Flea_Nut

Bob Cornwell was an exceptional craftsman who worked at Luskintyre in the early 90's. He built a beautiful HM14 replica that i bought off him in 2000. I lost contact with him and went visit him in Weston in the Hunter valley yesterday only to find the house had been sold and was in the process of being restored by the new owner. The new owner said that Bob had died several years previously and that there was still aircraft stuff in the shed so i went a had a look expecting to find a completed HM8 fuse ( conventional 1928 hi wing monoplane designed by Henri Mignet before the Flea craze) When I last saw it, it was complete on its U/C but uncovered. Also there was a completed HM16 fuse on it wheels including the rudder ( this was a tiny flying flea that only a very small person could get into let alone fly. Bob was such a person.. He had also built an Aircraft called a Cardinal. which he had scaled up from an aircraft modellng mag but had stuffed up in the upsizing. Only a contortionist or a child could get into or out of it. I did it once. I bought it off him and donated to the Central Coast Air League What was left in the shed was the wings from the cardinal which are completed to Bobs exceptional standards and that he was going to use on the HM8. Both HARS and TAVAS are extremely keen to find these airframes. I hope to god someone somewhere has saved them and they havent been trashed. I missed saving an original 293 Flying Flea by a week If you hear even a vague rumour of what has happened to them please, please let me know Cheers James

After many years of struggling with a body that I've badly mistreated ( many incidents and accidents ) Its come time to say that's enough. I had 2 1931 Clancy Skybaby replicas ( which have now gone to HARS ) 1 partially built HM 293 ( which went to Queensland and a beautifully built HM14 ( built by Bob Cornwell at Luskintyre in 1990. Sadly learned of his death today ) This has also gone to HARS. Also dontated a massive amount of old props, instruments and whatever they wanted. Took 3 removal trucks to do it. They didnt want anything postwar nor did they want plywood, 4 metre lenghts of 3/4 x 3/4 Huon pine or $3000 worth of paint and thinners or a new Pteradactyl Ascender still in its shipping crate. Or 2 stroke engines,a set of floats (small) A lot of stuff left. I'll slowly be putting it up in the classified as I take photos James

As the pilot was doing a full power runup prior to taking off, the engine cut out ( Rotax 912 ) and then burst into flame. The pilot managed to scrambled to safety, and the aircraft was totally consumed by fire. The AT3 was the only one in Australia (Kitplane) It is thought that fuel hose came off. Approximately 4 weeks ago

Hi Scott. post some picies and we will soon tell you what it is, I have a complete Hm14 undergoing an engine refit and a partially built 293 that is an exact copy of Freds 290. You must be aware of the severe seating restrictions imposed on the pilot in these types of aircraft. These aircraft are made for small people ( designed for 70 KG pilots) even though the larger pilots who are tuning into this group will disagree with me. I have decided I am not happy with either of my Fleas. The HM14 is undergoing its engine refit to go to the TAVAS museum because the wing has been built with a swept spar ( no flat centre section) and no drag / antidrag struts in the wings. Not safe to fly.. The 293 is 4 inches longer than Freds 290 but my ribs all come from his jigs and the mainspars are made from Canadian spruce imported by me. All steel is complete plus fuel tank and instrument panel. I''m not comfortable in it. I'm 100 KG's and theorically the 293 should not fly me although I have seen Freds short winged 290 flown by pilots 20 K's over weight with no trouble. The trouble you are going to have is when you declare to the RAA that you are going to continue the build. They will want to know the build history and particularly the woods and glues used in the build. Be prepared for this because it will be very painfull probably requiring an inspection by a level 2 authorised inspector. The RAA is PAIIIINFULL to deal with and could take as long as a piece of endless string. Any way put up some picies. If it is a short HM14 fuse it can be extended with Freds authorised mods. At one time when Bob Cornwell was running his Flea site, we knew of all the builders in Aus. On the death of Phil Baligand (293) and the lack of information on the cause of his crash, all building of the Flea in Aus stopped ( there may be a few exceptions I dont know of) You may have the beginnings of a few Bob and I know about. Do you know its build history? Vive Le Pou James

Thanks guys for the input. I have imported vehicles into Aus before and I'm aware of the costs involved, Just importing an engine from Canada was unbelievably expensive and has blown out what was a cheap deal to a bloody expensive one. Phil if its very cheap I'll probably do it. It would be easier to find the Balerit thats in Aus and already on the register as thats where the fun really begins especially with the state of the RAA at the moment

sorry to post it multiple times. struggling with the site

photo of my 293 with rear centre section and Cosandy Flap Fuel tank on the ground

phot of my 293 with rear wing centre section and Cosandy flap

Hi Phil, I've been trying to locate the Balerit in Aus in the hopes of buying it without much success. Can you make enquiries as to whats happening with it and if the guy wants to sell it? Price? Much appreciated James (also Perry ) long lost relative?

Hi Don, I'm having trouble driving this software. Saw your message come thru but now cant figure out how to get back to the PM with your ph number. Not an easy site to drive

Sorry we got out of sink with the picies posted of the modified 14 and my comments. I must get mine off the trailer this week and begin to mount the Henderson. My 14 has the curved mainspar and was built from Henri's book, so no flat centre section or folding wings or extended fuse. Looks 1934 Authentic and I dont want to mess with it so that it looks like a late era build

Yes I plan on raising the 14 of the ground more than it is. My 14 has a solid axle and relies on big rideon lawnmower tyres to provide suspension. Too close to the ground and thats how I flipped it> whose flea in the photo?

Hi Kasper, as you say PIO is entirely the pilots fault especially on the flea and flying stick only. Some flea's fly with rudder and brakes connected to the rudder. Fred Byrons Flea (HM293) has the travel set at 2.3rds pedal movement moves the rudder and the last third applies the brakes. Didnt like it myself but Kirk Sutton who was a flying instructor at the Oaks when the Flea was based there flew it beautifully. His Pilot notes are on the Flea forum and I saw him perform some beautiful flying even tho he was overweight for the wing area. I asked him why his approach was so hot and he said that this flea did not behave very well with its weight to wing area ratio at slow speeds. Kirk and I both used to work in Sydney CBD and would meet for lunch to discuss Fleas and how we would resolve their issues. He just dissappeared one day and then I heard he was building a n HM14 in England. He did come back to test fly another Hm14 that had been modified by Fred Byron with a slit fin /rudder combination the he and Fred had developed. Unfortunately this was sold to Don Campbells Museum in Canada. It would never fly Don as he is a massive guy, I doubt he could get into the cockpit. A 60% fin and 40% rudder combination reduces the rudder sensitivity enormously and all Fred plans now incorporate this. My 14 has no brakes and you taxy it on the ground by grabbing each wheel with a gloved hand to turn in that direction. Full rudder on the stick. Very poor response to rudder on the ground until 30 knots. Poor undercarriage ( too close to the ground ) and a full flying rudder make it very sensitive indeed as you approach flying speed. You only have to think about moving your hand and the Flea has faced in that direction. The guy who attempted to fly the 14 knew nothing of the fleas handling and was lucky not to kill himself especially as Bob Cornwell had not set any control stops on the front wing. The combination of these errors would have killed him if he had flown it. As it was /is I fast taxied it at Somersby and flipped it over braking the prop ( F@#$% ) and the trailing edge of the front wing. I had no intention of trying to fly it with no control stops but was ready for PIO if it did leap into the air. Scared the crap out me, boy was the adrenalin pumping

Hey, great response guys, yes it was Rob Germons Flea and boy is it a hot thing to fly. The new owners bought it with the intention of getting rob to build new outer wing panels but for what ever reason it never happened. A beautifully built flea but as you say nothing would convince Rob that Frasers aerofoil was all it was cracked up to be. Recent wing tunnel tests show that it is completely stable and does produce 5% more lift but because the aerofoil is cupped under the leading edge it is a bugger to cover. My 14 was built by Bob Cornwell at Luskintyre while he worked there restoring Tigermoths in about 1990. Bob says he flew it but I'm sure he didnt as there is just too much wrong with it to fly safely. It was test flown the length of Luskintyre airfield by an aerobatic pilot. Cant remember his name, has a Flying school at Maitland and crashed his Pitts doing low level loops. Anyway, it scared the pants off him with PIO and told Bob to put it back in his shed and forget it. I bought it out of interest in the hm14 and because it has wings designed by Jim Jenz I know that with the right adjustments it would fly. It too has only 5.4m front wing which is capable of flying me but again it would be too hot. After Steam Feast I plan to make a new centre section for each wing and extend them. The front to 6.4 and the rear to 5.6. According to my calcs this will fly a 90 kg pilot ( crash diet for me) within the RAA rules. The Flea was registration no 344 on the ultralight register but is very heavy. I plan to replace most of the steel tubing and sheet steel with 4130 and should be able to reduce the weight by 10KG and that includes new centre sections and making the wings foldable. They are one piece at the moment and very difficult to manage/assemble