Staib Helicopter


The Staib Helicopter is a homebuilt aircraft design of Wilbur Staib.

Design and development

Wilbur Staib 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-14's. Staib designed and built five different "LB" 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 Staib Helicopter is a powered by a Continental C85 with a V-belt linkage. The gearbox is sourced from a Ford [Model A (1927–1931)|Ford Model A], the clutch from a Studebaker, the rotors cut down from a Brantly B-2 and cooling system from a Chevrolet Corvair. Four different rotor heads were tested.

Operational history

The prototype was flown tethered with a engine then upgraded to an engine.