Mike Minty..................................................Al Backstrom
Mikemintys@aol.com......................................albackstrom@attglobal.net  

(Translated by an unknown author from an unknown, probably Romanian, publication.)

      The creator of this flight apparatus, Filip Mihail, an aviation technician, was born in Cernica in 1896 in a poor farmer family.  After graduating an apprentice school, he was hired as a worker in the Aeronautical Storeyard in Cotroceni (a Bucharest district), where he became specialized in maintenance operations, in designing and building aeroplanes.
      During World War I, being part of the ‘Army Aviation Reserve Division’, Filip Mihail was remarked due to his ability and skill he proved in repairing various types of planes.  After the war was over, he worked for a while in the Aeronautical Storeyard and in the  IAR Barsov; later on he left for France where he would specialize working in several factories; his preoccupations went to building of a new aeroplane type.
      On April 4, 1923, he obtained the Invention Patent No. 555924 issued by the French Ministry of Trade and Industry for a monoplane gyro-aircraft, based on the documentation he had submitted on August 19, 1922 in Paris.  The monoplane gyro-aircraft was name ‘Peace’ (La Paix) and its construction was taking over a series of constructive elements found in Vlaicu’s and Vuia’s planes: the ‘parasol’ (sun-protected) wing made of a metal frame covered by textiles, the ‘gondola’-type cockpit, the landing gear and the transmission system between the engine and the propeller.  The elevator rudders were cancelled, their role being taken over by the wint sweep modification system in flight; as a flight principle this vehicle was very close to the ‘Vuia 1’ which was lacking in elevator rudder and which, in fact, was a real flying wing.
      This vehicle later named ‘stable-plane’ due it its in-flight stability may be included in the so-called ‘flying wings’ category, the construction of which attracted the interest of many inventors at that time.  Concerning the design and construction of certain vehicles of the same type there had already been attempts made by German, French and English aircraft constructors who had achieved some tailless gliders between 1919-1920.
       Although he obtained one of the first patents for a single-engine flight vehicle of ‘flying wing’ type, Filip Mihail didn’t enjoy the support of his time authorities.  He had to work hard for 12 years (1923-1935) to see his dream come true due to his own efforts and to some private contributions.
      Meanwhile, the German engineer Alexander Lippisch achieved, in 19331, the ‘Delta 1’ aircraft considered to be the first engine air vehicle of the ‘flying wing’ type which were flying effectively.
      Back in his country, on June 8, 1927, Filip Mihail obtains the patent No. 14115 for a new airplane type.
      From the attached report one may conclude that it is about an improved version of the patented project in Paris.
      The author named this vehicle ‘Avieta stabiloplan’ (stable plane) F. Mihail-type III.
      Further on we are going to present the F. Mihail Type III stable plane characteristics, as they were mentioned by the inventor in his report submitted for obtaining this patent.
      ‘The above-named ‘Avieta’ is a single seat, ‘parasol’ monoplane.  Its conception is an original one, a little strange, because it has no tail.  The longitudinal balance depends on a plane provided with variable sweep, with two lateral wings and crossed by a fin plane and by a rudder.  The plane of a simple construction is a horizontal one, rectangular in shape with a constant profile up to the extremities where it is diminished.  It is made up of three parts.  The central part is held almost in its pressure central point by a cabin made of three ‘V’ shaped steel tubes and by a control mounting at is back.
      The lateral parts located between spars are jointed with the central part by means of a creel and their spar heads join with the spars of the central part and, towards the extremities, in the same centres, it is held by two ‘V’-shaped mountings which are oblique and reversed and by two other control mountings.  The plane fitting to the ‘Avieta’ body is simple and resistant to that the pilot, by means of a control, may modify the sweep/incidence according to his will.
      The removal and plane folding are easy to be done as well as the mounting without requiring a new adjustment.
      The cockpit is of simple construction, short in shape with a good penetration is harmoniously lined and is located under the ‘Avieta’ plane hung by means of six ‘V’ shaped mounting supports.  Being closed, well illuminated and comfortable it provides the pilot with a good visibility and protects him against bad weather and cool. The engine and the socket-mounted propeller are in front of this cockpit.
       So, the propulsion actuation point is located under the pressure central point and in the very midst of the passive strengths.
       There is a window under the engine and under this window the landing chassis is mounted.  The following components are mounted inside: downwards; the rudder-pedals, at the upper part, just in the centre of gravity – the fuel tanks; at the lower-part – the controls and then there’s the pilot seat.  At the back of this seat there is an endlessly threaded screw related to the controls.  At the back, upwards it is ended by a fixed rudder fin plane; downwards the vehicle is laid on a horizontal steerable, removable tail skid, which in case of using in land transportation it is replaced by a hooked wheel.
       The landing chassis, of a simple construction to offer the ‘Avieta’ the right height, a minimum drag and a maximum strength, is made of a steel triangular tube opposed to the angle behind the base being consolidated by a ‘V’ at the upper part, is provided with two adjustable springs.  In the base centre there is a bracket consolidating it and limiting its stroke and, at its extremities there are two wheel axles, easily removable. 
       The winglets controls and the incidence are located together but actuate independently.  The winglets control is fitted by a vertical level oscillating rightwards and leftwards being fitted by a hinge.  On this lever too, near its upper part, the wheel axis is perpendicularly fitted and it is longitudinally positioned, when helped by single mechanism it controls the plane incidence.  So, the pilot, when inclining the lever to the right or to the left adjusts the lateral balance and when, for example, steers the wheel forwards, around its axis, he controls the endlessly threaded screw.
       Due to the fact that the plane incidence mountings are fit on this screw, the incidence diminishes and so the ‘Avieta’ is in the dive.
       The rudder is controlled by ordinary pedals so the result is an untiresome simple way – without human reflex problem – of controlling the in-flight ‘Avieta’ evolutions.  (From the Documentation Section of the Military Central Museum – Miscellaneous I, File No. 173)
 Based on the aerodynamic calculations performed by Dipl. Eng. Cristea Constantin in a care workshop belonging to an ex-aviation foreman, Ion Peleanu, an improved version of this invention name by Filip Mihail ‘Stable-plane’ Type IV is achieved.  The new vehicle is provided with a wing skidding system against the fuselage, modifying thus the pressure center position related to the aeroplane centre of gravity – so the aeroplane could be vase-lift of in dive.   In spite of the indifference showed by the authorities, this aeroplane flew, for the first time, on November 11, 1933 without any publicity.

 Wingspan............................................   9.0m
 Length................................................    3.7m
 Height    ................................................2.0 m
 Lifting Surface   ....................................13.0 sqm
 Engine    .................................................35 hp Scorpion ABC
 Propeller   ............................................1.45m diameter, wood
 Loan on 1 sqm  ................................... 29.3 kg
 HP load   .............................................10.9 kg
 Empty weight   .....................................241 kg
 Flight weight   ......................................381 kg
 Max speed ground  ...........................146.5 km/h
 Min speed ground  ...............................  73 km/h
 Speed at 1,000m  ..............................127.6 km/h
 Speed at 2,000m  .................................108 km/h
 Climbing time to 1,000m........................9:25
 Ceiling    ..............................................Exceeds 4,000m
 Takeoff distance  ..................................127 m
 Landing distance  .................................155 m

      The engine consumption/hour of this flight vehicle was 9 liters, the tank capacity was 56 liters, the provided flight independence was 6 hours and the radius of action was 700 km.
      Speaking about the first homologation flight, the ‘Dimineata’ newspaper, date April 23, 19331 mentioned as follows: ‘The vehicle was flying with such an accuracy and easiness which amazed all the people present at the flight.  The speed was unbelievable high.’
      Although the speed indicator of this ‘Avioneta’ was not operating, the vehicle achieved more than 180 km/h according to the opinion of those pilots watching it from the ground.
      Mr Levy (the pilot who was performing the flight) achieved all kinds of flights – level flight and turns.  Meanwhile, attracted by the strangeness of the vehicle shape, three military ‘Potez’ combat aircraft approached.  Mr Filip Mahail’s small aeroplane was flying by far faster as compared to the ‘Potez’ aircraft.
      On June 1, 1934, the same pilot, Lucien Levy, performed a non-stop flight; Bucharest-Brasov (back to) Bucharest, crossing the Carpathians at 3,000 m altitude – this vehicle demonstrating particularly high technical qualities and performances.
     In spite of all the successes obtained by the ‘Stable-plane’ Type IV on the occasion of all aviation contests it took part between 1934-1935, in the autumn of 1935 the authorities prohibited the flight of this Romanian conception vehicle.
     In 1937 dispirited of the authorities hostility, Filip Mihail, although without a pilot license tried to fly with his vehicle.  Due to a minor incident because of an air-pocket he lost the control of this apparatus which crashed down.
      After this accident the creator remained with a permanent invalidity.
      As one can see from the above, Filip Mihail, a famous inventor working in Romanian aviation, facing the lack of material conditions and other hardships, not being understood by the officials of his time had tried for long years of efforts and successive attempts to find the best shape for an easily maneuvering aeroplane and also particularly high performance.
      The patented inventions proved the validity and profitableness of the flight vehicles he conceived – proving the author’s preoccupation for enriching our national scientific and technical patrimony.
      The ‘Stable-plane’ Type IV and its creator, Filip Mihail, are honored in today’s history of the Romanian aeronautics.