Flying Flea

I wonder, how much does it cost to build on of these? The ULM version for example.

John,

To cut a long story short, the pre-war Flea as built to Mignets ‘the book’ was unsafe in that it trys to do an outside loop. Close to the ground this resulted in a few accidents. Mignet corrected the design and revised his book by lengthing the fuselage (+ other changes). Modern Flea’s built to this modified design happily fly around France, Australia etc…

http://www.users.bigpond.com/ozflea/fleaworld.html

http://pouduciel.free.fr/

…but here the intervention of WWII and the CAA (to whom the word ‘Flea’ is a no-no) means you won’t see an airworthy Flea in a true sense. Although some modern homebuilts/microlights use the tandem wing design.

Post WWII builds such as Milloms ‘G-ADRX’ or HM.280…..

http://www.aeroflight.co.uk/mus/uk/l-m/millommus.htm

….are purely earth bound even if built true to Mignets book.

Cheers……..

That looks like an ‘HM14’.
So which versions are allowed to fly and which not?

On other sites I have seen plans for ‘HM14’ and ‘HM14e’. Is the ‘e’ version the modified one to remove the dangerous characteristics?

Please excuse my ignorance but I too saw the one in Southend Museum when I was very little and it stuck in my memory. If it’s as easy to fly as they say then why aren’t there more of them? Looks a nice little home build.

Now, I bet there’s a site where all these questions are answered and some kind person is about to send me the link…..;)

Cheers,

John

“Got any Gnat parts please ?”

XM seems to have a predilection for insects!:)

Correct, i also ‘do’ Fleas as well.

Here’s a new build G-ADRZ……..

Here`s some info here for you Roger.

http://www.caa.co.uk/application.aspx?catid=60&pagetype=65&appid=1&mode=detailnosummary&fullregmark=G-AXPG

I remember XPG at the museum at SEN with G-ADXS, which is now in a sorry state.

If that is the case why are they banned over here when they have a good safety record in the USand elsewhere? John

John, I think it was only the HM.14 that was “banned” there were a lot of later versions and an HM.293 was built by Bill Cole of Southend – registered as G-AXPG. It first flew in 1972 although I do not know it’s current status.

Roger Smith.

The archive linked above (twice:rolleyes: ) states the following…

A temporary set-back occurred when a number of these homebuilt Fleas crashed but detailed investigation by the Royal Aircraft Establishment in England and the French Air Ministry in France revealed the problem and led to the necessary corrections for safe operation.

If that is the case why are they banned over here when they have a good safety record in the USand elsewhere?

John

P.S. WooHoo, 100 posts!

This one…?

http://www.valkyrie.net/~flyingflea/
__________________
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“Got any Gnat parts please ?”

XM seems to have a predilection for insects!:)

Dr M.D.S Armour of Anstruther,Fife G-AEOJ 30 h.p Anzani Reg 21/10/36 Flown at Scone and from a field near Carnbie. Modified undercarriage fitted, abandoned and broken up during the war.

Source” British Homebuilt Aircraft Since 1920″ by Ken Ellis 1975.

An Armoured Flea? That’d be something to see . . .

There is a Flying Flea Archive on the ‘net somewhere (I’ve lost it’s address) which will probably tell you. A Google should find it..

This one…?

http://www.valkyrie.net/~flyingflea/

There is a Flying Flea Archive on the ‘net somewhere (I’ve lost it’s address) which will probably tell you. A Google should find it.

Ken Ellis, the editor of our host magazine, is a bit of an authority on the Flea.

Roger Smith.

Hi John

Thanks for the link. It was my note to the STAR which pompted that response. Im trying to find out what happened to the Flea after it as in Middlehursts

Thanks again

Ian Griffiths

A quick Google

Is this any good?

http://www.sthelensstar.co.uk/getinteractive/whalleysworld/display.var.1227712.0.the_flea_up_in_the_rafters.php

John.

If it was a home build i doubt if it would have a construction number. As the plans came from the book.

Shoreham Flying Flea Replica

The Flying Flea at Shoreham is a replica built by the Shoreham Airport Historical Society and registered on the BAPC register as BAPC.277

Picture taken at Shoreham RAFA Air show on 31st August this year.

The flea(offically HM14 Pou-de-Ciel) was the UK’s first real large scale homebuilt. Over 100 were registered in the mid 30’s, only half of them flying. There were a series of crashes in dives. It was found that below a angle of -15 degrees there was too little pitching motion to raise the nose. So they were all banned in 1937.
The French continued to use the tandem wing layout after the war. Several of the modernised Fleas are still lying in France.