HOVEY "BETA BIRD" - Plane + Pilot

HOVEY “BETA BIRD”

Plane & Pilot

Thursday, February 18, 2010 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Edited By: Omar Filipović

Key Takeaways:

The "Beta Bird" is a single-seat experimental aircraft, first flown in April 1979, specifically designed for homebuilders with simplified construction methods.
It is powered by a 1,385cc converted VW engine and is constructed using materials such as plywood, spruce, and aluminum, with Dacron covering the tail group.
Key features include folding wings for convenient transport or storage, and efficient performance with a short takeoff and landing run of just 250 feet, and a range of 180 miles on 7.5 gallons of fuel.

See a mistake? Contact us.

The single-seat “Beta Bird” was first flown at Mojave, California, in April 1979. It is powered by a 1,385cc converted VW engine and offers the homebuilder-simplified methods of construction. The wings fold for transport or storage. The fuselage pod is plywood and spruce construction with a stiffened aluminum tailboom to support the tail. The wings are spruce in a two-spar configuration, and the ribs are single-piece aluminum tubes. The tail group is fabricated from aluminum tubing, pop-riveted together with gussets, and covered with Dacron. Only 250 feet are needed for takeoff and landing, and the 7.5 gallons of fuel yield 180 miles.