About This Site

You are in a Web site devoted to the Carter Hummingbird aerobatic aircraft, an original configuration conceived and currently being researched by Philip Carter, British Columbia, Canada. The design originates from a clean sheet of paper in an attempt to devise the most maneuverable aircraft ever built.

Herein you will find about 100 pages of text and numerous drawings and graphics describing the philosophy and engineering of this remarkable airplane.

The purpose of this site is to present the concept in sufficient detail that the knowledgeable reader will recognize the underlying philosophy, elegance and potential of the technology. Alongside the strengths and efficiencies are presented the problems, pitfalls and challenges. Mother Nature cannot be fooled.

Please note that much of the material presented on this site was prepared during the period 1992-1998 and does not always reflect current thinking.

While the design is evolving continuously as research and development proceeds, the early material remains since it offers much background information, along with an insight into the intricate intellectual process involved in bringing the concept to where it is today.

Recently there have been many important technical developments and significant adjustments to the configuration. I hope to place these developments online over the coming months, along with comprehensive analytical data to support my conclusions.

Philip Carter
April 08

Article first published in Sport Aerobatics magazine, August 2001,
official publication of the International Aerobatic Club.

Navigation Tips

• Click on any embedded drawing to bring up a larger version.

• Use the navigation menu (left) to locate items of interest . . . or at the bottom of the page if your browser doesn’t support frames.

• Or, use the Next and Previous buttons at the bottom of the page to follow a recommended path through the material.