Author Topic: BD5 Pilots...what a great ride! (Read 996 times)

muckmaw · « **on:** September 24, 2003, 01:27:22 PM »

We have a pusher prop varient of the BD5 at the museum I volunteer at. We have started cleaning it today, to get it flight ready again.

What a great little airplane!

I love this thing!

Has anyone flown one? I'd love to hear what this little guy handles like, and how much a new one (Prop driven) costs.

Pictures to follow.

Sandman · « **Reply #1 on:** September 24, 2003, 01:48:44 PM »

I believe LePaul used to own one.

LePaul · « **Reply #2 on:** September 24, 2003, 03:34:32 PM »

Yup...had it for 2 years, researched finishing it, insuring it, making a great cockpit and displays (since the company I work for has a division that does a lot with display panels)....but ultimately not convinced its the safest thing in the world

Sold it last summer to a 747 pilot who made a great offer...I'm still in touch with him and he's made great progress on it since he became his.

Good reference sites...

http://www.bd5.com

http://www.bd-micro.com

They handle like a cross between a P-51D and F-16...real fast...take a good look at the nose and cockpit...that's the crumple zone. You auger, you squish, you die.

Don't get me wrong, I have oodles of videos and other data on them and I'm sure that if I had one built from BD-Micro from scratch, incorporating all the improvements over the years, I'd like one. But many of the examples out there are too heavy, built poorly and more. Pushers are a different creature. Further, a heavy BD-5 will have oil-canning of the wings.

Jim Bede envisions a re-done BD-5 sometime. But a lot of people got burnt went he went out of business and left hundreds with incomplete kits.

AKIron · « **Reply #3 on:** September 24, 2003, 05:14:25 PM »

It's flying backwards! Good thing the pilot is turned the wrong way.

On my list of things to do before I die, build my own plane. May have to live to be a hundred to get that one done though.

type_char · « **Reply #4 on:** September 24, 2003, 05:23:18 PM »

lol, aint thata what James Bond flew.

Animal · « **Reply #5 on:** September 24, 2003, 05:27:19 PM »

That plane has never seem safe just by looking at it.
And from what I have heard, my intuition seems to be right about it.

Its the perfect terrorist weapon.

type_char · « **Reply #6 on:** September 24, 2003, 05:30:17 PM »

If I owned that thing, I would definatly fly it but I would be packing a parachute just in case.

muckmaw · « **Reply #7 on:** September 24, 2003, 05:53:57 PM »

Type, if you could get a chute in there, it's be a freakin miracle.

You know what, you could put a chute around the whole plane and it would work.

I LITERALLY lifted it off it's main gear today and moved it, without breaking a sweat.

Lepaul would know the weights, but I would guess no more than 300 lbs.

What about that Lepaul...COuld you mount an emergencty chute on that thing? I can see it being pretty easy to lose your legs in that little sucker.

type_char · « **Reply #8 on:** September 24, 2003, 06:14:07 PM »

Well perhaps with a small parachute I probably could squeeze in perhaps with a malcom hood. Definately no room for 20mm cannons. All kidding aside, it looks liek alot of fun. Guys like me without a chance of ever owning a non roof top launch aircraft could only dream about stuff like this.

Bodhi · « **Reply #9 on:** September 24, 2003, 06:18:18 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Animal
That plane has never seem safe just by looking at it.
And from what I have heard, my intuition seems to be right about it.

Its the perfect terrorist weapon.

Animal,

You are so much the expert as always... you have made 4573 posts of nothing but BS, and yet you continue to astonish us with your assinine BS.

The "perfect terrorist weapon"??? How so, the payload it can carry is non existent.... oh, your counter whine is that they could put biological and "other" matter and spray it... That is pure BS. No terrorist is going to waste a dime on that when there are plenty of other aircraft much more capable of doing a better job with less hassles.

As for the safety issues you seem to see, name a few and astonish us with more of your BS gibberish...

So do us a favor and just fade away... like a bad fart...

Gadfly · « **Reply #10 on:** September 24, 2003, 06:19:08 PM »

Any small plane is death if it hits the ground nose first-at least in this one it would be quick.

SOB · « **Reply #11 on:** September 24, 2003, 06:28:46 PM »

Bodhi...It's time to take your meds again.

Sandman · « **Reply #12 on:** September 24, 2003, 07:23:14 PM »

Animal... nice lunker!

Angus · « **Reply #13 on:** September 25, 2003, 04:03:48 AM »

How does that thing perform? Figures, anyone?

muckmaw · « **Reply #14 on:** September 25, 2003, 07:23:30 AM »

I'd like to know more about cost and performance as well.

Think about it. You can pick one up on the cheap, take it out to an airstrip...hell, to a field, snap the wings on, and take off!

When your done, take the wings off again, toss it in your little trailer, and put it in your garage.

In reality, the thing is not much bigger than a jet ski. (Alright, maybe 50% longer but you see my point)

The only drawback is the fact that it's a single seater. No passengers for you!