Bede BD-4

BD-4
275px
"Tail-dragger" version of the BD-4
Type	Recreational/Utility aircraft
Manufacturer	Bedecorp for homebuilding
Designed by	Jim Bede
Maiden flight	1968
Introduced	1968
Developed from	BD-1

File:BedeBD-4C-FORD.JPG

Front view of a BD-4 taildragger.

The Bede BD-4 is a light general aviation aircraft marketed in the United States for homebuilding since 1968. It was the first home-built aircraft to be offered in kit form. It remains one of the world's most popular homebuilts with thousands of plans issued and hundreds of versions completed to date.

Design and development

Based on previous work with innovative light aircraft, the BD-1 (eventually developed into the American Aviation AA-1 Yankee) and BD-2, Jim Bede designed the BD-4, the first real "kitplane" in the world. The design was based on a high-wing cantilever monoplane of conventional design, able to be fitted either with tailwheel or tricycle undercarriage, as the builder chooses. The builder was also able to choose between building a two-seat or four-seat version. Bede provided a 165-page BD-4 builder's book, "Build Your Own Airplane" (still supplied today) that gave even the tyro a good perspective on construction techniques.

The intention was to have people with little or no fabrication experience start with a set of comprehensive plans and work up to a "bolt together" operation, with complex components provided from the "factory." In order to simplify construction, there were few curved surfaces and most of the fuselage was made up of flat aluminum sheeting. The only major components with compound curves were the engine cowling and landing gear spats which were made of fiberglass. An innovative wing structure employed a "panel-rib" constructed in sections consisting of a rib whose upper edge was "extended" horizontally to become one section of the wing surface. The wing was progressively built up by sliding these sections together over the circular spar and fastening them together where they met. Although the original wing design was easy to build, current (2007) BD-4s feature a redesigned, more conventional, metal wing.

Operational history

The BD-4 first appeared at the 1968 EAA Rockford, Illinois air show (which moved to Oshkosh, Wisconsin in 1970). Based on early reports in the trade press, it immediately became a "hit." Like the BD-1, the built-up BD-4s offered excellent performance; using the same 108 hp Lycoming O-235 as the Cessna 152 it could reach 130 knots, besting the 152 by about 20 knots. Even higher power could be accommodated with engines up to 220 hp although 130-150 knots (240-280 km/h) was typical.

The BD-4 aircraft has proven to be very strong, and has an excellent safety record; but probably its greatest legacy is that it helped start the homebuilding craze for thousands of enthusiasts. Other kit plane manufacturers studiously copied the Bede Aircraft techniques and his customer service model for their own products, enabling countless aviation enthusiasts to find an affordable means to fly their own aircraft.

The longevity of BD-4 design has been exemplified by the modern versions, crammed with high-tech instrumentation and electronics, that do not look out of place beside any contemporary light plane.

References

• Taylor, Michael J.H. Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. London: Studio Editions, 1989, p. 123. ISBN 0-517-10316-8.
• Winchester, Jim. "Bede BD-10." Concept Aircraft: Prototypes, X-Planes and Experimental Aircraft. Kent, UK: Grange Books plc., 2005. ISBN 1-84013-309-2.
• World Aircraft Information Files (File 890 Sheet 05). London: Bright Star Publishing.

External links

• Manufacturer's website
• bd-4.org

See also

Designation sequence
BD-1 - BD-2 - BD-4 - BD-5 - BD-6 - BD-7

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Bede BD-4".