ProFe Banjo MH (c/n unknown, OK-LUA 52), static display during an open day at Aeroklub Broumov, Broumov, September 2022.
The Banjo MH is a Czech-manufactured motor glider belonging to the family of high-wing, strut-braced gliders and ultralight aircraft, developed by the ProFe company from Nové Město nad Metují.
ProFe was established in 1992 by brothers Václav and Ivan Brandejs. The company’s business activities included manufacturing of light aircraft, gliders and motor gliders, offered primarily in self-build kit form.
In 2011, the company introduced its new motor glider, the Banjo MH, to the market. The aircraft belonged to a family of light aircraft named after musical instruments, which also included the Banjo ultralight sailplane and the DuoBanjo two-seat ultralight aeroplane.
The Banjo MH is a high-wing, strut-braced, T-tailed motor glider, powered by a 28 hp Hirth F33 B single-cylinder, two-stroke, carburetted retractable aircraft engine. This ultralight aircraft has a mixed construction, incorporating fibreglass, plywood, spruce, polystyrene and fabric. The glider features a one-piece bubble canopy and is equipped with a monowheel landing gear.
The empty weight of the glider is only 157 kg, while the maximum take-off weight is 260 kg. The Banjo MH has a maximum glide ratio of 28:1 with retracted engine and 12:1 when the engine is extended.
In 2017, the Banjo family was expanded with a prototype cantilever-wing glider known as the Banjo II. This aircraft was developed by the Brandejs brothers and Peter Tax, who later used this experience to create a cantilever motor glider named the Terej.
According to available data, approximately fifty examples of the Banjo MH were manufactured until the early 2020s. However, according to information from the Czech company register, aviation-related activities of ProFe were suspended at the end of 2022. The company’s website has also been inactive since then.
