Bede BD-1

The history of automotive-based powerplants in general aviation is not a great one. However, in the late 1980s, if anyone was determined to make it work, it was the engineering talent at Porsche and Mooney. Porsche, riding high on the sales success of its classic 911 and its domination of sports car racing, including the […]

Mention the late Jim Bede to some, and images of the sleek little BD-5J Microjet, flown through a hangar by none other than iconic movie spy James Bond, come to mind. To others, the picture is of an incredibly visionary aircraft designer who unfortunately left more than a few dissatisfied customers in his wake. Over […]