amans

47240 BON-ENCONTRE

For more information:Telephone: 05-53-68-06-94E-Mail: [email protected]

Le POU du CIEL, the French newsletter

$ U.S. 30 $ U.S. 5 postage and handling per CD

HMS221 N LASALLE STE 3117CHICAGO IL 60601-1553

Allow two weeks for delivery

Le Sport de L’Air(Three videos included on CD.

Original 665 page text in French,with numerous pictures. Includes revised HM.14

plans. All HMs through HM.1000.)

Classifieds

Model building, aviation books, videos & more

PEANUTS & PISTACHIOSInternational, Vol. 2

Brief articles on Pis-tachio philosophy,adjusting Peanuts forflight, and photograph-ing your own models.Included are plans for aPistachio Bebe Jodeland Waterman racer. 3-view drawings includea 1928 MignetAvionette, 1911 Cau-dron, 1936Mauboussin, and aminiMAX ultralight,

plus numerous photos. Softbound, 18 fun pages. $7.95

MODEL BUILDERS & THEIR MODELS INTERNATIONAL

History • Techniques • Tributes • Inspiration – From Hannan’s Runway,another “Ampersand” publication, compiled by Bill Hannan, featuringmore pages, more photos and full-color covers!

Similar format to Runway’s previous Peanuts & Pistachios volumes,Model Builders & Their Models is truly international in scope, including con-tributions from builders and photographers in eleven different countries.

www.vldweb.fr/fr/cat9/rub56/produit315.htmlPouducièlement votre

Jerome Falc [Langon, 33]

To purchase Le Sport de l’Air 1994 “the book”:

E-mail: [email protected] Second Quarter, 2004POU RENEW • 8

POU RENEWc/o The Independent-RegisterP.O. Box 255Brodhead, WI 53520-0255

Address Service Requested

Standard MailUS Postage

PAIDBrodhead WI

53520Permit #06

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

I read with interest the “Letters and News to You” on page 2in issue 11 of the Pou Renew. Mr. Paul Pontois’ assessmentof Mr. Georges Jacquemin’s book is valid. Of particular rele-vance in it is an explanation of the relationship between C.G.and neutral point (center of lift) to provide the positive staticmargin necessary for pitch stability at all angles of attack.Having a positive static margin dictates an aft C.G. limit.Exceeding this limit results in pitch instability if the neutralpoint is able to move ahead of the C.G. Otherwise, use fly-by-wire!

A case in point is the HM-14. Given the 17 hp. Aubier etDunne engine and an inefficient airfoil, the only way the firstHM-14 flew at all with any degree of performance was withan aft C.G. and high angle of attack. Whether Mr. Mignet didnot understand static margin, or ignored it, success wasachieved with the C.G. located in close proximity to the neu-tral point. Fortunately, the neutral point shifts aft at highangles of attack, but it shifts foreward at low angles of attack(HM-14s Achilles heel).

It was the neutral point moving ahead of the C.G. at lowangles of attack (where the HM-14 was both unstable anduncontrollable) that resulted in accidents. And there was noplacard warning the pilot to avoid this region of the flightenvelope! Even with the placard, it was possible for a pilot toinadvertently fly into this region. In my opinion, this was abasic design flaw.

Dave Isley - Chino, California

My sincere apologies for posting in English. And mercito all who have assisted me in the past when I've postedhere in English. Attached is a picture of a Spanish Pouwith a different than usual fuselage as well as an enginethat I can not identify. Does anyone have any more infor-mation about this unique bird? From the information Ihave it appears to have been built perhaps in 1992 byManuel Fuentes Fuentes of Barcelona, Spain. For those ofus who are such lovers of the Pou this is marvelous sight.

Merci - Ron Shoemaker • [email protected]@yahoogroupes.frSpanish Web site: http://www.asociacionaviacion

experimental.com

A little more on POUby ROB ELLIOTT

www.centennialofflight.gov/toothpick/index.htm

Letters from you

fourth year of publication second quarter, 2004 issue no ...fourth year of publication second...

Documents