Bede Aircraft Co. 1970's Images
Our web site visitors and mailing list members have recently flooded us with some amazing pictures from the 1970's, of the Bede Aircraft Co. factory, a promotional BD-5J visit as part of the flight testing program, and some early images of the factory and visitors.
Click here and see for yourself!
BD-10 Aviation Week Pilot Report
PDF of the June 1994
Pilot Report of the BD-10 jet published in Aviation Week & Space Technology
Magazine
BD-10 Promotional Videos!
The BD-10 was originally designed as the ultimate kit aircraft, a two-seat
supersonic personal jet that could climb to 10,000 feet from brake release in
under 60 seconds and allow you to cruise in comfort at 45,000 in a 9 psi pressurized
cabin. These two files are original promotional videos for the aircraft. You'll
need a broadband connection to the Internet, otherwise the will take quite a
bit of time to download.
Short Promo, 5:12, 320x240, 8.8mb,
Windows Media Video
Long Promo, 19:14, 320x240, 36mb, Windows
Media Video
Several years ago Bede Aircraft Corp. ran a series of information/advertisements
in sport aviation and homebuilt magazines. The series covered quite a few
subjects. David Anderson has supplied the majority of these scans. We are
still missing some, though, so if you have them, let us know!
The Bede Wing
Most people are not aware that Jim Bede is a very prolific aircraft designer
and aerodynamic engineer. By the time he announced the BD-5 he had already
worked on such aircraft as the F-4 Phamtom and had been awarded a FAI World
Record. One of the interesting designs he came up with was the Bede Wing,
an inflatable wing design that could be filled with either air or helium.
Bede Wing in Flight (Color Picture!)
Bede Wing filled with helium, on ramp
Bede Wing mounted on a simple one-seat ultralight-style
frame w/engine
The Bede Wing Recovery and Storage Unit
Original Bede Wing Purchase Agreement
(Adobe Acrobat required)
Few people are aware of the fact that Jim Bede designed a vehicle around
a motorcycle engine called the "LiteStar." Various people have different ideas
of how many of these were sold, and of its history. Apparently they were sold
as the "Pulse" and 400 of them were made, after which production stopped because
of DOT restrictions on special VIN numbers. I have not been able to find pictures
of the LiteStar. Until now. This one was supposed to be the one that Bede kept,
the prototype. It was sitting in a warehouse in St. Louis, and was at the time
property of Mr. Randy Dana, an attorney from Columbus, Ohio.
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 Dallas FINA Airshow 99 at Love Field was the first airshow to which I
was ever invited as an exhibitor to show the BD-5. It was nowhere near presentable
at the time, but I thought the kids wouldn't mind. Understatement of the day.
The kids swamped it during the shows. I had a great time with my wife and son.
Also here you will find the only Allison turbine-powered street legal motorcycle
I have ever seen. Awesome!
We asked ourselves the same thing, until we saw the brochure and the picture
behind this link. Come take a look for yourself. Whoever thought of this one
deserves prize!
A collection of reference materials for the BD-5, such as Bede Aircraft's
information memos, newsletters, letters to owners regarding various aircraft
and company issues, reviews, etc. This Library will continue to grow as I find
time to transcribe the materials I have. Donations welcome.
BD-5 Redesign Project
(Link no longer works. Know the new one? Tell
me!)
This site contains detailed information on what appears to be a university
project to redesign the BD-5 aircraft. I have not yet been able to determine
the source of this information, but it makes for very interesting reading!
A table listing the specifications for three models of the BD-5 Series.
I spent a day at Sun-N-Fun 1997 in Lakeland, Florida. These are some of
the images I brought back with me.
Last year a 1944 Catalina (PBY) had problems in Aguadilla. The cockpit
was flooded with salt water, and the aircraft was later towed to Isla Grande
for repairs. I happened to take a video of the aircraft as it was leaving for
Isla Verde for final repairs before being delivered to its final owner in Miami.
Here are some captured pics of the aircraft.
Couple of months a Convair cargo aircraft came to blows with a Caravan
at San Juan's Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in Puerto
Rico. The pictures behind this link show the results. Caution: Not for
the weak of stomach!!!
A paper on the finer points of flight testing homebuilt aircraft. Very
interesting and full of important information.
