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Siebel Si 202 Hummel

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cluttonfred

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As many folks know, I love studying vintage aircraft to see how they might inspire us in designing modern homebuilts. I have read a lot about early British, French and American designs, but until recently I did not realize that there were efforts to develop a Volksflugzeug (People’s Aircraft) in late 1930s Nazi Germany. There were, of course, many other German lightplanes that predated that terrible period. I have long admired the motorglider-like Klemm Kl 25 that went back to the late 1920s, but wouldn't want to emulate the 13m/43' wingspan. Nein, danke.

The Volksflugzeug program was not a success and the only Volksflugzeug competitor that seems to have had even a modest production run was the Siebel Si 202 Hummel (Bumble Bee). Most of the few dozen Hummels made were the Si 202B model with a 55hp, inline-4 Zündapp 9–092. Note the oil tank for the dry sump system cleverly built into the engine top cover. What I wouldn't do for a modern incarnation of a nice little engine like that! But I digress...

The arrangement of Hummel's horizontal stab and elevator is very slick and looks like it would be very good at keeping the rudder effective at low speeds or in a spin. The overall lines are very cute and simple, even the cabin doors, and would be easy to mimic. The effect is lost, I think, in the final version with rounded wingtips and tail surfaces.

I think a modern design along these lines would be a breath of fresh air for folks looking for a low-cost two-seater. It could be even simpler, with a constant-chord wing or maybe "fake" taper using constant-chord 3/4 wing swept back a little and tapered ailerons (and flaps, if you need them). Use a constant-chord horizontal stab/elevator, bolt-on spring gear (maybe a nosewheel, or at least the option). Simplify the cabin even more with just one door on the pilot's side and the passenger window held on by a few latches for emergency egress only. Fabric-covered, bolted tube-and-gusset construction and a VW engine would keep it simple like a low-wing Sky Ranger.

What do you think? Interesting concept or dumb idea? And, I know what you're thinking...no, I don't *only* like this plane because it looks like a cabin Volksplane!

More info:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siebel_Si_202
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volksflugzeug
http://www.histaviation.com/Siebel_Si_202_Hummel.html
http://www.moosedesign.de/X-Plane/Hummel.pdf (nice .pdf article on history and an X-plane simulation model)
http://www.rotecradialengines.com/customers/WolfgangKnobloch.htm (replica under constuction)

Images:
http://richard.ferriere.free.fr/3vues/siebel202_3v.jpg
http://fandavions.free.fr/Siebel Si-202 Hummel.htm
http://cdn1.share.slickpic.com/u/IgorKolokolov/Yjk3ZTFkYTQ/org/N0000780/web.jpg
 

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