Robert H. Starr is not a name many will be familiar with, but he has accomplished quite a bit over his lifetime. With his head literally in the clouds, Starr logged over 15,000 hours in the air, starting as far back as flying fighter planes during World War II. After the war, he continued to fly in a variety of aircraft, from Piper Cubs to F-86 Sabre jets, as an aerobatic pilot for air shows across the country. In 1949, he was the only pilot able to fly the “JR” — the world’s smallest piloted plane at the time — and in 1954 he set a world record for the smallest piloted plane. Starr found it difficult receiving proper credit for his contributions to these early experimental micro aircraft, so he decided to build his own aircraft and establish a new world record. In 1984 he achieved his goal with the Bumblebee, the world’s smallest biplane. At a length of 8 feet 10 inches and a wingspan of 5 feet 6 inches, the Bumblebee still holds the world’s record for the smallest piloted biplane.
