When the Wright brothers invented the first airplane in 1903, they could not have imagined that the aviation industry would become an extremely profitable business 100 years later. In addition, aviation has made a huge leap forward. Whereas the Wright brothers plane flew only about 35 meters, a modern Boeing 787 can fly more than 16 thousand kilometers on one gas station. In our review, little-known and very curious facts about the aircraft industry.
1. pressure difference
If the door to the cabin of the aircraft suddenly opens at high altitude, this can lead to the fact that people are literally "sucked" out due to the pressure difference in the cabin and outside. However, in a flying plane, it is almost impossible to open the door, just because of the same pressure difference.
2 Boeing 747
The Boeing 747 can carry about 230,000 liters of jet fuel, which weighs about 180 tons.
3. Contrail
The contrail that airplanes leave behind is water vapor. A thin trace indicates that now the air humidity is low and the weather is clear. And a thicker, longer trail could be an early sign of a storm.
4. Passive safety
According to a study conducted by Popular Mechanics, it was found that passengers sitting near the tail of an aircraft are forty percent more likely to survive a crash than those sitting in the front rows.
5. Less than three liters of fuel
The Airbus A380, Boeing 787, ATR-600, and Bombardier C Series aircraft use less than three liters of jet fuel per 100 passenger kilometers. This is in line with the efficiency of most modern compact cars.
6. Air on board
The air on airplanes is filtered using the same technology as air filters in hospitals, so it contains almost no germs.
7. Fuel dump
If the aircraft must make emergency landing, the pilot may decide to jettison fuel from the tanks in the wings. Although this does not happen very often, this is done in order to reduce the weight of the aircraft. The fuel usually evaporates before it reaches the ground.
8. Turbulence
Aircraft radars cannot detect turbulence. Turbulence can form both in clear, cloudless weather and in bad weather.
9. Ninety seconds to evacuate
The FAA requires that any aircraft can be evacuated in ninety seconds. A similar period was set because in one and a half minutes the flame can engulf the entire aircraft, and in four and a half minutes the aircraft burns out completely.
10. Autopilot
The autopilot is usually on for most of the flight. The computer can make finer adjustments resulting in lower fuel consumption, except for turbulence. The autopilot is not used, as a rule, during takeoff and landing, although this is possible.
11. Only flights will pay the pilot ...
Most airline pilots are only paid for their time in the air and are not paid for the time it takes to get to the airport, to take on a flight assignment, and the time it takes to wait in line to take off.
12. With Buran on board
An-225 cargo jet is the largest aircraft in the world. It's almost as big as a football field. The aircraft was originally built to transport shuttles.
13. Airbus A380
The world's largest passenger aircraft is the Airbus A380. This four-engine double-decker jet made its maiden flight on April 27, 2005.
14. One hundred tires
The Boeing 767 sucks enough air into its engines during flight to fill the Good Year airship in about seven seconds. The material from which the landing gear of a Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker tanker jet is made would be enough to make one hundred car tires.
15. BD-5 Micro
The smallest jet aircraft in the world is the BD-5 Micro. Its wingspan is from 4 to 6.5 meters, and the aircraft weighs only 160 kg.
16. Mercury
Mercury is considered the biggest threat to any aircraft and for this reason it should not be carried on board. Even small amounts of mercury can seriously damage the aluminum that most aircraft are made from. Aircraft that are exposed to mercury are usually quarantined.
17. 3,530 km/h
The fastest aircraft in the world is the Lockheed SR-71. This supersonic reconnaissance aircraft has held the speed record (3530 km/h) for almost forty years.
18. Windows on airport control towers
Windows on airport control towers should be angled at exactly fifteen degrees to reduce the possibility of glare on the glass.
19. In English please!
Fifty-eight people a year.
According to the Federal Office civil aviation(FAA), in-flight turbulence is the leading cause of injury to airline passengers and flight attendants in non-fatal accidents. Each year, an average of fifty-eight people in the United States are injured if they don't fasten their seat belt while flying.
22. 80% of plane crashes
Studies show that eighty percent of plane crashes happen in the first three minutes after takeoff and in the final eight minutes before landing.
23. Boeing 747-400 cab windshield
A single windshield or cabin window frame on a Boeing 747-400 costs as much as a BMW car.
small military aircraft
Not all military aircraft that have ever existed were large in size. Among them were aircraft with "modest" dimensions. One of these was the Sh-tandem. Its weight without armor was a little over three tons. The plane was made of wood. Its dimensions are eight and a half meters in length with a front wingspan of extreme points- eleven meters, and the rear wings - seven meters. Due to its miniature size, it was used in the USSR as a catapult reconnaissance for cruisers and battleships, as well as a reconnaissance spotter, thanks to its good defensive fire pattern and high speed. Its mass production began in the summer of 1940.
"Sh-tandem" one of the first small aircraft was made of wood
Among small small Russian aircraft- Yak-130. The weight of this light fighter is four and a half tons. It is capable of speeds up to one thousand fifty kilometers per hour. This aircraft can be used both as a combat aircraft and as an aircraft for pilot training.
Yak-130 small domestic fighter
The Sukhoi design bureau also belongs to light Russian fighters. It is smaller than the Su-27 fighter. Its mass is eighteen and a half tons, and the maximum speed is two thousand six hundred kilometers.
F-16 "Fighting Falcon" small American combat aircraft
The United States is armed with such light aircraft as the F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter. It is assumed that production of the F-35A will begin in 2018, while only a dozen of such fighters have been built. Small military aircraft are used by US naval aviation - these are F / A-18 Hornets of four modifications. At this time, work is being completed on the development of the X-47B combat drone.
small passenger planes
In recent years, the demand for aircraft used for corporate and individual purposes has increased significantly. business trips. Talking about airplanes business people. It is expected that this market will develop more dynamically than the market military aviation.
Salon of a small passenger aircraft Global 5000
The Canadian concern Bombardier Aerospace is a leader in the sector of small passenger aircraft. He created business jets such as the Global 5000 and Continental, which can take up to eight passengers on board. It is known that the leader in demand for the smallest passenger aircraft for business is such a European country as Germany.
Small aircraft with a diesel engine are also in demand. They are interested in amateur athletes and wealthy people. Such aircraft are actively used in the American market, where they are used to transport small consignments. So, the aircraft of the French company Sokata, called "Generation Two", is equipped with a turbodiesel and is intended, among other things, for the transportation of oversized cargo. The production of such small aircraft is carried out by Czech, Polish and German aircraft builders.
European companies are most often involved in the production of small aircraft.
In recent years, especially in the G7 countries, small aircraft have been replacing cars. In the “flyweight” at the Berlin exhibition, Czech and German aircraft manufacturers were in the lead. They compete with each other not so much in terms of weight and dimensions, but in terms of comfort for passengers, fuel consumption and the best aerodynamics.
The most common small-seat domestic passenger aircraft are the two-seat Yak-52, the four-seat Yak-18T, the ten-seat L-410 and the Yak-40.
How much do small planes cost
Today there is a real boom in small military aircraft, in contrast to aircraft designed to transport a large number passengers. Among the smallest planes is a new miniature military spy plane created by American designers CyberBug. The cost of developing each such "cyberbug" costs thirty thousand dollars. It is controlled by means of a control panel, rises to a height of one hundred and fifty meters and can be controlled at a flight range of up to seventeen kilometers.
Small aircraft are often used by the military
Having your own small plane is not a cheap pleasure. According to experts, such an acquisition will never pay off. Nevertheless, wealthy people have long shown interest in personal aircraft.
The smallest plane in the world
In the Guinness Book of Records, the Wee Bee microplane created in 1948 in San Diego (USA) is noted as the smallest aircraft. With a length of four meters twenty-five centimeters, the length of its wings was five and a half meters. This "bee" developed a speed of up to one hundred and thirty kilometers per hour.
Later, in the same 1948, the “bee” was replaced by another small aircraft in the Guinness Book of Records - the tiny “Junior” or “Baby” aircraft became the leader. Its wingspan is two meters seventy centimeters, its length is three meters forty centimeters, and its maximum speed is two hundred and forty kilometers.
Wee Bee is a plane that got into the Guinness Book of Records because of its size
In the early fifties, a new miniature aircraft appeared, created according to the biplane scheme. Its name is "Sky Baby", and its homeland is California. With a length of three meters, the weight was only two hundred and five kilograms. It was inconvenient and difficult to manage it, however, this aircraft reached speeds of up to two hundred and ninety kilometers and pressed its predecessor in the Guinness Book of Records.
The next record was recorded in 1984. Its creator, Robert Starr, named his brainchild "Bumble Bee" or "Hornet". With a length of two meters ninety centimeters, a wingspan of only two meters, and a weight of two hundred and forty-eight kilograms. "Baby" developed a speed of up to two hundred and ninety kilometers.
Already in the same year, the plane created by Donald Stits "Baby Bird" was recognized as the smallest. Its weight was only one hundred and fifteen kilograms, with a wingspan of one meter ninety centimeters.
The creator called this small plane the Hornet
It seemed that it was impossible to create a smaller aircraft, but Robert Starr made such an attempt. The wingspan of his new aircraft was one meter seventy centimeters and weighed one hundred and eighty centimeters. As the creator suggested, his "Bumble Bi-2" was supposed to reach a maximum speed of up to three hundred kilometers per hour. Unfortunately, this tiny aircraft failed to confirm its capabilities, since a disaster happened on the very first flight: the Bumble Bi-2 fell from a height of one hundred and twenty meters due to a stalled engine. This happened in May 1988. At the helm was Robert Starr himself, who miraculously survived. He suffered many injuries while trying to take a new line in the Guinness Book of Records.
Thus, the smallest monoplane aircraft in the world is considered today, invented by Donald Stits "Baby Bird", and the smallest biplane aircraft is the same "Bumble Bi-2", which died during the first flights and is the invention of Robert Starr.
It is possible that time will pass, and these records will be broken.
1 X-12h aircraft
On this moment it is the smallest aircraft of all officially registered models. The disassembled X-12h experimental apparatus fits into an ordinary hand-held suitcase: its length is 3.74 meters, height - 1.55 meters, wingspan - 6.31 meters, and weight - only 55 kilograms. The designer of the model, Viktor Pavlovich Dmitriev, has been working on it for almost 25 years. His efforts were not in vain: the plane is listed in the Guinness Book of Records.
2 FlyNano aircraft
The second place in our list belongs to the Finnish single-seat aircraft FlyNano. With its compact parameters - a length of 3.8 meters and a wingspan of 4.8 meters - it is able to lift a passenger weighing up to 113 kilograms. The machine itself weighs 70 kilograms. The engine is located above the pilot's seat, and there are no landing gear: the plane takes off from the water.
3 Airplane "Bumble Bee", or "Hornet"
Until 1894, the title of the smallest aircraft was held by a baby with a length of 2.92 meters and a wingspan of 2 meters. With a weight of 248 kilograms, it developed a considerable speed - 290 km / h. Its creator, American Robert Starr, affectionately called his brainchild "Bumble Bee", or "Hornet".
4 Sky Baby aircraft
Another American model with the poetic name "Sky Baby" was considered the smallest single-engine aircraft until the mid-50s. Three meters in length and 205 kilograms of weight allowed her to reach speeds of up to 270 km / h. True, "Flying Baby": the pilot did not sit in the cockpit, but actually lay with his legs stretched out along the tail.
"Junior" Ray Stits, built on the basis of parts of the army aircraft "Taylorcraft" L-2, reigned in the Book of Records until 1948. With a length of 3.4 meters and a wingspan of 2E.7 to 2.8 meters in various modifications, it was equipped with a fairly powerful motor - 65 hp. - and could reach speeds up to 240 km / h.
6 Cyberbug aircraft CyberBUG
Among the vehicles, CyberBUG is the leader. According to the developers, its main task is to "protect civilian and military targets from criminals and terrorists." The device weighs about 1.5 kilograms, lifts loads twice its weight, and rises to a height of 150 kilometers. The "bug" is controlled remotely.
7 Plane McDonnell XF-85 Goblin
The world's smallest fighter jet, the McDonnell XF-85 Goblin, has somewhat larger dimensions. 4.53 meters in length, 2.56 meters in height - with such modest characteristics, the device has a downright lethal effect: its combat radius is - no less - 350 kilometers. He is armed to glory - four 12.7-mm machine guns.
8 Aircraft F / A-18A "Xopnet"
Among the military aircraft the American bomber F / A-18A "Xopnet" is in the lead - a carrier-based monoplane with a folding wing. Its length is 17 meters, and its height is 4.6 meters, which is quite a bit, given the wide arsenal of weapons and power.
9 "Generation Two" aircraft
Small planes can also serve to transport goods. The most striking example is the "Generation Two" model of the French brand Socata. It is equipped with a turbo engine and can accommodate up to five people, including the pilot. The carrying capacity of this crumb (7.75 meters in length) is quite large - 1400 kilograms.
10 Global 5000 aircraft
Today, experts call the Global 5000 from the Canadian company Bombardier Aerospace the smallest. It can take on board up to 17 people and cover distances up to 9630 kilometers. At the same time, it should be noted that according to its characteristics, it is rightly considered one of the best in modern business aviation.
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.
Overview X-12N
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 terrain, since 30 meters is enough for take-off. The maximum load capacity is about 150 kilograms, including a fuel tank. Therefore, the pilot must have a small weight.
The smallest aircraft in the world, such as the X-12H, are great because they don'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.
History of Wee Bee
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 load 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 smallest jet plane in the world
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. Power point with a capacity of only 65 horsepower, it was 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 in the world.
Over the entire period of production, the company has produced about 5,000 kits for self-assembly 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 whole world.
Bumble Bee and Bumble Bee 2
The history of the creation of this aircraft began in the distant 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 creation received 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 plane developed a speed of 305 kilometers per hour. On the first tests on May 8, 1988, the Bumble Bee 2 crashed at an altitude of 120 meters. The reason is engine failure. Robert himself controlled the biplane 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 engines.
"Nano" and "Junior"
The seaplane, powered by the Nano electric motor, 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. Surprisingly, with such proportions, the wingspan is only 2.8. Cruising speed - 240 km / h. This is the smallest passenger aircraft in the world, for which he got into the Guinness Book of Records.
Summing up
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 for this reason. 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.
Most small-sized aircraft were developed for military purposes, they are ideal for the role of fighters or reconnaissance. After the end of World War II in Europe, the demand for tiny biplanes, including one pilot, greatly increased. And then an unspoken battle began between the manufacturers, who will produce the smallest aircraft in the world.
BD-5J
In 1971, the American designer Jim Bede developed this device. Its weight was only 162 kilograms, length - 3.6 meters, wingspan - just over 5 meters. Such tiny dimensions allowed the BD-5J to accelerate to 480 km / h, and the volume of the fuel tank allowed it to fly 1500 km. Considering the gas prices of those times, it turned out that it was even more profitable to fly on a private plane than on public liners.
The BD-5J entered the Guinness Book of Records as the lightest jet aircraft.
The developer paid special attention to the ease of control of the aircraft, so that the jet could be controlled even by a novice pilot. In addition to ease of use, the model is easy to store: if you remove the wings, then the BD-5J can be placed in a standard car garage. Initially, the price for the aircraft was set at $ 1,800, but after a while, after all the tests, it increased to $ 2,600. However, this did not stop the popularity of the model at all; in 2.5 years, five thousand copies were sold out, and another twelve thousand were booked. No airline on Earth could boast the same sales.
One of interesting features jet deliveries: it was sold unassembled and with detailed instructions by assembly. The installation process took an average of 700 hours, and in the first versions of the aircraft, the presence of welding operations was assumed, and later all this was replaced by screws.
One of the BD-5J models is in the Arizona State Museum.
In appearance, the aircraft resembles a hybrid of a sports jet with a fighter jet. The body is fairly streamlined, with a propeller at the back. All this, combined with low weight, gives exceptional speed and maneuverability. The smallest aircraft regularly took part in air shows and enjoyed the love of the audience there. But safety is not the forte of this model. Suffice it to mention that out of the first 25 tests, 14 ended in disaster. As a result, 9 people died. As it turned out, the aircraft had defective parts and shortcomings in the operation of the motor.
In 1979, production ceased due to the bankruptcy of the manufacturer. The purchased models were subjected to various amateur modifications, and several services were opened in the United States to service these aircraft.
BD-5J participated in the filming of the film "Octopussy" from Bond
American engineer Robert Starr was able to design in 1988 an aircraft that became the second in weight (180 kg) and with a wingspan of just over 1.6 meters.
The first flight almost ended tragically. The plane stayed in flight just long enough to set a record, while demonstrating sufficient stability, but then suddenly began to behave completely unpredictably. Having reached a height of 120 meters, the engine of the mechanism stalled. The plane crashed down with the pilot. There was practically nothing left of the apparatus, and Starr escaped with multiple fractures.
Bumble Bee II has been pieced together after testing to be put on display in a museum
Bumble Bee
An earlier creation of the same Robert Starr could also easily fit in a standard shell garage, with a wingspan of 168 cm and a weight of 180 kg. Experts talked about the "bumblebee" that he would never be able to take off, but the forecasts did not come true: the smallest biplane in the world calmly flew a sufficient number of kilometers.
Upon learning of the planned development of Starr, another engineer, Ray Stits, immediately set about trying to outdo him. True, his son Donald did it. Back in 1980, he began to design a new model in his own garage, and his wife and children not only supported, but also helped him. Baby Bird is based on a monoplane (an aircraft with only one wing). Stits placed the wing higher and reduced the wingspan to 190 centimeters. True, the monoplane is not very fast - only about 170 km / h. For 5 years of operation of the first copy, he made 35 flights, and all of them were quite successful.
In 1989, the engineer handed over his creation to the museum
This aircraft, 210 cm long and weighing 200 kg, was also designed by Ray Stits with a claim to be the smallest in the world. The device has one engine, standard landing gear and biplane wings. The fuselage is made of welded steel tubes with fabric covering.
The upper wings have flaps, the lower wings have ailerons. While most aircraft use a flat firewall between the engine and the pilot's feet, the Sky Baby is designed with the enclosed motor located above the pilot's knees and the pedals under the oil pan at the front of the hood.
A short aircraft with tricycle landing gear and a relatively light tail requires a pilot weighing approximately 77 kg to maintain the center of gravity. The model took part in various air shows, including promotional ones.
At the end of 1952, after 25 hours of flight, he was sent to rest, giving National Museum aviation and astronautics. Stits also continued to work on the design of aircraft.
Sky Baby first took to the air in 1952
Another brainchild of Ray Stits, created in collaboration with Martin Young. The wingspan of the aircraft was 280 cm, the speed reached 240 km / h. It was not built from scratch, but based on the TaylorCraft L-2 model, released for military purposes. For the tiny plane, the engineers picked up single-piston engines that were powerful enough. After successful testing, the Junior was recognized as the most successful monoplane in existence at that time.
The success of the Junior inspired Stits to continue his work with aeronautical engineering.
In 2011, Finnish developers surprised the world with a new masterpiece aviation industry. This is a seaplane powered by an almost silent electric motor, which in itself is already quite unusual. In addition, the body of the device is made of carbon fiber - an environmentally friendly material. Thus, the device as a whole is as environmentally friendly as possible, and this quality is highly valued these days.
At the moment, the aircraft can operate continuously for about an hour. In Finland, the cost of the device is 40 thousand dollars, for Russia this amount is increased by another 7600.
The model weighs 154 kg and is capable of reaching speeds of 140 km/h at an altitude of three kilometers.
Back in 1971, an aircraft designer from France, M. Colomban, decided to build a very small and economical aircraft. And two years later, his creation was ready to soar into the sky. The wingspan was 2.9 meters, the length was 3.9 meters, and the weight was only 78 kg. Thus, he became the smallest aircraft in the world with two engines.
The recommended speed of the aircraft is 185 km / h, and it can safely fly without refueling for no less than 2.5 hours. Thanks to such pleasant technical specifications Cri-Cri quickly gained popularity around the world, and what is most surprising: it is in demand to this day. There are 110 in France, 20 in the States, and another 30 in others. European countries. In 2010, the model was renovated, it was equipped with four electric motors, thanks to which the baby once again stormed the Book of Records, already as the smallest aircraft equipped with four engines.
The model received its name Cri-Cri in honor of Colomban's little daughter.
This unusual model was created by three dedicated engineers back in the 1940s in California. The name in translation sounds something like "tiny bee", which justifies its small dimensions - 425 cm long and 550 wide. At that time, the device was truly unique, and even now it seems rather unusual: in order to fly, the pilot did not have to get into the cockpit, but simply lie on the body of the aircraft. It must be admitted that this management was very inconvenient.
The model made only a few flights, after which it was placed in the museum of the city of San Diego. Irony of fate: flying did not harm Wee Bee, but he did suffer in a fire while in the museum. The exhibit now presented there is just a copy.
The maximum flight speed on the plane is 80 km/h
X-12H
In tenth place is a product developed in Russia by a resident of Armavir V.P. Dmitriev. He created a tiny airplane weighing 80 kg. The wingspan was 6 meters, length - 3.5 meters. This miracle of aviation can reach speeds of 125 km / h. When disassembled, the aircraft takes up so little space that it can fit in an ordinary suitcase, and assembly takes only about half an hour.
To take off, the device has enough acceleration of 30 meters, so it can be used almost anywhere. No pilot's license or registration is required to operate. The only condition is that the pilot must have a light weight, since the aircraft has a low carrying capacity, taking into account fuel.
X-12H is in the process of flight tests, upon successful completion of which it is planned to launch the model into mass production
The developer, Viktor Pavlovich, says that he has been interested in aviation all his life and strives to develop the smallest aircraft in the world. The X-12H is not his only creation, and all of the devices he made are easy to operate and accessible even to beginners. They are easy to learn from because they forgive minor mistakes. Victor also claims that such an aerodynamic design is also suitable for ultra-high-speed aircraft, only in this case the machine must have a powerful all-metal fuselage, as well as a jet engine.
The main feature of his aircraft, Victor considers well-developed wing mechanization and extremely effective stabilization. All slots are carefully profiled. All this provides the aircraft with an impressive lift coefficient, responsive handling and sufficient stability in the air.
These are the smallest aircraft to date, but almost every year new models appear, and old ones are improved. Manufacturers continue to break records, putting for the most part on comfort and safety. That is why the demand for such solutions has not fallen for several decades.
