Mignet HM-330 "Sakura" (Tachikawa R-HM)

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After Japan's defeat in World War II, the manufacture of local aircraft was banned. It was only after the publication of a "Memorandum about domestic air carrier operation" issued in 1950 that development of a local civil aviation could be restarted. Then in 1952, an aviation act was promulgated, whereby aircraft manufacturing was once again made possible.

It was at that time that the leading pre-war manufacturer Tachikawa aircraft/Ishikawajima-Works was re-registered as the "New Tachikawa Aircraft Co., Ltd.", and the sign "New Tachikawa Aircraft" placated at the entrance. The new company (often found as "Tachihi") manufactured three one-off prototypes in 1953 and 1954: the R-52 (c/n 1)*, the R-53 (c/n 2)* and the R-HM (c/n 3).

The R-HM (sometimes found as RH-M in Japanese publications of that time) was based on French engineer Henri Mignet's famous HM-10 Pou du Ciel (litterally the "sky louse", or "Flying Flea" in English). A Japanese Flying Flea, the 25 hp Rifei NH-1 Hibari ("lark") had already existed back in 1935, but the special shape of the aircraft made maneuvering difficult and resulted in a crash.

After the war, Henri Mignet produced the 120 hp HM-310 Estafette in Argentina and Brazil. He also worked on the quite similar HM-330 Sakura design for Tachikawa, who designated it the R-HM. The new aircraft was completed at Koto Ward, Tokyo on December 4, 1953. It was exhibited on the ground at the 2nd Air Festival at Tsukishima airfield on September 23, 1954, a little before the first flight, which took place on October 22.

Like many postwar civilian prototypes, Japan's R-HM was a flop. Take-off and landing were complicated, and the aircraft proved difficult to fly due to stability problems. The type failed to receive a certificate of airworthiness, resulting in the production of only one machine only, and after an accident in the summer of 1955, the Aviation Administration demanded its retirement in November.

In 1974 the prototype became part of the Tokyo Transportation Museum display, but eventually disappeared and put in storage. It is currently undergoing restoration.


Population: one aircraft built (c/n 3)
Registration: September 15, 1954 [JA3094]
Cancelled: March 10, 1965


Specifications

Crew: 1 or 2 (two seats)
Engine: 90 hp Continental A90 (or 95 hp C-90-12F reciprocating?°)
Wing span: 8 m
Wing area (front wing) 7.66 m²
Wing area (rear wing): 11.06 m²
Length: 5.08 m (5.80 m°)
Height: 2 m
Propeller diameter: 1.84 m
Empty weight: 350 kg (413 kg°)
Gross weight: 660 kg (645 kg°)

Performance

Range: 700 km (640 km°)
Takeoff distance: 300 m
Landing distance: 300 m
Maximum speed 170 km/h (150 km/h°)
Cruise speed: 140 km/h
Takeoff speed: 50 km/h
Landing speed: 60 km/h
Maximum operational altitude: 3,000 m


* I'll also be writing on the R-52 and R-53 soon... — Stargazer2006
° alternate specs found in other source, probably more realistic
 

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More pics — this time in color — and a three-view arrangement:
 

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A few more pics.

It's disappointing to see that so few forum members have an interest in these Early Projects topics. I hope the recent trouble over the F-35/T-50/J-20 topics is not an indication that this place now has more modern jet fanboys than true aviation enthusiasts... :-\
 

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Stargazer2006 said:
A few more pics.

It's disappointing to see that so few forum members have an interest in these Early Projects topics. I hope the recent trouble over the F-35/T-50/J-20 topics is not an indication that this place now has more modern jet fanboys than true aviation enthusiasts... :-\

Bah, don't believe this ! True aviation enthusiasts are enjoying those themes quitely ! ;)
Thanks for your efforts !
 
Sorry, Stéphane, I LOVE early aircraft topics and anything Mignet in particular, I just hadn't seen this one yet!
 
Stargazer2006 said:
... than true aviation enthusiasts...
Hmmm...
"True", as per the chapel of St Moi, Me & Myself?


Frankly, hopefully it was only frustration, but it also smacks of uppitty discrimination. People, if you want to deserve the "true enthusiast" rank, then you must contribute to my preferred subjects.
Would that improve the atmosphere on the forum? Maybe not.

- - -

About the participation level: many people are simply not enthusiasts for *every* kind of things related to aviation. Some are more into jets, into old timers, military hardware, airliners, general aviation, etc. It could well be that general aviation/homebuilts is a niche with a smaller audience.
This, and the hard reality that not so many people have access to worthy information about a subject as exotic as Mignets built in Japan decades ago. (I, for one, have zero clue on it). Both together certainly make for fewer contributions.
This scarcity may be frustrating to a fan of the particular topic, but is certainly preferable to lots of more-or-less-informed posts. If we keep the signal-to-noise ratio high, then there's, well, less noise.
L'air est plus rare en altitude. C'est la vie :)
 
dan_inbox said:
...People, if you want to deserve the "true enthusiast" rank, then you must contribute to my preferred subjects.

Didn't understand it that way, but just as a (probably not too serious) hint, that a lot of energy is blown in
threads like that about the "J-20:long range naval strike aircraft?" or, of course those about the F-35, too
often leading to topics locked or even bans.
Of course, no one is interested, or even an expert in all topics and I fully agree with your signal-to-noise ratio
comparison. It's just a fact, that in some topics, we not just have noise, but the whole wave band is jammed !
 
Stargazer2006 said:
A few more pics.

It's disappointing to see that so few forum members have an interest in these Early Projects topics. I hope the recent trouble over the F-35/T-50/J-20 topics is not an indication that this place now has more modern jet fanboys than true aviation enthusiasts... :-\

Hey Star, be sure, I love every topic you started or aswered. You have so many intersting pics and drawings...

"You´re my Star..." :-*
 
dan_inbox said:
"True", as per the chapel of St Moi, Me & Myself?
Frankly, hopefully it was only frustration, but it also smacks of uppitty discrimination.

Jemiba said:
It's just a fact, that in some topics, we not just have noise, but the whole wave band is jammed !

That's exactly what I was about... Some folks copy-paste a simple link to a blog and people will fill pages on end about it. On the other hand, I often find that after spending several hours researching a rare subject, enhancing the pictures and writing the article, I get a very small number of views by comparison... and hardly any reply. So it's really only frustration, and nothing else.


Maveric said:
Hey Star, be sure, I love every topic you started or aswered. You have so many intersting pics and drawings...
"You´re my Star..." :-*

Ha ha! Thanks Maveric, but I'm certainly no star... I just collect info and organize it for future reference, that's all. A vast number of people on this forum have greater knowledge than I do, believe me! If I was into "uppity discrimination" I certainly would claim to be knowing it all, which I don't...

I just think there are loads of places on the web to discuss the angle of a new fighter's antenna but there are too few places where little-known subjects can be tackled and the sum of knowledge that several "true enthusiasts" have on the subject can be put together. The Aerospace and Bar sections exist but they should not constitute the core of the forum's contributions. I think SECRET PROJECTS is about projects, prototypes, little-known types and facts... It's different from the rest... that's what I love about it, and I'd love for it to remain this way.
 
Hi! Tachikara RHM-1 3 side view drawing and pictures.
 

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Wonderful, blackkite, thanks for posting. Got any more pics of the Sakura? It looks like folks were being allowed to sit in it on open house day.
 
Hi! Enjoy.

http://dansa.minim.ne.jp/a3632-4-ShinTachikawa.htm

http://flickrhivemind.net/Tags/%E7%AB%8B%E5%B7%9D%E9%A3%9B%E8%A1%8C%E6%A9%9F/Interesting
 

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Hi! Enjoy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWdxTQWrzo8
 
Next images.
http://www.tachihi.co.jp/409/
 

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It's quite a thrill to see all these beautiful images of such a unique historic aircraft so beautifully preserved! Also it's a favorite of mine, so thanks a lot for sharing these (and the Hibari too).
 
You are welcome. タチヒ(Tachihi) is a simplified name of Tachikawa hikoki.(立川飛行機)
 
Hi!

The second pictures showed under the stall reverse condition(失速反転中).
A vicinity at the Tokyo airport(now HANEDA International Airport), flying RHM was seen in the third picture. A raft for culture of black paper(for sushi) was seen at sea level.
 

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Hi!
http://www.aero.or.jp/isan/gallery/takahashi-album-03/photos/07-023-003-004-01.html

http://geta-o.jp/LATEST/2014-04/2014-04-18/2014-04-18.html

1. Fuel pressure gauge, 2. Oil pressure gauge, 3. Oil temperature gauge, 4. Vertical speed indicator, 5. Revolution indicator, 6. Compass,
7. Turn indicator, 8. Speedometer, 9. Altimeter, 10. Clock. 11. Fuel gauge, 12. Ammeter, 13. Front wing tab, 14. Throttle valve lever,
15. Oil temperature adjustment lever. 16. Before and after inclinometer, 17. Storage battery switch,
18. Ultrasonic transmitter/Aviation lights switch/Ceiling light switch, 19. Fuel injection pump, 20. Starter operating lever,
21. Tail wheel fixing device, 22. Ultrasonic transmitter operating lever, 23. Cylinder inner thermometer, 24. Fuel cock operating lever
 

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Thanks, blackkite, especially for the legend translation! I suspect that no. 16 should read "Forward and rear (wing) inclinometers" as I can't see any other reason to have two. I have no idea what the "ultrasonic transmitter" is or why it would be on the aircraft. Anyone?
 
Great additions to the topic, blackkite! I'm also curious about that "ultrasonic" thingy...
 
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