Don Stits
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.
Don Stits
- Name
- DS-1 "Baby Bird"
- Occupation
- designer
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Documentary summary
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.
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Documentary evidence
Documentary basis
Authority files
wikidata · Q55642994 · wikipedia · Don Stits
In this article
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — DS-1 "Baby Bird" • Aircraft Type — Homebuilt aircraft • National Origin — United States • Designer — Don Stits • Number Built — 1 • First Flight — 25 August 1984
Development
Development
The 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.
Operational history
Operational history
Thirty-four flights took place in 1984 with United States Navy pilot Harold Nemer at the controls.
Primary material
Documents and archives
authority record
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q55642994: Don Stits
General reference · Wikidata
reference work
- “Don Stits”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
authority record
Secondary witnessreference work
Secondary witness
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 17 August 2026.
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