General Aviation Aircraft
Explore Plane & Pilot Magazine’s Aircraft section for trusted reviews, detailed pilot reports, and expert comparisons. From legendary trainers to cutting-edge designs, we help pilots evaluate performance, specs, and ownership experiences to make confident decisions in the air and on the ground.
BEDE BD-5 “MICRO”
STANDARD DATA: Gross wt. 850. Empty wt. 410. Fuel capacity 35. Wingspan 17′. Length 13’3″. Engine 70-hp Xenoah. PERFORMANCE: Top mph 230. Cruise mph 210. Stall mph 69. Climb rate 1,750. Ceiling 18,800. Takeoff run 820. Range 1,130. The Bede Aircraft Co. did not compromise high performance and aerodynamic design for simple tooling and ease […]
BEDE BD-6
STANDARD DATA: Gross wt. 605. Empty wt. 375. Fuel capacity 21. Wingspan 21’6″. Length 16’9″. Engine 55-hp Hirth. PERFORMANCE: Top mph 140. Cruise mph 130. Stall mph 50. Climb rate 900. Ceiling 14,000. Takeoff run 600. Landing roll 400. Range 450. The BD-6 was another in the line of “build-it-yourself” airplanes from Bede Aircraft. Essentially […]
BEETS G/B SPECIAL
STANDARD DATA: Gross wt. 925. Empty wt. 603. Fuel capacity n/a. Wingspan 25′. Length 16’4″. Engine 70-hp Volkswagen. PERFORMANCE: Top mph 156. Cruise mph 120. Stall mph 35. Climb rate 2,000. Takeoff run 200. Landing roll 300. Range 600. The G/B is a single-seat open-cockpit sporting plane featuring a high parasol-braced wing and conventional landing […]
“BIG COOTIE”
STANDARD DATA: Gross wt. 750. Empty wt. 467. Fuel capacity 12. Wingspan 18’9″. Length 14′. PERFORMANCE: Top mph 140. Cruise mph 120. Stall mph 63. Takeoff run 500. Landing roll 500. Range 300. The single-place “Powell Racer” is a tail-dragging biplane design constructed of wood, fabric, and tubular metal. Stressed for an engine up to […]
