Chūhachi Ninomiya

[1] Chūhachi was born in Yawatahama-ura, Uwa District, Iyo Province (now Yawatahama, Ehime).

At the age of 12, his father, a local merchant, died, forcing him to take up a job to make a living.

He also became an expert at making kites and the sale of his original models earned him money for books.

His second model was "Tamamushi-gata hikouki"(玉虫型飛行器, "Jewel beetle type flyer"), a tailless biplane.

He built the whole hull of the "Tamamushi model" and planned to equip it with a 12 hp gasoline engine.

In April 1991 a replica of the "Tamamushi model", with alterations to improve stability, successfully flew a distance of 50 meters (136 feet).

In 1915 he founded Hiko Shrine [ja] dedicated to people who have died in aviation accidents.

In his last years, he became a kannushi (priest of shinto) to pray for dead people who were killed in aviation accidents.