We can't guarantee that this is the smallest airplane ever, but it is the smallest one we've seen that can hold a human. It can't hold just any human, though: from the looks of it anyone just a little bit taller or fatter than Nicolas Charmont, the French pilot pictured, simply wouldn't fit into its one seat. The plane is called the Cri Cri, and according to some sources, it was invented in the early 1970s. Charmont's innovation was to fit a model of the plane with jet engines so that it can reach speeds of 150 mph, instead of its normal cruising speed of 115 mph. Some might mock a plane that is both lighter and slower than most cars, but we'd argue that those people have no imagination. We're hoping that it's only a matter of time before the Cri Cri replaces the motorcycle.

Yes, it really can take off: check out the video after the jump. — S.E. Kramer

AMT Jets, via Switched