The Smallest Planes in the World
The largest aircraft ever produced is the Stratolaunch. Its 385-foot wingspan was intended for rocket launching. That's pretty important and demonstrates that, if we have the right engineering, we can keep making airplanes bigger. So how much smaller can a plane be?
In 1952, Ray Stits built the smallest working airplane that had ever been built. It measured 9 feet, 10 inches long and had a wingspan of 7 feet 2 inches. It was called the Sky Baby. It was the smallest plane on record until Don, Ray's son, took up the distinction in 1984 with the Baby Bird. This was 200 pounds lighter than his father's aircraft and had a wingspan of 6 feet 3 inches. It continues to be the smallest monoplane in the world record books.
Robert Starr, not to be outdone, assisted the senior Stits in building the Sky Baby, but thought he hadn't received enough recognition. As a result, he created his own plane, the Bumblebee. In time for the Baby Bird to break the world record, it was completed in 1984. Starr created the Bumblebee II after going back to the drawing board. The Bumblebee holds a unique and different record for being the smallest because it is a biplane. Starr personally flew test flights in the aircraft, which had a 5-foot-6 wingspan.
- Size: 5-foot-6 wingspan
- Creators:Robert Starr
