Staib LB-2

The Staib LB-2, also called the Little Bastard, Little Bit and The Monster, is a homebuilt aircraft design of Wilbur Staib. It once held the title as the "worlds smallest monoplane".

Design and development
Wilbur Staib (1914-1993) was a self-taught aircraft designer from Diamond, Missouri. Staib served as a flight instructor during the Second World War at Chanute, Kansas flying PT-14s. Staib designed and built five different "LB" (Little Bastard) aircraft and a helicopter, of which several had the title "world's smallest" at their time of construction. Staib flew his aircraft in airshows with the title "The Diamond Wizard".

The LB-2 is a single engine low-wing, open cockpit monoplane with conventional landing gear. LB-2 was the considered the "World's Smallest Monoplane" when built to take the title from Ray Stits 8 ft span aircraft. The wing section was adapted from a Piper Cub airfoil.

Operational history
The LB-2 was flown at near top speed, with stalls untested. The roll rate was good, but turns were difficult. Landing speed was 120 mph. The fuselage was disassembled in 1953 to build the Staib LB-3 biplane.

The LB-3 used new 14 ft span wings made in the same fashion as Staib's LB-1 with brazed steel spring wing ribs with Taylorcraft airfoil sections. The aircraft cruised at 125 mph and operated on the airshow circuit for two years. Cliff Baker operated the aircraft one more season, suffering a broken back after a high-speed incident.

Variants

 * Staib LB-3
 * Biplane built from fuselage of the LB-2


 * Staib LB-5
 * "Little Bit" Volkswagen powered variant. One on display at the Mid-America Air Museum.