"SMURF PLANE"

Classification: Terrestrial technology (somewhere between the 11t^h-13^th Centuries A.D.)

Creator: Unidentified Smurf (see comments)

First Appearance: Smurfs#1 (December, 1982)

Powers/Abilities/Functions: The flying machine looked to be about 18-24" long.

    Its propeller was powered by a motor that was wound via key on its side.

    It could fly two Smurfs short distances, perhaps a mile or so, reach speeds of perhaps 20 mph, and achieve heights of at least a few dozen feet.

    The controls were simple enough for a novice to operate them.

History:

(Smurfs#1) - Having dreamed of flying in the air like a bird, a Smurf built a plane to achieve his dreams. A few days later, he showed off the plane to the other Smurfs. After taking off, he tried to impress Smurfette, but was unaware that he had run over her flower bed and that his passes over her house damaged her chimney and her clothesline (and the laundry drying on it).

    The other Smurfs were impressed, but Smurfette thought that it was silly, and she headed into the forest to get some peace and quiet.

(Smurfs#1 - BTS) - The evil wizard Gargamel captured Smurfette and sent a message (via arrow), informing the Smurfs that he had Smurfette and that they should give themselves up, "or else!"

(Smurfs#1) - After the Smurfs received the message, the Smurf rushed off to save her with his flying machine. He soon flew into the forest, found Gargamel and buzzed him with the plane, causing him to drop the net holding Smurfette. Once she was free, the Smurf flew down, grabbed Smurfette's hand, pulled her into the plane and flew away. Smurfette hugged the Smurf, proclaiming "My hero!"

    Gargamel chased after them with his net, and as the Smurf tried to gain altitude, the flying machine's motor began to stop, and they to go back down.

    The Smurf had Smurfette take the controls while he wound the key, and the flying machine climbed higher into the air before it could crash. As they returned to the village, Smurfette told her rescuer that he was wonderful.

(Smurfs#1 - BTS) - Seeking to replicate the Smurf's flying machine, Gargamel constructed a somewhat similar but much larger machine, but it broke apart when he attempted to take off.

Comments: Created by Peyo (Pierre Culliford).

    "Smurf Plane" was the title of the story, while the plane itself was only called the flying machine, or "my invention" by its creator.

   If Gargamel could shoot an arrow with a message into a tree in the Smurf's village, it sure seems like he would have known where that village was and how to get there and capture all of the Smurfs. Oh well, it was a light story meant for kids.

    Aerosmurf

    In the expanded Aerosmurf story (1990; original French title: L'Aéroschtroumpf), that Smurf was split into Flying Smurf (who dreams of flying) and Handy Smurf (who builds the plane).
    The plane is called the Aerosmurf in that story.
    The other major differences in Aerosmurf were:

1. Gargamel swiftly used his own flying machine to pursue the Aerosmurf and fire arrows at the Smurfs until Flying Smurf circled above him and dropped a number of exploding packages on him, leaving him unable to see and causing him to crash
2. After Flying Smurf brought Smurfette back to her home, she made him fix all of the damage he had previously caused to her flowerbed, chimney and clothesline.

    According to the Smurf wiki/fandom page:

The Aerosmurf appears again in the story "Salad Smurfs," when Chef Smurf comes up with a plan to cure the Smurfs who have been changed into vegetables by spraying them with the same formulas that were used in Farmer's garden. Chef flew the plane while Farmer sprayed the mutated Smurfs, which caused them to get very sick until Papa Smurf had cured them by taking a single bite of a sarsaparilla leaf. Eventually Chef lost control of the Aerosmurf and crashed it into a giant pumpkin, which after ingesting caused Chef and Farmer to mutate into vegetables.

    Flying Smurf

Flying Smurf apparently first appeared in the Flying Smurf comic book story (1963), and he initially sought to give himself the ability to fly. You can
    The Smurf in the story was never identified. I don't really see any reason that the Smurf who created the Flying Machine couldn't be called Flying Smurf, but it's somewhat moot as there are only a limited number of Marvel Smurf stories, and I doubt there will be many more such profiles, but you never know...maybe I'll profile the purple smurf (gnap!), and discuss the black smurf...

    Smurfs (according to Wikipedia)

    The Smurfs (French: Les Schtroumpfs; Dutch: De Smurfen) is a Belgian comic series, created by cartoonist Peyo (pen name of Pierre Culliford). The titular creatures were introduced as supporting characters in an already established series, Johan and Peewit in 1958, and starred in their own series from 1959.

    Johan and Peewit is a Belgian comics series created by Peyo and named after the two main characters. Since its initial appearance in 1947, it has been published in 13 albums that appeared before the death of Peyo in 1992. Thereafter, a team of comic book creators from Studio Peyo continued to publish the stories.

    The series is set in Medieval Europe, and mainly concerns the adventures of Johan, a young squire and his jester sidekick Peewit, and includes elements of sword-and-sorcery. It is also notable for branching out into The Smurfs franchise, following their first introduction in the 1958 story The Smurfs and the Magic Flute.

    As the Smurfs from the comics were based somewhere unspecified in Europe set during the Middle Ages, and there's no reason the Marvel stories could not have occurred on Earth-616.
    We can narrow down the time period, because in one of the Johan and Peewit stories they mention that the king fought in the Crusades. That narrows the options of when that story is set (and hence the others too) to between the 11^th and 13^th centuries.
Not the case for the ones we saw in the live action movies in the last decade or so, as they travel apparently interdimensionally from some fantasy realm to regular Earth.
    --Loki

    This profile was completed 08/07/2026, but its publication was delayed as it was intended for the Appendix 25^th Anniversary Event.
    Thanks to Loki for suggesting the Smurf plane to represent the Smurfs' stories and characters.

Profile by Snood.

CLARIFICATIONS:
The Smurfplane should be distinguished from:

• other "Smurf" or "Plane" items, characters, groups, events, races or places
  

images: (without ads):
Smurfs#1 cover (main image);
       pg. 1, panel 4 (front view; at rest);
       pg. 4, panel 3 (buzzing Gargamel);
          panel 4 (picking up Smurfette)

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

First posted: 09/18/2026
Last updated: 08/07/2026

Non-Marvel Copyright info
All other characters mentioned or pictured are ™  and © 1941-2099 Marvel Characters, Inc. All Rights Reserved. If you like this stuff, you should check out the real thing!
Please visit The Marvel Official Site at: http://www.marvel.com

Special Thanks to www.g-mart.com for hosting the Appendix, Master List, etc.!

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