Aces High Bulletin Board

General Forums => The O' Club => Topic started by: LePaul on April 03, 2002, 09:05:24 PM

Title: Pics of my BD-5 project! Its coming along
Post by: LePaul on April 03, 2002, 09:05:24 PM

I was gonna chuck it, but upon re-thinking it all over, I wanna make it happen!

I spent this evening cleaning the airframe up, and in a few weeks, I hope to have the gentleman over from Oregon who will inspect the airframe/project.  If he likes what he sees, he can quote me the costs for him (and his company) to finish it for me.  We're talking about making this powered by a turboprop engine (jet too expensive, reciprocating engine requires a lot of dragging additions like inlets and scoops for cooling)  We're talking about a kit that was made 25 years ago, incorporating many years worth of improvements, mods, etc...the cockpit will resemble an F16...glass cockpit, etc   :)

Here's a few shots...

(http://www.checksix.net/my5-1.jpg)
(I took the nose gear door, wings and elevators off again...too much of a hassle tripping over them while cleaning)

(http://www.checksix.net/my5-2.jpg)
(Took the engine door off so I could cleanup the inside)

(http://www.checksix.net/my5-3.jpg)
(Not exactly a HellCat cockpit, it is?)

(http://www.checksix.net/my5-4.jpg)
(All those instruments are coming out!  Note the sidestick controller on the right.  Plan on replacing those with military sticks...think Thrustmaster Cougar and then some!)

(http://www.checksix.net/my5-5.jpg)
(I like this shot.  Measurements?  Height, 70 inches, length, 14ft.  Wheels....4 inch diameter  :eek: )

Plenty of room for HTC logos!

Title: Pics of my BD-5 project! Its coming along
Post by: Hangtime on April 03, 2002, 09:40:37 PM

Nice!

You'll be one brave mo-fo, climbing into that thing for it's first flight..



WE SALUTE YOU!

Title: Pics of my BD-5 project! Its coming along
Post by: Nash on April 03, 2002, 09:56:39 PM

You, LePaul, are out of your freaking mind. :D

Title: Pics of my BD-5 project! Its coming along
Post by: Animal on April 03, 2002, 10:09:13 PM

I sure as heck wouldnt fly that thing on its first flight!

Title: Pics of my BD-5 project! Its coming along
Post by: streakeagle on April 03, 2002, 10:21:03 PM

Forget the turboprop... make the sacrifice, do whatever it takes...

Jet noise, the sound of freedom!

Title: Pics of my BD-5 project! Its coming along
Post by: Voss on April 03, 2002, 10:26:58 PM

Brave isn't the word for it.

Uh, LePaul, you do know the 25yr. old nickname for this thing, don't you?

I still have an original Jim Bede business card.:D

Title: Pics of my BD-5 project! Its coming along
Post by: Wardog on April 03, 2002, 10:30:49 PM

Turbo prop works fine.......


(http://www.bd-micro.com/5TTST2A.GIF)

Ill fly it 1st time up if no one else will ;)

Heres a link for a site that sells kits. http://www.bd-micro.com/FLS5T.HTM

Dog out.............

Title: Pics of my BD-5 project! Its coming along
Post by: LePaul on April 04, 2002, 12:14:15 AM

BD-Micro is the company that I am working with the finish it


Animal, I thought you quit again?  What's that, a Baker's Dozen?  :p :p :D :)

Title: Pics of my BD-5 project! Its coming along
Post by: Zigrat on April 04, 2002, 01:35:22 AM

why the hell does a turboprop cost more money. a turboprop is just a turbojet with a gearbox (equals money) and a propeller (equals money)

now why you would want to put a turbojet on an airplane like this is beyond me (jets suck below 300 mph) but hey ..

Title: Pics of my BD-5 project! Its coming along
Post by: Mathman on April 04, 2002, 04:39:14 AM

Perk it!

Title: Pics of my BD-5 project! Its coming along
Post by: Gunthr on April 04, 2002, 07:53:07 AM

Glad to hear about this, LePaul.

Sounds like it could be finished fairly soon!

I'm looking forward to hearing about how that little bird handles. Its going to be a bit hot on landing, isn't it?

Title: Pics of my BD-5 project! Its coming along
Post by: Ripsnort on April 04, 2002, 07:59:22 AM

Cool BD, glad to hear you found new love for it once again, don't forget my suggestions, a pair of .303's in the nose, makes deer hunting that much easier! ;)

Title: Pics of my BD-5 project! Its coming along
Post by: Yeager on April 04, 2002, 08:12:40 AM

Youll shoot your eye out!

Title: Pics of my BD-5 project! Its coming along
Post by: Kieran on April 04, 2002, 10:09:27 AM

While it'll make an excellent point defense fighter, I doubt it will have the range to be usable for anything else. Careful of the landings, that T-stoff and C-stoff is mighty nasty if it mixes at an inopportune time and place... btw, what is the glide ratio for that bird? ;)

Title: Pics of my BD-5 project! Its coming along
Post by: LePaul on April 04, 2002, 10:14:17 AM

Few replies...


Mathman:  LOL!  Great retort!

Ripsnort:  Just 303s?  We were thinking hardpoints!

Zigrat:  The problem with a jet engine for an airplane like this is that very few will do the job.  The MicroTurbo's most use are modified APUs that put out 300 pounds of thrust.  The catch is that the engines require a lot of upkeep and service, and not just any place can service them.  Furhter, if they catch on that the engine is for a BD-5, thanks to the legal system, they wont touch em fearing liability.  The Quantum turbo prop system is a rebuilt, heavily modified Solar Turbine (not sure which).  The beauty of it is that you do not need P51 style scoops, heavy radiators or intake scoops that penalize you in the regard of drag.  You have the smooth operation of a turbine, with all the benefits of operating a prop.

Gunthr:  No ETA yet, just revitalizig my interest in it.  I have many times I sit back and draw out all the things I have to do to get the plane up to snuff, and me up to speed with high perfromance flying again, parachuting (just in case!) and then the associated paperwork for everything to be legal.

Title: Pics of my BD-5 project! Its coming along
Post by: Elfenwolf on April 04, 2002, 10:20:30 AM

First you get in a Vampire with some old banker dude who had to disable the eject handles to keep his passengers from bailing on him, and then you're building THAT??? LePaul, you are truly certifiable.

Title: Pics of my BD-5 project! Its coming along
Post by: LePaul on April 04, 2002, 12:13:46 PM

Thank you, hehe....certifiably...nuts?

Keep them guys in the white coats away!

Title: Pics of my BD-5 project! Its coming along
Post by: eskimo2 on April 04, 2002, 12:22:20 PM

Quote

Originally posted by Yeager
Youll shoot your eye out!

LOL!

Good luck Paul.

eskimo

Title: Pics of my BD-5 project! Its coming along
Post by: spitfiremkv on April 04, 2002, 09:36:56 PM

THIS PLANE IS SO CUTE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I calculated the max speed at sea level and came up with 318mph(using some approximation from one of my textbooks). But I read some specs on the net and they had 276mph.  Which one is more accurate?

Title: Pics of my BD-5 project! Its coming along
Post by: JoeDirt on April 04, 2002, 11:46:37 PM

how much was it???

Title: Pics of my BD-5 project! Its coming along
Post by: Kieran on April 05, 2002, 06:29:04 AM

As I just noted LePaul is from Maine, all future responses should include the heavy usage of the word "wicked".

The plane is wicked fast.

It was wicked expensive.

LePaul is wicked nuts to fly one.

Carry on!

Title: Pics of my BD-5 project! Its coming along
Post by: LePaul on April 05, 2002, 11:26:04 AM

LOL

Don't forget, Im a DownEaster, err, DownEast-ah...so drop your R's too  ;)

I can't disclose what I paid for the project a few years ago....but the kits sell for somewhere under $20k and I got this for under $5k

As for the speeds and such, straight from the website, here is some data...(source:  http://www.bd-micro.com/FLS5T.HTM)


T.O. Distance  650 ft.  
Landing Distance  750 ft.  
Rate of Climb  2,400 ft/min.  
Stall Speed  63 mph.  
Top Speed  240 mph.  
Range  728 sm.  
Ceiling (abs.)  26,000 ft.  
Limit "G"  ± 6.0  
Ultimate "G"  ± 9.0  

Wing Span  21.5 ft. or 17.0 ft.  
Length  14.68 ft.  
Height  5.6 ft.  
Wing Area  47.4 or 37.8 sq ft.  
Width- w/o Wings  4.0 ft.  
Horiz. Stab. Span  7.3 ft.  
Cabin Length  64 in.  
Cabin Width  23.5 in.  
Cabin Height  36 in.  
Empty Weight  450 lbs.  
Gross Weight  910 lbs.  
Useful Load  428 lbs.  
Fuel Capacity  36 U.S. Gallons  

Power Rating (Sea Level)  95 SHP @ 6,000 RPM  
Fuel Consumption (Max Power)  108 lbs./hr.  
Weight  75 lbs.  
Length  27 in.  
Height  16.5 in.  
Width  13 in.  
Fuel Types  Jet A, JP4-JP5  
Oil Types  MIL-L-7808 or

Title: Pics of my BD-5 project! Its coming along
Post by: Maverick on April 05, 2002, 06:09:02 PM

I recall seeing an article some time back about a guy that finished his BD with a BMW motorcylcle engine. He used an old horizontal twin. The newer inlines like a 750 cc water cooled use a very small radiator and have 75 BHP. Pretty light too.

Good luck on your project!