Honey Bee H-2

The H-2 Honey Bee is a lightweight aerobatic biplane first flown in 1986. With the H-2, designer Bert Howland introduced the technique of TIG-welding the fuselage from square 6061-T6 aluminum tubing, yielding a strong and rugged fuselage frame that weighs only 24 pounds. The airfoil on the 4 equal span wings is 6-1/2” thick and features 7 aluminum-capped foam ribs per panel with a D-cell leading edge spar and a C-section rear spar. Design load factor is +8g to -6g. Two or four aileron options are offered in the plans. With the 4 aileron option, an engine of at least 65 hp, and an inverted fuel system, the H-2 is suitable for competition aerobatics up to the IAC intermediate level. The aircraft has been powered with engines from 40 to 95 hp. Homebuilder plans cost $250 and consist of 40 engineering drawings and designer construction notes.