AUGUST 22,

1935.

FLIGHT.

205

19091935/ As then so now, a French pioneer crosses the Channel in a machine of his own creation. At. Henri Mignet in his Pou-du-Ciel " approaching Folkestone on August I3ih.

L'AUTRE AVIATION
Henri Mignet Flies in England : Air Ministry Test Suggested
By C. N. C3LSON AST Saturday M. Henri Mignet, ably assisted by Madame Mignet, flew his " Pou " at Shoreham Air-* port. This was the first of a series of demonstrations taking place in England during the next three weeks. Flight has kept its readers fully abreast of " Pou " developments since M. Mignet first announced, to a somewhat sceptical French flying public, that he was going to fly without ailerons or rudder-bar, and that he was going to do it with greater safety than is provided in normal aeroplanes. It was, therefore, with the greatest interest that I went to Shoreham last week-end to see this interesting pioneer himself. He is not at all the dogmatic type of inventor usually associated with radical developments. He is just a vivacious Frenchman of small build, with a petite and equally vivacious wife. Together they have undoubtedly produced a machine worthy of the closest investigation. Opinions differ as to whether safety in the air is to be obtained by the elimination of the ailerons or the rudder. There are both schools of thought among aircraft designers, but so far there has been more experiment w i t h machines lacking a t a i l rudder than with those lacking

ailerons, as, for example, the " Pterodactyl " in England and the Waterman " Arrowplane " in the U.S.A. After seeing the " Pou " and its flying capabilities I feel that any money involved would be well spent if the Air Ministry were to acquire a " Pou " and test it thoroughly with a view to giving all manufacturers the Ixiiiefit of the result of the tests. It is too early to say whether " there is anything in it," but it certainly seems a promising path down which Martlesharn Heath or Farnborough might well send some of their experts at Government expense. On Saturday M. Mignct was flying a new machine built for him by Felix Louis, a French aircraft constructor, at Pantin, with the Aubier et Dunne two-cylinder inverted two-stroke engine (Flight, April 11, 1935). The machine was well made for its type, although certain details are a little crude in comparison with English aeronautical practice. Apparently M. Mignet is so busy with demonstrations that he now has little time for building his own machines, and, with the exception of a two-seater, in which he is going to teach Madame. Mignet to fly, he has no construction on hand at the moment. I learnt that he has now flown some 145 hours in " Pous " and that, contrary to general belief, he has tried piloting conventional aircraft, but I gather that the results did not encourage him to continue ; in fact, they made him more than ever convinced that his " Pou " was a better method of flving. Before making his demonstration he hrnadcasi a talk about flying and the " P o u , " describing the latter .unus ingly as " a small in^ei i uhi< h has made penpl - in France scratch their heads." Starting up seemed to (all for a considerable amount of energy. The airscrew had to ! > < twirled round many times before the entitle was deemed ready, and then the ;i<tiial start appearerl to be dependent upon swinging the airscrew so hard thnt it turned over several mm pressions, The <o<Upit eon taincd quite an arrav of nistni M. Mignet " trundling" his " Pou" on Lympne aerodrome. The engine is an Aubier et Dunne twostroke.