Originally Posted by Stealth Pilot[_3_]

mignet's flea had an aerodynamic problem due to an unpredicted slot
effect.

this is from a british museum web site....
"Following a series of fatal accidents involving this type the French
authorities banned its use in 1936 and wind tunnel tests revealed an
aerodynamic flaw that could result in an uncontrollable and ever
steeper dive. The Air Ministry subsequently issued a ban in the summer
of 1937 and GAEEH was dismantled and stored in the owner's garage."

the wind tunnel tests referred to were in the RAE tunnel at
farnborough and made the flea the first full size aircraft ever tested
in the tunnel (because it was small enough to fit).

the result of the work done in farnborough actually saw a number of
mods to the flea that actually fixed the problem.

has anyone ever seen an aerodynamics report from the wind tunnel
testing. I am presuming that there would have been a formal report
written up and while the nasa web search engine gives us access to the
naca aerodynamics work, I've never encountered similar from the
british.

does anyone have a link to a report of the 1936/7 flying flea
aerodynamics investigations?
I'd sure appreciate one.

Stealth Pilot