Fleaman, or (The Unexpected Delight of Tinyness)

[KiwiZac]

For years I've marvelled at Henri Mignet's oft-maligned homebuilt design, the HM.14 "Pou du Ciel" (Sky Louse or, more poetically, Flying Flea). He said if you could build a box you could build a Flea, and his book "Le Sport de l'Air" on the subject sold thousands of copies in 1934.




Unfortunately due to a design flaw involving the wings overlapping (leading to an unrecoverable dive at certain angles of attack), and overzealous/inexperienced builders using too-powerful engines, several Fleas crashed killing their pilots. From what I've read Mignet's own prototypes could never replicate the flight conditions that led to such a crash - he used a smaller engine - but windtunnel tests showed changed needed to be made. Mignet produced an improved design in 1936 but the aircraft was doomed to remain a subject of jest and mockery...despite the fact several improved HM.14s fly to this day, as well as numerous other Mignet designs. Here in NZ three Fleas were registered although up to a dozen are thought to have been at least started. Of that number only four or so flew, and three restored examples are on museum display with another (near me) having vanished from museum display. One HM.16 has been on and off the NZ civil register in recent times.

Google Flying Flea for some photos - I'm wary of copyright issues, and I surprisingly have none of my own handy)

The Flea has always appealed to me because of its small size (wingspan of 20ft, length 13ft), cute looks, and M. Mignet's assertion anyone can build one. As a teenager I got as far as drawing up the seat back, but Dad would never agree to cut it out for me! I bought a DVD version of his book a while back and have in the last week found some improved (SAFER!) drawing online, which I've saved too. One day, baby, one day.

In the meantime there is a 1/72 kit or two out there but then I saw a preview on Hyperscale of one in 1/144!!!. I knew it would be tiny, I shared it on Facebook to show the lunacy of some modellers, and then a friend of mine dared me to get one.

Turns out the reviewer is a fellow Kiwi, and he listed the review kit on a local auction site for less than NZ$20. Challenge accepted. Kit bought.



Oh God that box is small.



Ohhhhhhhh lordy this is tiny.

Despite the ludicrously small size I was very keen to crack on so, as of Saturday lunchtime, my own little Pou looked like this:



It's surprisingly fun! Attaching the photoetch parts - engine mount, struts, tailwheels - won't be fun, but this is still a very exciting little kit. Coincidentally I've been following a Flea restoration in the UK at another forum and that machine, G-AFFI, is one of the two decal options in the kit. So that's the markings sorted.

Thanks for bearing with me, and I look forward to bringing you another update during the weekend :-).

[Mossie]

I'll be keeping an eye on this, (or at least try to)!  Knowing your an Airco/DH fan, their DH.2 after this then???

[KiwiZac]

ARE YOU INSANE?! I barely finished the 1/72 Revell one!

[buzzbomb]

A tiny aircraft in tiny scale.

Like how it is looking so far though

[Captain Canada]

Tiny doesn't describe that !

[Dizzyfugu]

OMG... 

[Mossie]

ARE YOU INSANE?! I barely finished the 1/72 Revell one!

Quite certainly, as I'm watching this thread thinking of picking up my own flying flea....  

[KiwiZac]

The moulding is beautiful, I recommend it.




So far.....

[KiwiZac]

Some great progress today: the rear wing is in place and roughly square. Unfortunately I didn't cut well enough when removing the fuselage from the pour stub so the underside near the nose needed two filler sessions today, so I didn't get as much done as I was hoping. But still! Hoping to do the first bit of PE tomorrow: the rudder post and tailwheels, followed by the rudder itself. I may need some more filler on the bottom, too.

Also wondering if I should try fitting the seatbelts...shoulder AND lap...

[Weaver]

Fascinating - I wondered how a real build of one of these would go as soon as I saw it on Brengun's webpage.

[zenrat]

I sneezed and then it was gone...

[kerick]

The dog took one look and started scratching......

That is quite a challenge, hats off to you!

[PR19_Kit]

PE stuff on something THAT small, and in 1/144 scale??? 

Do they supply a magnifying glass with the kit?

[KiwiZac]

Some good progress today: rudder and wheels are on, stick is in and strut mounting points are on the underside of each wing:




But.

I cut off and sanded the engine and folded and glued the firewall-engine mount-front wing mount piece, the largest single piece of PE and vital to the completion of the kit. I put some CA on the engine mounts and dropped the engine in place, but it wasn't in the right spot so I got to fixing it.

Except I somehow knocked it off the bench.

I work in our garage, a small piece of quite smooth carpet on top of the cement floor. Four hours, sweeping and sorting the dust and detritus, and no sign. I've never been so demoralised during a build, I'm at a real loss as to what I should do now. I feel so incredibly disappointed.

Not sure when you can expect another update.

[zenrat]

Bugger.
I feel your pain (I expect we all do).