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The Canadian HM-8 Replica Project--Page 1
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HOW IT STARTED
While traveling in France in June 2003 before the Montpezat gathering, we saw a beautiful HM-8 in Angers 's museum and two more in Marennes inside Michel Monnereau’s hangar. My friends and I realize that, even though the HMS foundation in Brodhead had a wide range of Flying-Fleas from the 1934 HM-14 to the HM-293, 360, 1000 Balerit and to the latest Cordouan, there was nothing to evoke the years when Mignet still believed in the classical aircraft.
SOME HISTORY
Some background for those readers who are not familiar with the history of the Flying Flea: Mignet, after designing and building 7 prototypes of various configurations had designed and flown a small monoseater, "une avionette", the HM-8. This occurred before he discovered the staggered-wing formula which should have revolutionized the aviation world, and hopefully one day will.
In 1929 he published a hand-written book describing his philosophy of flight and which contained the plans of the HM-8 with accurate building instructions.
About two hundred aviation fans, for which purchasing a factory-built airplane was financially impossible, built and flew their own HM-8. The machine flew quite well, but, as every classical aircraft, was not stall-proof. One day, Mignet crashed his HM-8, fortunately without injuring himself. This incident made him realize that the HM-8 would never be the totally safe airplane he was dreaming of and he burnt his own idol!
Henri Mignet went back to the drawing board, built a small wind tunnel, and carried out extensive research. 3 years later the first Flying Flea, a tailless plane using the slot effect between wings was flying. Consequently, the HM-8 is now almost forgotten, which is a pity; it was a very nice light plane, contemporary and comparable to the Heath Parasol and to the Pietenpol. It triggered the homebuilt movement in Europe in the late 20's and the early 30's.
The Mignet history would be incomplete without including the HM-8 and we were quite sorry not to have one to show to the many visitors of the HMS Pou collection.
WHO WILL BUILD IT?
Back home, I recall the woodworking workshops a few friends and I organized in Beloeil , near Montréal. A few years ago in André Létourneau's place and under his talented supervision, we built two ¾ scale Piper-Cubs. Would André agree to build a HM-8 replica for HMS?
I discussed it with the HMS staff, who immediately accepted the idea and asked me to make the necessary contacts.
I got in touch with André Létourneau, who was very interested. He loves vintage aircraft and his own project, an amphibian Osprey II, was close to making its first flight after 14 years of meticulous construction.
I gave him a copy of the handwritten book "Comment j'ai construit mon avionette". I also gave one to Paul Fournier, another member of the Piper-Cub workshops team, an amateur builder and a talented draftsman who had already built a Zenair CH 250. We scheduled a meeting for the following Wednesday.
Both of them agreed to do the job, André Létourneau was going to do the woodworking and Paul Fournier was going to refresh and update the plans, build the ribs templates and fabricate the metal parts.
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