Robert H. Starr
Robert H. Starr (born February 6, 1924 , † June 15, 2009 in Maricopa (Arizona) , United States ) was the developer, builder and pilot of the smallest piloted aircraft in the world, the Starr Bumble Bee II. The Guinness Book of Records awarded The Bumble Bee the official world record title in 1985.
military service
After completing his military service, he flew P-51, 44, and F-86 in the California Air National Guard and spent a year on active duty in Air Defense off the coast of Southern California. While serving with the Air Defense Command, he was jumbled up to investigate bogies within radar range off the California coast. From Starr's memoir. "On several occasions, me and my wingman had visual confirmation of what could only be called a UFO, mostly cigar-shaped objects with no visible means of propulsion, yet every time we went full throttle they chased us as if we were standing still "I had a lot of UFO sighting experience while in the Air National Guard."
Small planes fly
In 1950, Starr was the first test pilot of the world's smallest aircraft record holders, Sky Baby and JR. The partnership for the Sky Baby project ended, but he knew he could build a smaller, more stable aircraft. In 1980, at the age of 60, he designed and built the Bumble Bee I in 1980, which he flew on January 28, 1984. He made changes to his design and then built the Bumble Bee II the following year. He flew the Bumble Bee II on May 8, 1988, breaking his previous record. During one of the following flights of the Bumble Bee II, the engine failed in a headwind. Starr suffered serious injuries as a result of the emergency landing. However, he recovered and the Bumble Bee II was donated to a private collection. The world record aircraft Bumble Bee I is permanently on display at the Pima Air & Space Museum in Tucson, Arizona.
In civil life, he had participated in most of the largest air shows in the United States and had also been a test pilot for experimental aircraft over the years.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ^ Certification of Vital Record. Retrieved July 16, 2020 .
personal data | |
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SURNAME | Starr, Robert H. |
BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American pilot of the world's smallest piloted aircraft |
DATE OF BIRTH | February 6, 1924 |
DATE OF DEATH | June 15, 2009 |