Heaviest Bee Suit

Posted on June 19, 2011 by admin

Unusual heaviest records are nothing new on Heaviest.net but even the staff raised an eyebrow when they discovered the newly broken record for the heaviest bee suit. Zhang Wei from Western China broke the record in May 2011 when he carried an astonishing 83.5kg of bees. To put that in to perspective, an average healthy adult male would weigh in at around 75kg!

Zhang’s record feat comes just days after another beekeeper, also from China, set the record at 36kg. In order to accommodate the swarming mass of bees, Zhang constructed a wire frame around his body with various foliage attached to it – not sure why he wanted to disguise himself as a tree but then why would you want to wear a bee suit! To protect his eyes he wore goggles and to actually breathe he used a plastic tube – let’s hope it had a filter to stop any errant bees flying up it!

By the way, I think we’ve stumbled on the reason why the bee population in America and Europe has seen a dramatic decline – they’re being taken to China so that the Chinese can break world records!

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Heaviest American President

Posted on June 1, 2011 by admin

The heaviest American President was William Howard Taft who was the 27th President between 1909 and 1913. It was rumoured that he was so large that he would regularly get stuck in the Whitehouse bath and have to be helped out by aides! While getting out of the bath was a mere embarrassment, his weight also contributed to more serious conditions like severe obstructive sleep apnea which is basically where the body is unable to get enough oxygen when asleep.

Taft was always on the large side and while at Yale University he was given the nickname of “Big Lub” in reference to how big he was. Even as a grown man he continued to suffer jibes and digs about his weight and when he once sent an official telegram to Washington which read “Went on a horse ride today; feeling good” the Secretary of War jokingly replied “How’s the horse?”.

After his presidency finished in 1913, Taft managed to shed approximately 80 pounds (36 kg) which gives some indication on how heavy he really was.

Taft’s father is well known as being one of the co-founders of Yale’s secret Skull and Bones society. William Howard Taft also became a member and was the first Skull and Bones alumni to be elected as president. Later presidents who were in the Skull and Bones society include George Bush Sr. and George Bush Jr.

Citations

Metro – http://www.metro.co.uk/weird/487680-top-10-weird-presidential-facts

Wikipedia – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Howard_Taft

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Heaviest Radio Controlled Aircraft

Posted on May 24, 2011 by admin

The heaviest radio controlled aircraft to fly weighs 45 kg. The plane is a 7:1 scale model of the Boeing B-50, the precursor to the iconic B-52. It uses four 4kw electric engines which are powered by a whopping 96 batteries, however that only provides enough juice to safely fly for about 8 minutes before it has to come in for ‘refuelling’!

The larger than life model includes some impressive statistics too. It took master modelmaker Tony Nijhuis two years to assemble out of balsa wood and plywood and cost in the region of £8,000 (about $13,000). With it’s massive weight, the 6m (20ft) wingspan needs 50m of runway to reach a high enough speed to take off. Once airborne the mini-bomber can reach speeds of 40 mph (64 kph).

The model B-50 r/c aircraft is large that the UK Civil Aviation Authority classifies the plane as a light aircraft and it had to demonstrate airworthiness before they allowed it to fly.

Be warned though, while it may look like a benign model of a bomber, there is a fully working bomb bay complete with servo assisted bomb bay doors which can open and close to release a payload of flour bombs – just as long as the target isn’t more than 4 minutes away from the runway!

Citations

Metro – http://www.metro.co.uk/news/822819-worlds-heaviest-remote-controlled-aircraft-took-two-years-to-make

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Heaviest snake

Posted on May 19, 2011 by admin

The heaviest snake ever recorded is a Burmese python which weighed 182.76kg (403lb)[1]. Nicknamed Baby, the snake lived in the Serpent Safari in the state of Illinois and reached a length of 8.2m (27 feet). Although they are not the longest snakes in the world, their girth, which can be the diameter of a telegraph pole, is what gives them the weight[2].

Don’t worry too much though, these snakes are not really dangerous to humans as long as you don’t get too close. They are non-poisonous and kill small birds and mammals by constricting and suffocating them. The only way that’s going to happen to you is if you doze off in a chair and don’t notice a whopping great big snake slithering over you!

Baby, the giant snake, died in mysterious circumstances when in November 2006 the remains of a giant snake were discovered in woods near to the Serpent Safari[3]. Investigations found that two employees had cut up a giant snake and dumped it in the woods. The employees claimed that the remains were of Baby, the record holding snake but the owner of Serpent Safari claims Baby had died a year before and that he has the cremation certificate.

As far as we know, the mystery is unsolved.

Citations

Metro – http://www.metro.co.uk/news/519983-at-14m-in-length-this-is-one-snake-you-wouldn-t-want-to-meet-on-a-plain
National Geographic – http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/reptiles/burmese-python/
Paranormal Australia – http://www.paranormal.com.au/public/index.php?topic=1520.0

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Heaviest Chicken Egg

Posted on May 16, 2011 by admin

The heaviest recorded chicken egg weighed 135g (5oz) and was laid by a chicken called Oscar (surely a chicken with an identity crisis after being given a male name) from Southport, Merseyside. An egg would be considered large if it weighed in at around 57g so by comparison the egg laid by Oscar it a monster.

An egg the size of the one laid by Oscar would be enough to make a decent size omlette, but it would still be dwarfed by an ostrich egg, the largest and heaviest egg, which weighs an average of 1.4 kilograms (3.1 lb).

Citations

Metro – http://www.metro.co.uk/weird/826622-huge-hen-egg-thought-to-be-britains-biggest-ever

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Heaviest Potato in the World

Posted on May 15, 2011 by admin

The heaviest potato in the world weighed 3.8kg (8lb 4oz) and was grown by Peter Glazebrook in Nottinghamshire, England in September 2010. The gardener extraordinaire is no stranger to world records and has held 10 world records in the past for growing the largest vegetables including the heaviest onion and largest marrow.

Peter says the secret to his success is getting hold of the right seeds from other gardeners who have grown monster veggies and then giving them lots of time to grow along with a healthy dose of tender loving care. He germinates most of his seeds in his greenhouse in late winter to give them a big head start when they are potted outside in the spring.

The 3.8 kg spud beat the previous record for heaviest potato which came in at 3.5kg (7lb 13oz) and has stood since 1994.

If you are thinking of growing some super sized greens for financial gain think again. Peter says that despite being a multiple world record holder you’ll be lucky to win £60 ($100) at a national vegetable contest.

Citations

BBC – http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/nottingham/hi/people_and_places/nature/newsid_8981000/8981742.stm

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Heaviest Woman To Give Birth

Posted on May 15, 2011 by admin

The heaviest lady to give birth was fat model Donna Simpson of New Jersey, USA[1], who tipped the scales at a whopping 241 kg (532 lb) when she delivered the little spronglet in February 2007. Fortunately the hippo sized mother didn’t give birth to a hippo sized baby, with the little one weighing in at a healthy 8lbs 14 oz.

An army of 19 doctors and nurses were required just to get her through the Caesarean birth, with the doctors having to slash their way through inches of fat to get to the womb[2].

Donna now says her life’s aim is to reach 510 kg (1,000 lb) and be officially recognized as the fattest woman in the world. We’re all for record breakers but we have to say this is one of the more unusual goals in life!

There is something about February’s and supersized women giving birth (or maybe June is the month of love!) because in February 2010, Victoria Lacatus of Romania delivered a healthy baby girl. At the time of birth, Victoria tipped the scales at 240 kg (530 lb), narrowly losing out on the title of heaviest woman to give birth[3].

Given their large size, it was reported that Victoria required 4 times the usual amount of anesthetic of a normal person.

Citations

Guinness World Records – http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/Search/Details/Heaviest-woman-to-give-birth/72495.htm

Closer Magazine – http://www.closeronline.co.uk/RealLife/Reallifestories/eating-my-way-to-72st.aspx

Metro – http://www.metro.co.uk/news/813962-240kg-woman-risks-life-by-giving-birth

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Heaviest Hailstone

Posted on May 14, 2011 by admin

The heaviest hailstone ever recorded weighed 0.88 kg (1lb 15oz) and fell in the American state of South Dakota on July 23rd 2010[1]. Measuring an incredible 20 cm (8 inches) in diameter it would have caused damage to anything it hit as it came down and certainly cause serious injury to a human being. The hailstone was discovered by Leslie Scott, a ranch hand who was caught out in the storm.

The hailstone is currently preserved in a freezer at the National Center for Atmospheric Research for analysis and posterity – scientists even made plaster cast replicas of the mammoth hailstone.

Previous heaviest hailstones include the one which fell in Aurora, Nebraska in the United States on June 22, 2003 and recorded a diameter of 7 inches and the 0.76 kg (1.67 lb) hailstone that fell in Coffeyville, Kansas in 1970[2].

It’s entirely possible that larger hailstones have fallen but none have been officially recorded.

Hailstones are formed from water ice as they build up in layers within the cumulonimbi clouds.

Citations

Metro – http://www.metro.co.uk/weird/836982-heaviest-hailstone-goes-on-long-journey

Central Region Headquarters – http://www.crh.noaa.gov/crh/pdf/073010RecordHailVivianSD.pdf

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Heaviest Flying Bird In The World

Posted on May 14, 2011 by admin

The heaviest flying bird in the world is the Great Bustard (careful how you pronounce the name!). They grow to an average of 20 kg (44 lbs) with some Bustards being reported as being much heavier. The wingspan alone can grown up to 2.4m (8ft) which makes it a giant of the skies.

The Great Bustard is primarily found in Russia after they were hunted to extinction in England. However, steps are being taken to reintroduce the heavy birds back in to their old habitat.

Due to their great size they prefer to walk short distances rather than fly, and since they are too big to nest in the trees they have to spend a lot of time on the ground, including laying their eggs, which makes them targets for various predators and egg snatching rodents.

Citation

BBC – http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-12232362

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Heaviest Limo in the World

Posted on May 14, 2011 by admin

The heaviest limo in the world is the 22 tonne Midnight Rider[1], owned by Pamela Bartholomew Machado, from California (where else?!). The super limo isn’t really a limo in the traditional sense but a pimped out trailer towed by a truck.

This enormous party on wheels can take out up to 40 hysterical women on a hen night and it’s well equipped to ensure the party lasts all night with 3 lounges, a full size bar, 5 TV’s and a bathroom – although we’re not sure if all 40 girls can go at once!

As you might expect, a limo of this size takes more than just a driver which is why it needs a 5 man crew to keep things running[2]. There is the driver, a co-driver, a hostess and of course the all important 2 bartenders.

Unfortunately, unless the Chippendales are performing in an out of town venue, the ladies will have to be content with cruising along the highways of California as the super-limo isn’t licensed (or small enough!) to enter the urban areas.

Citations

Metro – http://www.metro.co.uk/weird/852683-take-a-ride-in-the-worlds-heaviest-limo

Midnight Rider – http://www.themidnightrider.com/

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