Henri Mignet

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Henri Mignet, (October 19, 1893 in Charente-Maritime – August 31, 1965 in Ain Harronda in Morocco), was a well known French designer of aircraft and an avid builder, creator of the formula Flying Flea. He started corresponding with Gustav Lilienthal (the brother of Otto Lilienthal) in 1911.

His first plane was the HM-1-1 model constructed in 1912. It was a monoplane inspired by the creations of Otto Lilienthal.

Between 1914 and 1918, Mignet was incorporated into the French army. He was serving as a radio operator. In 1918 he contracted Malaria, and was hospitalised.

In 1920, he finished his first motorized prototype, which bore many similarities and took inspiration from the famous Blériot, and which he said of thereafter: "All the components worked, but not together..."

In 1922, he constructed the HM-3 "The Dromedary", the HM-4 parasol with no rudder and an Anzani 10 CV engine, and the HM-5, a sailplane.

In 1924, he sold the HM-5 sailplane for a large sum of money.

In 1925, he was forced to start raising chickens to feed his children, and to finance the development of his HM-6 project, a model with the engine located behind the pilot, and the HM-7, a helicopter.

In 1926, Mignet married Annette Triou. In 1928 he constructed the HM-8 using the old parts of the HM-6, his first model that really flew and had a great success in the aviation world. In 1929, the HM-8 made by home builders did their first flight. Professional manufacturers were very reluctant to it. Mignet encourage the construction of the HM-8, but carried on designing further models. In 1931, he published a handbook containing the specifications of the HM-8.