Loening M-2 Kitten
Loening · United States · first flew 1920 · light aircraft
The Loening M-2 Kitten was an experimental American single-seat biplane of the early 1920s, designed by Grover Loening to explore the minimum practical dimensions for a flyable aircraft.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Mid-mounted, tapered |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Single-seat open cockpit with compact fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Tiny US biplane with very short span and diminutive proportions
- Single-seat open cockpit with compact fuselage
- Experimental Loening design exploring minimum aircraft dimensions
Remarkably small biplane with very short equal-span wings, tiny fuselage, and a light engine — easily distinguished from any contemporary production aircraft by its extreme compactness.
Specifications
- The Loening M-2 Kitten has a length of 4.24 m (14 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 6.71 m (22 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 161 km/h (100 mph).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Loening was known for innovative designs including the distinctive Loening Amphibian; the M-2 Kitten was an outlier — a diminutive experimental biplane intended to test the boundaries of small aircraft design rather than for production.
Variants
A single prototype was constructed; no production variants followed.
Where you'll see it
The Kitten was a private experimental project and saw no military or commercial service.
Related aircraft
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