Flying Flea

Rara-Avis Sims

AIRCRAFTVINTAGEHISTORICFLYING FLEAPOU DU CIEL

4.3/5 (42)


The HM.14 is most commonly described as a tandem wing aircraft, although the main wing overlaps the rear wing in the basic design, so it almost qualifies as a highly staggered biplane without horizontal tail. Construction of the airframe employs mostly birch plywood sheet, spruce laths, steel tubing, steel cables, proprietary metal fittings and fixings, adhesives, and linen fabric.

The prototype HM.14 had a wingspan of 5.5 m (18 ft). It was powered by an Aubier et Dunne 540 cc three-cylinder two-stroke motorcycle engine, producing about 17 hp (13 kW) at 4,000 rpm. The engine was connected to the propeller shaft via a chain drive with a 2.5:1 reduction ratio. Subsequent examples were built with many optional engine and wingspan variations.

Unlike conventional aircraft, the HM.14 has no ailerons or elevators, and no foot-operated flight controls. The flight control system comprises a conventional control stick. Fore-and-aft movement of the stick is transmitted via cables to the rear underside of the main wing, that is supported by a single pivot at the front underside, mounted on a pylon on the fuselage. Rearward movement of the stick pulls the cables, and increases the pitch and therefore the lift of the main wing. The aircraft will then pitch up, due to the center of pressure being forward of the center of gravity.

Side-to-side movement of the stick controls the all-moving rudder via cables. In flight, this produces a stable rolling motion, as required in a banked turn, because the wings both have dihedral. That rolling characteristic is not safely available during take-off or landing, so crosswinds are not easily tolerated.

Package includes;

10 different 3D models built from scratch 18 liveries 4 different engine models Custom animations Stock ASOBO pilots 4K PBR textures Authentic flight model Hidden Cheese board / GPS & Radio Change wing style on the fly Rotax engined version with modern avionics Custom checklists Windsheild rain FX Landing FX Full VR support

The HM.14 Pou-du-Ciel is a single-seat, single-engine, tandem-wing homebuilt light aircraft. The tiny airplane design was conceived by French engineer Henri Mignet in the 1920s. He sought to create the aircraft version of the Ford Model T: an airplane for everyone. The name Pou du Ciel translates to “Louse of the Sky,” and loosely, the “Flying Flea,” as the Model T was known in France as the Louse of the Road due to its ubiquity.

The two wings of the wood-and-fabric HM.14 are both mounted above the small fuselage, the forward wing higher than the aft. The empennage consists solely of a large vertical stabilizer, it features a fixed traditional undercarriage, and the engine is mounted on the structure supporting the forward wing just in front of the cockpit.

The HM.14 uses a simple two-axis method of control. Pitch is adjusted by increasing and decreasing the angle of attack of the forward wing via a control stick. Side-to-side movement of the control stick adjusts the deflection of the rudder. Due to the dihedral angle of the main wings, the left-right movement of the rudder causes the aircraft to both yaw and roll.

The HM.14 measures 14 feet in length and has a wingspan of 20 feet. It is powered by a 2-cylinder Rotax 447 piston engine that delivers up to 40 horsepower to a 2-blade wood propeller. The HM.14 has a range of 250 miles, cruises at 65 miles per hour, and has a top speed of 80 mph.

The HM.14 provides a spectacular open-cockpit stick-and-rudder experience for aviators of all skill levels. It is simple to fly, but pilots with experience in it note that because it lacks ailerons, it is best suited for takeoffs and landings without any crosswinds.

Specifications


CRUISE SPEEDUp to 100 mph (160 km/h)
LENGTH13.5 ft (4.10 m)
WINGSPAN18 ft (5.5 m)
MAX WEIGHT699 lb (317 kg)
ENGINEScott Squirrel / ROTAX / Carden Ford / Salmson Radial