Fast, powerful, and with enough firepower to take on a small army, here’s a list of the ten smallest military aircraft in the world:
1. AT-6 Wolverine
The Wolverine measures 33 feet, can seat two people, and has a maximum take-off weight of 4.5 tons.
It’s also outfitted with the Pratt Whitney Canada PT6A-68 turboprop engine and a four-bladed propeller on the front. This allows the airplane to reach a maximum speed of 514 miles per hour.
2. HAL Tejas ‘Pocket Fire’
Serving under the Indian air force, the Pocket Fire is a single-seater fighter aircraft flying at supersonic speeds.
It’s powered by a single GE F404-GE-IN20 turbofan engine, allowing it to reach a turbo speed of 1380 miles per hour. Because of its large fuel tank, the aircraft could reach anything within an 850-mile radius without the need for refueling.
3. DeHavilland Vampire ‘Spidercrab from Mars’
The aircraft is powered by a single Halford H2 turbojet engine, later known as the DH Goblin. The design was anything the aircraft industry had ever seen, with two booms in the rear and the egg-shaped wood and aluminum fuselage in the front.
It’s just over 9 feet tall and as long as two Volkswagen Beetles parked back-to-back.
4. HRLAC Holdings Ahrclac
This advanced high-performance reconnaissance light aircraft could house two people and be only 34 feet long. The maximum speed is set at 313 miles per hour and has a range of 1,325 miles.
5. Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-9 Fargo
This is one of the smallest Soviet planes, only 32 feet long, and has a 34-foot wingspan.
6. Embraer Super Tucano A-29
This is a special turboprop light attack aircraft. Since it’s a low-cost option for some of the low-threat missions these countries face, this plane sells like crazy. It also has precision-guided munitions and a max speed of 370 miles per hour.
7. Yakovlev Yak-15
The plane was produced between 1946 and 1947. Although its primary purpose was to serve as a fighter, the Soviets used it to qualify pilots who flew piston engine aircraft and prepare them to fly jets.
8. Folland Gnat/HAL Ajeet
The plane is famous in the Indian air force. It’s 29 feet long and has a wingspan of 22 feet.
9. Mini C-17 Globemaster
The C-17 is considered one of the giant cargo planes in the US and can carry 80 tons of soldiers, supplies, and ammo. It had a mini version, too, that doesn’t fly! It’s 32 feet long and 28.5 feet wide, with some people calling it “the baby Yoda of planes.”
10. McDonnell XF-85 Goblin
This is the world’s smallest fighting plane. It was supposed to be a crucial part of the Convair B-336 bomber. The plane was supposed to take off and then deploy a swarm of these little Goblins that could take down any fighter jet in the middle of the fighting.
It could only carry one person, was 14 feet long, and had a 21-feet wingspan. It was also fast as lightning, reaching a maximum speed of 650 miles per hour.