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The HM.14 'Sky Louse', or 'Flying Flea' (Pou-de-Ciel), the father of today's microlights, followed earlier unconventional designs by Henri Mignet. It had two wings, and the larger one in front of the pilot offered variable incidence.
Pilot control was via a single stick. During the mid-1930s the aircraft became popular in Europe and beyond, and it was licence- or home-built in the hundreds. The type was grounded by some authorities in 1936 after a number of accidents. Modifications eventually overcame this. Despite slipping into post-World War II obscurity, HM.14s are still home-built.
| MODEL | HM.14 |
| CREW | 1 |
| ENGINE | 1 x 26kW two-stroke automobile or motorbike engine |
| WEIGHTS |
| Take-off weight | 227 kg | 500 lb |
| DIMENSIONS |
| Wingspan | 6.00 m | 19 ft 8 in |
| Length | 3.60 m | 11 ft 10 in |
| Height | 1.70 m | 5 ft 7 in |
| PERFORMANCE |
| Cruise speed | 120 km/h | 75 mph |
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FACTS AND FIGURES© The main feature of the Flea was
its tandem wing layout. If the
wings were mounted too close
together the controls could reverse
when the main wing was at high
incidence. © The Flea was controlled by a single
lever, which moved the whole wing
up and down and the rudder from
side to side. There was no tailplane,
no elevators and no ailerons. © The original Flea, and many of its
successors, made use of commonly
found components such as motorcycle
engines and wheelbarrow wheels.
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