Smallest plane ever was less than half the height of Shaquille O'Neal and weighed just 180kg
Published on Jul 04, 2025 at 4:07 PM (UTC+4)
by Daisy Edwards
Last updated on Jul 04, 2025 at 9:05 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Emma Matthews
The smallest plane ever to have existed was less than half the height of Shaquille O’Neal, weighed just 180kg, and it is probably the cutest thing we’ve ever seen.
The Starr Bumble Bee II was built specifically to purposely win the record for ‘The World’s Smallest Airplane’ as its first iteration lost out to an even cuter named Stits DS-1 Baby Bird.
Unfortunately for the Starr Bumble Bee II, it crashed and was destroyed on its third-ever flight, severely injuring Robert Starr, who piloted, built, and designed it.
The first iteration, the Starr Bumble Bee I is on display at the Pima Air & Space Museum sadly missing its younger brother, which flew too close to the sun.
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You won’t bee-lieve how small the smallest plane ever was
The Guinness Book of World Records holder of the World’s Smallest Airplane got its label back in 1988, and it still has not been beaten to this day.
The adorably named Starr Bumble Bee II plane is painted with bright yellow paint to make it look like a cute little bumble bee. And the comparison to the insect makes sense when you see how tiny it is.
This tiny plane was less than half the height of Shaquille O’Neal and weighed just 180kg. It was also purpose-built to win the world record.
The first iteration of the plane, the Starr Bumble Bee I, was meant to take the record, but it was beaten out by another tiny animal-named plane called the Stits DS-1 Baby Bird.
The little bumble bee flew too close to the sun
The maiden flight of the Starr Bumble Bee II happened on April 2nd, 1988, when it gained the world record for the World’s Smallest Airplane, piloted by Robert H Starr.
Unfortunately, on its third-ever flight only a month later, the little bumble bee’s engine failed at 400 feet, and it crashed. The tiny aircraft was completely destroyed, injuring the designer, builder, and pilot, Starr.
Thankfully, he made a full recovery.
As a sad reminder, the record-breaking plane’s older brother, the Starr Bumble Bee I lives at the Pima Air and Space Museum and reminds people of the little plane.
We can’t bee-lieve it’s gone now.
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Daisy Edwards is a Content Writer at supercarblondie.com. Daisy has more than five years’ experience as a qualified journalist, having graduated with a History and Journalism degree from Goldsmiths, University of London and a dissertation in vintage electric vehicles. Daisy specializes in writing about cars, EVs, tech and luxury lifestyle. When she's not writing, she's at a country music concert or working on one of her many unfinished craft projects.
