2024 Author: Erin Ralphs | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-19 11:42
The first miniature aircraft appeared long before the outbreak of World War II. They were needed mainly for reconnaissance. The smallest aircraft in the world began to be actively created after 1945. Various biplanes, jets and monoplanes, designed for one person, received a huge demand. Let's look at this topic in more detail and get acquainted with the most popular models.
Review X-12H
This aircraft was designed by a resident of Russia. Who would have thought, but its weight is only 80 kilograms. When folded, it can be placed in a suitcase, and the device can be assembled in working condition in half an hour. Cruising speed is about 105 kilometers per hour, the maximum is 125. This is with a wingspan of 6.3 meters and a length of 3.6. It can be used in almost any area, since 30 meters are enough for takeoff. The maximum load capacity is about 150 kilograms, withincluding the fuel tank. Therefore, the pilot must be light weight.
The smallest aircraft in the world, like the X-12H, is nice because it doesn't require flight school training or device registration to fly. At the moment, the stage of flight tests is underway, if it is completed successfully, then we can count on mass production.
Wee Bee Story
Three ambitious aircraft designers worked in California, who, despite everything, wanted to surprise the whole world with their invention. In the late 40s, the legendary Wee Bee (tiny bee) was created. The name is quite justified, because the dimensions here are really tiny. Width - 5, 5, and length - 4, 25 meters. We can safely say that the smallest aircraft in the world that already existed were significantly different from the "Little Bee". It's all about the management, which was carried out in a prone position on the roof of the aircraft. It was very inconvenient, but doable.
The optimal speed was 121 kilometers per hour, and the maximum was about 132. Flights were carried out over a short distance, up to 80 kilometers, and Wee Bee could rise up to 3 kilometers in height. The maximum carrying capacity is 186 kilograms, this is together with the weight of the aircraft itself, which was 95 kg. At the moment, "Little Bee" is in the San Diego Museum, but since the plane was damaged in a fire, its exact copy is kept there.
The world's smallest jet plane
Now we will talk about the BD-5J, which was developed in 1971 by the American aircraft designer Jim Bede. It was planned to use the aircraft exclusively for private flights or as a sports aircraft. The power plant with a capacity of only 65 horsepower made it possible to accelerate this crumb to a speed of 350 kilometers per hour. Thanks to this, in 1972 he was recorded in the Guinness Book of Records as the lightest jet in the world.
During the entire production period, the company has produced about 5,000 self-assembly kits and about 500 finished models. Demand was not only in the USA, but also in Europe. The empty plane weighed only 210 kilograms, and the maximum weight was about 390 kg, depending on the modification. The BD-5J aircraft could climb to a height of up to 8 kilometers, and the range was about 1,330 km. These are not only the smallest manned aircraft in the world, but also one of the most popular in the world.
Bumble Bee and Bumble Bee 2
The history of the creation of this aircraft began back in 1979. It was then that Robert Starr decided to repeat the success of Ray Stits and even surpass him. He worked on "Bumble Bee" for 5 years, starting in 1979 and ending in 1984. The result was a very heavy biplane, weighing 248 kilograms and with a maximum load of 328 kg. But the total length - only 2.9 meters with a wingspan of 2 meters brought Robert what he so desired. His creationreceived the title - the smallest aircraft in the world. You can see a photo of this unit in this article. The flight speed reached about 290 kilometers per hour.
But Robert did not stop there and wanted to surpass himself. To do this, he created "Bumble Bee 2". The weight was reduced to 170 kilograms, and the length was only 2.7 meters. The wingspan has also decreased. If in the first modification it was 2 meters, then in the second it became 1.7. The aircraft developed a speed of 305 kilometers per hour. During the first tests on May 8, 1988, Bumble Bee 2 crashed at an altitude of 120 meters. The reason is engine failure. The biplane was driven by Robert himself and was seriously injured in the fall.
Top smallest planes in the world
Colomban Cri-cri, designed by French designer Michel Colomban in 1973, was 3.9 meters long with a wingspan of 4.9 meters. It entered the Guinness Book of Records as the smallest aircraft with two engines. His weight was only 79 kilograms. Average flight speed - 185 km / h, maximum - 225 km / h. You can fly by plane for 2-2.5 hours, the maximum range is about 460 kilometers.
Unique technical characteristics have made Colomban Cri-cri extremely popular and in demand. To date, there are about 110 working copies in France, about 20 in the US and another 30 in Germany, Canada and the UK. In 2010, the biplane was improved and received 2 more electric motors. Thanks to this, he re-entered the Guinness Book of Records,as the smallest aircraft with 4 motors.
"Nano" and "Junior"
The seaplane, powered by the Nano electric engine, was developed in Finland at the end of 2011. The wingspan is 4.8, and the length is 3.8 meters, and all this with a mass of only 70 kilograms. Significantly reduced weight was achieved through the use of carbon fiber in the design. "Nano" is designed exclusively for takeoff and landing in the water, so there is no landing gear. It was planned to create 2 modifications of "Nano" with an electric and gasoline engine. But they decided to abandon the second one in favor of environmental friendliness and ease of operation of the electric motor. Only one copy has been released so far. With the launch of mass production, "Nano" will be available to customers for 35,000 euros.
"Junior" is the brainchild of Ray and Martin - American designers. The main goal was to get into the Guinness Book of Records due to its miniature size. The length of the biplane was 3.4 meters. It is surprising that with such proportions, the wingspan is only 2.8. The cruising speed is 240 km / h. This is the smallest passenger aircraft in the world, for which he got into the Guinness Book of Records.
Summarize
We reviewed the smallest aircraft in the world. Every year, new models appear and old ones are modified. For the most part, designers seek to break existing records with the goal of monetary profit. But not all biplanes and monoplanes are designed according to thisreason. Many are designed for further exploitation and distribution. Take at least the development of the Finns. The company did not try to make the dimensions quite tiny. The focus here is on safety and comfort. That is why such solutions will always be in demand. In addition, who would not want to buy a small-sized aircraft and fly on it. Now, however, it is very difficult, but in the near future all this will become more than possible.
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