Bee Aviation Honey Bee - lightweight monoplane

Known originally as Beecraft Associates Inc., this company built the diminutive Wee Bee in 1949, in which the pilot lay in a prone position.

It was followed by the larger V-tailed Honey Bee, which first flew on 12 July 1952.

lxbfYeaa, e-mail, 07.11.2025

don macey

lxbfYeaa, e-mail, 07.11.2025

don macey

ROBERT MCBRIDE, e-mail, 31.12.2024

Douglas Mooney

Greetings Mr. Mooney,
I realize that I'm responding to a 9 year old post, however, I've just stumbled onto this today. I'm hoping that perhaps this will actually reach you. For a number of years now, I've been intrigued by the Honey Bee that was owned by your father. I first learned of the plane when a member of my R /C model club built one at approximately 1 /4 scale. He lofted the plans himself from some photo's and an old magazine article. At that time I had already built 3 or 4 models from plans, designed /drawn by Walt Mooney. When the dots were connected, I became even more interested in the Honey Bee. I read somewhere in this thread, that the plans were still available. I'm wondering if, 9 years later, that is still the case. I've been involved with the building of three homebuilt aircraft over the years, and now I would like to build one of my own. I would love to have the Honey Bee be the subject of my own building project.
I send this with my fingers crossed, hoping that it will find it's way to you.
Thank you, and regards,
Bob McBride

Jeremy Smith, e-mail, 18.03.2026

ROBERT MCBRIDE

Hello Mr. McBride and possibly Mr. Mooney-
My grandfather was Truman L. Smith, who built a Honey Bee in his basement outside of Baltimore in the 1950s. Truman flew the Honey Bee through much of the rest of his life, and his plane is now on display at the Lone Star Flight Museum in Houston. My family *might* also have plans or other materials, but I would need to check. If you are interested, let me know.

Best Regards,
Jeremy Smith

Bob McBride, e-mail, 19.03.2026

Jeremy Smith

Thank you for response,

I'm actually a bit excited to hear back from you. Especially since you've included some history. In my first message I mentioned that I became aware of the Honey Bee when a fellow member of an RC club built a scale model of the Honey Bee, and honestly, that was when I learned most of the few details I know about the plane. However, I'd actually seen one, "in the flesh", when I was kid. It's the only time I've ever seen one, and at the time, I didn't know what it was that I had seen. All I knew that a high wing with a "Vee" tail was just too cool. I ended up shooting an entire roll of film (24 exposures), but I didn't know anything else. It wasn't until that RC model came along that I learned the name of the plane.
I'm especially interested now, as it seems a real possibility that the one I saw all those years ago was the one your grandfather built in Baltimore. I saw the plane sometime in the 1970s, while attending a "Fly in /Air show" at College Park Airport, in College Park, Maryland (I also took my very first flying lesson that day). College Park Airport is only about 20-25 miles (by air) from the Baltimore area.
I've built two [R /C] models of the plane over the years, but they were only approximations based on my memory, and some photos of the scale model at the RC club. I have to admit that many times since my youth I've entertained the possibility of building or buying a full scale Honey Bee project. However, given the apparent lack of information and plans, it always seemed more of a fantasy than a real possibility. Your response has added a trace of reality and has sparked a genuine interest. I would love to learn any information that you have about your grandfathers plane, be those, plans, personal notations, thoughts, etc. I'm quickly approaching retirement age, and if things were to line up and allow me to have a Honey Bee as a retirement project, I'd be overjoyed.
As I stated, I was just a kid when I saw the plane. I have no recollection of speaking to anyone about the plane. I know that I shot an entire roll of film on the plane, some of the interior taken through the plexiglass side window and the rest being exterior shots from every angle I could manage. I had those photos for many years, not knowing exactly what it was that I had. Unfortunately, those photos, along with most of my family photos (thousands of them), were lost during a move in the early 1990s.
Thanks again for your response, I look forward (eagerly) to learning whatever information you may be able to provide.

Thank you,
Bob McBride


LIGHTWEIGHT MONOPLANE	Virtual Aircraft Museum / USA / Bee Aviation