RE: Avionnette HM-8 build thread.
Hello chaps, new here and so forgive me for dragging up an old thread but I was curious how the build went and whether the aeroplane flew?
I was doing some research on the full size aircraft when I came across this thread and it caught my eye because Ibuilt the model from the same plans many years ago when the plan was published. I exhibited the model at the International Model Engineering exhibition which in those days was held at Olympia in London. I picked up a commendation for the model. I still have it but it became a "Hangar Queen" as I took up full size flying and the models took a back seat. It now sits forlornly in my garage gathering dust, perhaps I should try and fly it one day! It was fitted with the Cox engine per plan.
On the question of dihedral Idiscovered during my research that the original full size Mignet machine had quite marked dihedral and this is shown in the early photographs and that it did NOT have ailerons but was flown by elevator and rudder alone. Ialso believe that Mignet largely taught himself to fly on this machine although Imay be wrong. The fact seems to be that his earlier creations were largely earthbound, except for the glider (HM5 I think) and were canibalised as each new design was constructed.
I believe a lot of accidents weren't the result necessarily of poor design but probably poor construction and / or piloting technique. There weren't the regulations in place that we have today and nobody was looking over the shoulder of builders to ensure that the construction was sound.
The plans from which this model were taken seem to be based on the layout of a machine built by a Mr Lerin I think who built , as far as Iknow, two machine, one in the 1930's and one in the 1980's. I think the later one is F-PYTU which is dispalyed in one of the French museums. Some of the machines have square edges to the main planes and some are rounded. For my money the HM8 is far more attractive than theHM14 flea.
Anyway, forgive the meandering.