The Stits DS-1 Baby Bird is a homebuilt aircraft built to achieve a "world's smallest" status. The Baby Bird is in the Guinness Book of World Records as the “Smallest Airplane in the World.” as of 1984. The title was later defined as "world's smallest monoplane" to acknowledge Robert H. Starr's Bumble Bee II as the world's smallest biplane.[1]
| DS-1 "Baby Bird" | |
|---|---|
| |
| Stits DS-1 Baby Bird | |
| Role | Homebuilt aircraft |
| National origin | United States |
| Designer | Don Stits |
| First flight | 25 August 1984 |
| Number built | 1 |
Development
editThe DS-1 is a single-engine, single-seat highwing aircraft. Development started in 1980 to beat Ray Stits's record for World's smallest aircraft, the Stits SA-2A Sky Baby flown by Robert H. Starr. The fuselage is welded steel tubing with fabric covering. The wing is all-wood construction.[2]
Operational history
editThirty-four flights took place in 1984 with United States Navy pilot Harold Nemer at the controls.[3]
Specifications
editData from EAA
General characteristics
- Crew: 1
- Length: 11 ft (3.4 m)
- Wingspan: 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
- Height: 5 ft (1.5 m)
- Empty weight: 252 lb (114 kg)
- Gross weight: 425 lb (193 kg)
- Powerplant: 1 × Hirth 2 Cylinder, 55 hp (41 kW)
- Propellers: 2-bladed
Performance
- Maximum speed: 96 kn (110 mph, 180 km/h)
- Stall speed: 61 kn (70 mph, 110 km/h)
See also
editAircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
References
edit- ^ "Stits SA-2A". Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 1 September 2013.
- ^ "Stits DS-1". Retrieved 1 September 2013.
- ^ "The Baby Bird Flies". The Montreal Gazette. 13 September 1986.