HM.293 “Pou Fou”- ca. 1988

Due to a request for a light reconnaissance plane needed by the French resistance during WWII, Henri Mignet developed the HM.280.  Only a prototype was completed. After the war, Mignet did publish the plans for a civilian version, the HM.290. After elongating the fuselage and tilting the firewall back, yet another redesign yielded the HM.293, built to handle a larger engine and slightly larger pilot.

The HM.280-290 series also marked the beginning of the folding-wing design. Although this added weight, it satisfied Mignet’s intent for homebuilt planes to be stored in garages and to be able to be towed to the airfield. In the 1980s, Rodolphe Grunberg designed an Ultralight version of the HM.293. Several hundred versions of the Grunberg HM.293 were built, or are under construction.

Built by Yves Segonds, this HM.293 was named the “Pou Fou”, or “Crazy Flea”. Note the backwards letters the spell “Le Pou Fou” on the rudder.  

Specifications:
Manufacturer: Homebuilt by Yves Segonds
Country of Origin: France
Designer: Rodolphe Grunberg after Henri Mignet
Engine: Rotax 447, two-cylinder, two-stroke, 42hp
Empty Weight: Design – 374 lbs.
Gross Takeoff Weight: 628 lbs.
Cruise Speed: 80 MPH (estimated)
Wingspan: 20 ft.
Years of Production: 1983-present
Number Produced: Hundreds of copies of HM.293