A team built a jet powered manned aircraft smaller than a car and claims to have broken a 25-year-old world record
Published on May 18, 2026 at 9:58 AM (UTC+4)
by Alessandro Renesis
Last updated on May 18, 2026 at 9:58 AM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Mason Jones
These guys built a jet so small you can hardly believe this is a manned aircraft.
But it is.
It’s about the same size as a Fiat 500, even though it is a lot faster.
And it is also a record holder.
How they built this incredibly tiny aircraft
The guys who run the Aircraft Model Art YouTube channel built a plane that’s the size of a kei car.
They actually did things by the book, though.
The plane has been tested on the ground and in the water, and its aerodynamic design was also refined to make it effective.
Because of its tiny size, the plane requires a flight speed of at least 100 km/h to generate enough lift to take off.
That is why, in order to maximize the strength-to-weight ratio – so to speak – they used 3D-printed components and carbon fiber.
Initially, they settled for an RC engine, but then they realized that RC jet engines have a relatively high failure rate, and so they also installed jet two engines for redundancy.
This plane is a record holder
After testing it (using a Zeekr SUV) in a mobile wind tunnel and reaching 120 km/h, they finally took off for their maiden flight at Xiangxi Biancheng Airport in China, with a takeoff speed of 96 km/h.
This also automatically set a new record.
For 25 years, the American-made Bede BD-5J Microjet featured in the opening sequence of the James Bond movie Octopussy held for the record for the world’s smallest manned jet aircraft.
Well, this new plane just broke that particular record.
At 3.8 meters – around 12 feet – the new airplane is roughly the same size of the Bede, but it has a smaller wingspan – 4.8 meters versus 5.2 meters.
It is also much lighter, tipping the scales at just 100 kilograms, making it 63 kg lighter than the Bede.
After beginning his automotive writing career at DriveTribe, Alessandro has been with Supercar Blondie since the launch of the website in 2022. In fact, he penned the very first article published on supercarblondie.com. He’s covered subjects from cars to aircraft, watches, and luxury yachts - and even crypto. He can largely be found heading up the site’s new-supercar and SBX coverage and being the first to bring our readers the news that they’re hungry for.
