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A collection of pictures of the BD-5, other Bede Aircraft models and various other images from photos taken by myself and web site contributors. (Special thanks to David Anderson for his great image contributions!)
The Bede BD-5 is a series of single-engine single-seat homebuilt sports aircraft designed by American Jim Bede. The kit was produced by Bede Aircraft Corporation.
Only 13 feet long and 4 feet high, the compact Bede BD-5 provides enough internal volume for the pilot, the engine, and little else. Photo: Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum. Among the historic and innovative aircraft on display in the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum, the Bede BD-5 showcases a legacy that belies its diminutive size.
The long-wing BD-5 55-hp micro will cruise at 200 mph, get 38 miles per gallon of gas, fly 1215 miles nonstop, is fully acrobatic (with short wings), yet performs almost like a sailplane with long wings.
Here you'll find pictures, information and web links related to the BD-5 as well as to other Bede aircraft and experimental aviation in general. Enjoy! Former Project: BD-5J - N3038V
The BD-5 was designed in 1973, and proved to be an extremely popular aircraft. The BD-5 is small and lightweight, and can be either single seat propeller or jet driven. The jet version is listed in the Guinness book of records as the world's smallest jet.
The BD-5 Sport Plane was designed by Jim Bede, assisted by Bert Rutan, in the early 1970’s. It was an experimental homebuilt kit, single seat high performance aircraft. It is a low wing pusher propeller configuration.
