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| 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 of construction in its snappy little single seater BD-5. Originally it was powered by a 40-hp Hirth snowmobile engine and was fitted with a wingspan of 14 feet. The wingspan was stretched to 17 feet, and the more powerful Xenoah three-cylinder two-stroke engine was installed. The pilot is seated under a transparent canopy forward of the engine in a heated cockpit. The landing gear is fully retractable, and the entire fuselage/wing structure is constructed of lightweight alloy materials. The BD-5 was also designed in a jet version; the BD-5J became a regular air show performer and appeared in a James Bond movie. BD Micro-Technologies, Inc. developed a support group to help builders of the BD-5s complete their projects.
