I remember when I was about 14 years old when the BD5 came out. Saw it in a factory in Bohemia NY with my friend and his dad who worked for Grumman Aerospace and was a GA pilot. I saw the jet engine version. I’m 60 now and still love the design of all the BD aircraft.
@@jimmywrangles Yes that test pilot was Skip Holm a well known unlimited air race pilot and sr71 test pilot the vertical stabilizer was nit designed right failed and killed pilots
At 18:20 we finally get around to the BD-10... the first (and only?) homebuilt experimental supersonic aircraft! Jim Bede was an amazing aircraft designer. Not so good at running a business and completing aircraft kit orders. Of course he had problems (BD-5) with engine suppliers that delayed the production and eventually caused the demise of the BD-5 program. But he got back into it with the BD-10 many years later! I'm surprised to see a completed BD-10 in this video, with 126 flight hours on it! This plane N700JP, is deregistered, but last know to belong to Jet Investments of Wilmington Delaware, build by James Priebe in 1994. As I recall, the BD-10 program was sold to another guy who was killed in his test flying of the BD-10. And wasn't another test pilot killed in another BD-10 as well? I have a buddy from my RF-4C days (Viet Nam war) who also flew the BD-10 as a test pilot. I sure would like to see that plane back in the air and hundreds of them in pilot hands these days with all the 'bugs' worked out! I built a BD-5A (short wing) that never flew -- never got the engine for it. And was lucky to fly the BD-5B and BD-5J at Newton Kansas in 1975. Corky Fornoff checked me out in the 'truck-a-plane' (BD-5 mounted on a flyable mount on the front of a pickup truck!) and then I flew both planes while Corky chased the jet in his P-51. Those were the days!
Dan E'berry... The BD-10 in the video was the first of the BD-10 kits completed and flown. The aircraft ended up in a Canadian museum then Bede Aero acquired it and returned it to Ft. Pierce. You are correct that two BD-10s were involved in fatal crashes but that was after Bede sold the design and rights to another company. There were some vertical stabilizer attach design concerns that were identified and the first of the crashes involved an airplane with design changes that had nothing to do with Bede. I'm glad to hear you had such a good experience with the BD-5 variants. Brian Ingraham
You are correct. Several pilots were killed trying to fly the BD-10 at high speed. Yes, that was after Bede sold the design to another company. BUT, the reason for the crashes was a poor design of the stabilizer that was part of the original design. Bede did have a lot of ideas; however, along with his inability to supply needed parts, he had a problem with completing designs so that they were practical. He was part snake oil salesman.
My dad built a BD-4 in the 70s and 80s. Won several awards. My dad was friends with Jim Bede. We flew all over the us and to Oshkosh many times. Great memories with a great airplane.
The last kit-built variant of the BD-10 flew in 2003 but suffered an inflight breakup, killing its pilot, Frank Everett, off the coast of Southern California. In all, five BD-10 variants were built, three crashed, killing each pilot, and two were relegated to static displays. Shame really, I thought they were onto something good here.
@@johnassal5838 I'm not sure if nthey did it unofficially but I don't think it could be done as it would go through vigorous vibrations breaking he sound barrier and it was never tested at that extreme
Bryan... Thanks for taking the time to stop by for a visit at Bede Aero Southeast. Next time, I'll be glad to take you for a ride in the BD-4C and give you the full Bede experience. Brian Ingraham
It was a rather clean shop. (I think they knew I was stopping by :-P ) And I think most of the manufacturing is outsourced for the machining so that really helps on keeping things tidy. But... It is good to see an Aircraft Company having things in order... for certain! :-) Thanks for stopping by today!
@@ExperimentalAircraftChannel I've stopped by twice in the past 5 years unannounced and it pretty much always looks like that except that there are usually 2 or 3 owner builds in progress.
@@ExperimentalAircraftChannel, yeah... we knew you were coming but feel free to pop in any time and you'll probably have the same experience! Brian Ingraham
Jim Bede was more infamous than famous.. an accomplished engineer , somewhat of a visionary , one piss poor businessman! Appreciate the Bede update! Blue Skies!
I’m thrilled to see Bede moving forward! My cousin Mike Van Wagenen created the peregrine kit version of the BD 10 and invested his life in the company. He would love to see the BD 10 future possibilities!! Thank you very much!
Great job as always. Would love to see a part 2 focusing on their flagship model, actual construction of it, and of course flying it. There isn't a lot of current videos out there which would certainly boost confidence in purchase consideration. Bede is a great brand but needs improved marketing.
I was privileged to have lunch once in a week at his favorite restaurant in Medina, Ohio, The Corkscrew. He was pretty much a shadow of his former self, but he was still a hyper-promoter. He always had a joke/story prepared, and he laughed so hard he would almost fall off his bar stool. A most engaging fellow, Jim was also probably the strangest man I ever sat next to. I say that in a kind way. Enthusiasm met the hard wall of reality, repeatedly, in Jim Bede. When others would mumble "why," Jim would shout "Why not?"
In 2000 I had the pleasure of putting two flights on an old builder's BD-5B. I had to pinch myself that I was not sitting in high school English class 1984 bored to tears looking at Homebuilt Aircraft magazine reading about the BD-5. I consider it to be one of the pinnacle aircraft I have flown. Happy to see they are still in business.
Good show! Nice keeping all these companies in the spotlight . I can imagine his office coming to him and saying” whats with all the BD10 inquiries “😂😂
@@ExperimentalAircraftChannel The BD-10 is a kit plane with a jet engine. This sounds like it would be above the $100,000 range. Aerobatic? Mach 1.4 & what range?
I remember seeing a BD5J flight demo at a Pt Magu airshow in the mid 80's I think it wzs. Very impressive. It came in hot and went vertical so quickly and just kept climbing. It almost seemd that it had no airspeed bleed off, VERY COOL !!!
You experimental aircraft people are amazing. Just love watching this channel for that. I’ve sailed old boats for a living for most of my 75 years and we have have a lot in common. Difference is, if I did what you do, I wouldn’t have made it past 40.
Awesome video bring back many memories growing up reading about the BD-5 in popular science watching it fly in James Bond movie and seeing the BD-5 silver bullet in the air shows. BEDE has been around for a long time and still going strong. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️👍🏻👍🏻🤠.
Wait a minute! Tell us about the Grumman HU-16 Albatross airplane hiding in the back of the hangar at 12:27 and a couple of other places in the video! Owned by "Adventures Albatross" of Dover, Delaware! The USAF actually had a bunch of these in the Viet Nam war era. A big amphibious plane! You can find many of them being restored and sold at Carson City Airport, Carson City, NV.
Dan E'berry... The owners of the Albatross are renting space for restoration of the aircraft. They previously restored another to flight and we can only hope that this one follows suit. Brian Ingraham
I would love to see the BD-10 perfected and brought back. Not for my self mind you (my eyes are too bad to fly any more) but to prove that the concept of a supersonic home nuilt was sound. By the way, are there spec sheets and drawings available to produce a model from?
I wonder if they resolved the vertical stabilizer flutter issues on the BD-10? I remember it was a major issue that grounded these birds early on. Interesting they did not mention pricing on it. Jim Bede also designed and marketed a ground based vehicle that evolved into the BD-5 later on. It was called The Pulse. It used the rear section of a motorcycle engine and drivetrain. There are several clubs in the States that collectors restore and drive these vehicles.
Awesome find, honestly didn’t know Bede was still in production! Thanks for seeking this out and showing us. Also you need to do a snip it on the flying boat in the hangar
After watching Mr.Burt Rutan tell his story about working with Mr.Jim Bede I am surprised you would do a tour of the Bede Company but you got to make a living. Personally I wouldn't own a Bede plane if I got it for free!! Nuf said.
Love it. A BD-4C is in my future. Because it has been around for so long, the design is well-proven, there are tons of them flying, and lots of great (tested) modifications as well.
@@farmboy694 Extended wings, larger fuel tanks, extended cabin (for more rear seat room), full-window doors (entire door is a window), flip up doors (hinge on top instead of on front), low-drag wing interface fairings, low-drag windshield fairings, fiberglass skin rather than aluminum, every engine under the sun, ballistic parachutes, electric flaps, stick-to-yoke conversions, it goes on and on...chances are, if you can think of it, someone has already done it in the last 50 years, and there are plans on the Internet detailing how to do it.
@@christianjforbes, the Tailwind and Cougar are terrific designs in their own right, with the main difference being the BD-4C is a true 4-place aircraft with a Bonanza-sized cabin. Brian Ingraham
Love the mini blue angel BD-10, such a good looking bird! I wonder if with the advances in li-po tech if they could ever make an electric turbofan engine, flight duration might suck but man that would be fun.
@@MattH-wg7ou He means Electric ducted fan. it's used on most R/C Jet models. I'm not sure you could get it to fly, let alone be agile, as EDFs are not particularly efficient and batteries are heavy (Electric aircraft lean more into the glider wing for efficiency for that reason)
I was at the factory just before Thanksgiving 2019. I saw several BD4s in various stages of construction. All the aircraft on this video were there. The honeycomb wing and elevator jigs weren't set up yet so I didn't see that. I sat in an impressive BD-4. All my questions were answered. I had been building a BD 4 back in the 70s and had to give it up due to divorce, moving etc. One guy was using a computer aided construction device to make a landing light bracket. It was all interesting and fun to see. I hope BD does well.
BD 4 what a cool aircraft. Guys I'm in love with this airplane but also with its design. That circular spar is awesome. Structure looks pretty sturdy, solid and yet, heavy duty. The most eye catchy feature is that the whole thing is boxy! As I've said, I'm in love with this airplane. I'm speechless about the process tooling that you people have designed and developed: simple but very smart. You don't have an idea about how much I've enjoyed this video.
Thanks for sharing. I'm wondering about power plant choices for the BD-4? What do you suggest for this aircraft? I want to purchase and build this summer. What a fine looking airplane. (I'm betting that it feels good to fly) .
I got a ride in a BD 4 several years ago. I was impressed, that thing really moved out. The owner told me he blew the doors off 182's every chance he got.
Great Show. Brought back lots of memories watching my Dad mull over plans to build a BD-4 back when it was something new in the EAA magazine. He liked the practicality of its design. Unfortunately it remained a dream.
What was the main problem with the BD-10 ? There was a story in Flying Magazine a few years ago about the test pilot who was killed when doing flight testing over 250 Knots.
What is the performance of the prop-driven BD-5? According to Wikipedia, the cruise is 199 kts (229 mph) for the 70 hp model. Whoever posted that article clearly had it confused with the jet-engine version.
Love this sort of tour.... the ribs are kinda like the crashed F4 wings I looked at back in '71 at the base scrap pile B.P. NAS HNL. ,... not fond of his frame construction but I guess it's what works for him...........Thanks for tour this morning.
I don't think I have seen the RIBS made from this material but... the Grumman Yankee and Tiger etc are made with a similar material and have done just fine through the years. But those are also Bigger wide flat sections. Thank YOU for taking the time to say hello this morning!
Not a structural engineer here but I've heard that the Honeycomb structure in one of the strongest there is ( used correctly ).......... I was blown away when I saw the torn open wing on a crashed Fantom .... the area was no more than 8-10 inches thick and thinner at the very tip....... I'm sure they had something better than Aluminum in the structure.... and it appeared to be Glued to the substructure. Stay well and if I run into you at one of the shows I've a new red hat fro ya! ( lol) Stay safe & well.
I new a structural and aeronautical engineer very well and was told by this person about alveolate design strength and weight advantages. It’s been used in aluminum pre fab buildings but made out of cardboard believe it or not! So the characteristics are naturally advantageous.
@@ExperimentalAircraftChannel Dark Aero is using a carbon fiber honeycomb rib of this style. I believe the Belite used this for their ribs, and others are using these honeycomb materials for ribs and structures as well.
Honeycomb for the wings, but the fuselage is inferior to any bike. No tubes. No bent tubes following the streamlines, but individual pieces. Flat aluminum plates instead of for example 3 printed sleeves or just sleeves CNC cut out of a tube and then welded like on a bike. Maybe even order the shorter tubes from a bike manufacturer.
I’d love the BD10! But out of practicality, the BD 4 is probably what I would end up with. The BD 5 was an awesome plane, but I would have loved to see the BD 14 on the market.
I was lucky enough to find a complete BD-5 kit back in 1988, so I picked it up for just $1500. I owned a IFR 172 at the time (in N. Miami, FL area) but really wanted a fast “toy” to play with on weekends. The plan was to build it a little at a time in some extra warehouse space we had at the airport. Unfortunately those kits had no predrilled rivet holes so lot of time to jig was needed. When I lost my hanger during the early ‘90’s “depression”, I reluctantly decided to sell all the half finished pieces. I often wonder if the guy who bought it ever finished and flew it, you see so very few of them ever get completed and into the air. Still sad about the one that got away, I guess I have to go to Ft Pierce and check out the single seater in the video. Happy flying guys. ✈️
I remember seeing the BD5J at an airshow as a kid. "Quickest Gear Retract in the West" they would quote as it flew by. Gear up! Gear down! Gear up! (It only flies for like 30min with fuel capacity).
@@dirtcop11, actually the bent wing was the result of a canopy opening while Bobby Bishop was conducting high-speed dive tests. The canopy rim struck Bobby in the forehead and knocked him out for a short period. But the impact of the canopy bow made Bobbie pull the side-stick to the point where he imparted a 14g load on the wing, bending the center section 19 degrees up, but nothing broke. That's the beauty of the tubular spar. Corkey was flying chase in another BD-5J and managed to talk Bobbie down even though Bobbie could barely see. Brian Ingraham
Perdy much my entire life I've wanted a BD5. Still do. But, the BD10, certainly is the favorite one. If they could figure out what's wrong with that plane (flutter was it?) it would be so cool to continue to make it!
Hi Bryan As i said before i am building a heavily modified BEDE4C in the uk and this was The Video I was waiting for. so nice to see the person on the end of the phone and such energy is almost up there with the jedi master himself. Thankyou from a windy uk
Can't believe we don't have a low prices affordable new experimental jet in the market in 2021...you can buy an used L-29 for $200k in really good shape..
THUMBS UP: thanks for having great audio. New subscriber. The BD-10 on the front of Popular Mechanics in 1988 motivated me to finish my private pilots license.
I'm wondering why use 2024 aluminum for the skins if they're "non structural". 6061 would resist corrosion better and it is used as structural for fuselage and wings on Zenairs.
A friend built a BD-5 and could never get it to cool right. After spending thousands on cooling systems, and not getting anywhere, it’s now on display in the Smithsonian. Bede, always with a shister deal. Hope this guy can shake the stigma.
I LOVED the Bede-5 as a kid and even more as an adult. Too bad the engine issues were such a problem and the torsional oscillation with the prop shaft. That's what ultimately led to the demise of that glorious aircraft.
Ok, I'm confused, I like the BD4, but why would a person spend time and money on a 4 seat plane when the FAA doesn't allow passengers in experimentals??? They've nailed a few here around the Seattle area. Just curious, if you can get clearance for passengers, then it would be a Great option for people.
Yes sir...I am sorry you have been misinformed. You are allowed to have passengers in Experimental Aircraft. There is a placard for passenger warning explain it is in fact "Amateur Built. " Be it two seats, four or more. You CAN fly passengers. There is a "Test Phase" after construction (40hrs typical) that you are not to take passengers. I hope this ads clarity.
All those screws worry me. Nylon lock nuts Will back off under vibration. Wouldn't you have to safety wire every single one of those nuts? If they start coming loose, how do you get to them to retighten if you glued the skins on? I like the idea of the construction method, but would have preferred to see rivets.
I believe he said they were all steel lock nuts. I built a few of my own sprint car wings when I was racing. I bonded the aluminum skins with clear rtv silicone and rivets. which I later learned that some rtv silicones were known to be somewhat corrosive to aluminum. Well I once tried to take one apart that I had crunched up. I drilled out the rivets and couldn't peel the skins off without destroying them. So I have no doubt that bonding works.
@@429thunderjet2 Didn't say bonding doesn't work, only that bonding seems like a bad idea when you're covering up so much hardware you may need to retighten later. I have tried to removing such bonding with great difficulty before myself too. But a racecar is one thing, whereas an airplane that gets minimally inspected and maintained over decades is another. If the wing race car nuts come loose, you might crash, but with roll cage, safety gear, etc. if the tail comes off the airplane....well. Steel locknuts, steel with nylon inserts, etc. doesn't matter. they all come loose over time. That's why everything in aviation is safety wired on, or has a cotter pin.
428 Renegade... As Dennis Rantanen points out below, they are NOT nylon lock nuts but rather steel mechanical locking nuts. I have never seen a BD-4 nut vibrate loose. Many people have suggested using rivets, but there are two flaws there... 1) a rivet of the same size is difficult to shoot due to it's size, and 2) if you didn't like using the large rivets you would have to triple the number of fasters resulting in thousands of shot rivets. The use of bolts and nuts has proved itself since 1968. Apparently Jim Bede figured out the best construction method 50 years ago! Brian Ingraham
I make some very good new plane designs on simple Rockets2 as a build platform and virtual test , but I think my SSTO space shuttle maybe a design platform someone bigger might find efficient
I like the aluminum strut structure. Murphy aircraft has something this similar to this but this could be the game changer for the high-wing Cub clone design. One of the reason for me NOT to build a Cub clone is the amount of welding and fabrication of the steel-tube fuselage. I can rivet, I can bolt but to properly weld a steel tube structure takes many hours of practice.
You could master it. I have done it. It actually is quite fun when you get into it. But I also prefer working with aluminum if I had to choose. Any AIRCRAFT CONSTRUCTION is quite rewarding however! Thanks for engaging here today and taking the time to watch! We appreciate you!
Experimental Aircraft Channel: great video about an Huge influence in kitplanes and dreams! Always wanted to recreate a 2 seater BD5.5 with the new Yamaha 300hp engine out there with turbo so you could go high and get into the 300's.
Thanks for the tour, but gotta say, honestly, as soon as I saw the BD-10, I had a bad case of attention lock!🥰 Really nice tour of sbop/process! Amazing the airplanes available now, & classics still being produced!
I remember when I was about 14 years old when the BD5 came out. Saw it in a factory in Bohemia NY with my friend and his dad who worked for Grumman Aerospace and was a GA pilot. I saw the jet engine version. I’m 60 now and still love the design of all the BD aircraft.
The BD-10 has got to come to life again guys! What a cool looking fun aircraft! A dual seat jet! My dream of flying! Flying specs?
It’s pretty awesome looking.
It killed everyone who flew it except a test pilot who left the program early.
No it doesn’t! Anything Jim Bede should be banned. Apparently you are too young to remember the the Bede fiasco of the early 70’s! NO NO AND MORE NO!
@@jimmywrangles Yes that test pilot was Skip Holm a well known unlimited air race pilot and sr71 test pilot the vertical stabilizer was nit designed right failed and killed pilots
Reminds me of my dream...an F5
At 18:20 we finally get around to the BD-10... the first (and only?) homebuilt experimental supersonic aircraft! Jim Bede was an amazing aircraft designer. Not so good at running a business and completing aircraft kit orders. Of course he had problems (BD-5) with engine suppliers that delayed the production and eventually caused the demise of the BD-5 program. But he got back into it with the BD-10 many years later!
I'm surprised to see a completed BD-10 in this video, with 126 flight hours on it!
This plane N700JP, is deregistered, but last know to belong to Jet Investments of Wilmington Delaware, build by James Priebe in 1994.
As I recall, the BD-10 program was sold to another guy who was killed in his test flying of the BD-10. And wasn't another test pilot killed in another BD-10 as well?
I have a buddy from my RF-4C days (Viet Nam war) who also flew the BD-10 as a test pilot.
I sure would like to see that plane back in the air and hundreds of them in pilot hands these days with all the 'bugs' worked out!
I built a BD-5A (short wing) that never flew -- never got the engine for it. And was lucky to fly the BD-5B and BD-5J at Newton Kansas in 1975. Corky Fornoff checked me out in the 'truck-a-plane' (BD-5 mounted on a flyable mount on the front of a pickup truck!) and then I flew both planes while Corky chased the jet in his P-51. Those were the days!
Dan E'berry...
The BD-10 in the video was the first of the BD-10 kits completed and flown. The aircraft ended up in a Canadian museum then Bede Aero acquired it and returned it to Ft. Pierce.
You are correct that two BD-10s were involved in fatal crashes but that was after Bede sold the design and rights to another company. There were some vertical stabilizer attach design concerns that were identified and the first of the crashes involved an airplane with design changes that had nothing to do with Bede.
I'm glad to hear you had such a good experience with the BD-5 variants.
Brian Ingraham
Seeing a new BD10 fly with modern design, modeling and testing would be amazing.
I saw this plane in a Toronto air museum in 2003. The museum later closed down and that must have been when Bede Aero got it.
You are correct. Several pilots were killed trying to fly the BD-10 at high speed. Yes, that was after Bede sold the design to another company. BUT, the reason for the crashes was a poor design of the stabilizer that was part of the original design. Bede did have a lot of ideas; however, along with his inability to supply needed parts, he had a problem with completing designs so that they were practical. He was part snake oil salesman.
Did one ever actually make it past the sound barrier without breaking up in flight?
Have they figured out how to keep the BD-10 from shedding parts in the air?
My dad built a BD-4 in the 70s and 80s. Won several awards. My dad was friends with Jim Bede. We flew all over the us and to Oshkosh many times. Great memories with a great airplane.
Nice! A little bit of history runs in your family with these and Aviation. Very cool! Thanks for sharing!
I think that looking back in history we will be able to say that this is the video that brought the BD-10 back to life :-D
The last kit-built variant of the BD-10 flew in 2003 but suffered an inflight breakup, killing its pilot, Frank Everett, off the coast of Southern California.
In all, five BD-10 variants were built, three crashed, killing each pilot, and two were relegated to static displays.
Shame really, I thought they were onto something good here.
@@nicholaschriss1706 Were any of the kits ever flown supersonic?
@@johnassal5838 I'm not sure if nthey did it unofficially but I don't think it could be done as it would go through vigorous vibrations breaking he sound barrier and it was never tested at that extreme
I saw that BD-10 or one painted identical to it at a airshow back in the 90's. It was a pretty impressive flying machine.
Bryan...
Thanks for taking the time to stop by for a visit at Bede Aero Southeast. Next time, I'll be glad to take you for a ride in the BD-4C and give you the full Bede experience.
Brian Ingraham
How did you get Michael Keaton to play you in the video?
:D
This guy has everything so well organized. Great advertising for him, that potential builders know that every part/piece is immediately available.
It was a rather clean shop. (I think they knew I was stopping by :-P ) And I think most of the manufacturing is outsourced for the machining so that really helps on keeping things tidy. But... It is good to see an Aircraft Company having things in order... for certain! :-) Thanks for stopping by today!
@@ExperimentalAircraftChannel I've stopped by twice in the past 5 years unannounced and it pretty much always looks like that except that there are usually 2 or 3 owner builds in progress.
@@ExperimentalAircraftChannel, yeah... we knew you were coming but feel free to pop in any time and you'll probably have the same experience!
Brian Ingraham
@@mvvoila3356 I figured as much. Just having some fun with yah.
@@mvvoila3356 please bring back the BD-10, updated and better than ever! I’ll pitch in to keep that dream alive! 🤘😎👍
Jim Bede was more infamous than famous.. an accomplished engineer , somewhat of a visionary , one piss poor businessman! Appreciate the Bede update! Blue Skies!
As a retired Boeing employee, it's nice to hear terms and phrases that you hear nowhere else.
The 10 was my ultimate Fantasy. So sad it didn’t come to fruition.
I would LOVE a small light efficient supersonic jet.
There's a YT video giving lots of info on the plane and its fabrication here:
ua-cam.com/video/v2DFJGUKfaI/v-deo.html
I used to love watching the Silver Bullets Bede5 Jet team at airshows in the 70's.
I purchased a BD-5, serial number 1313 (double lucky), and sold it about half finished. Loved working on it!
I’m thrilled to see Bede moving forward! My cousin Mike Van Wagenen created the peregrine kit version of the BD 10 and invested his life in the company. He would love to see the BD 10 future possibilities!! Thank you very much!
very exciting kits
I worked for Mike in Minden, was a great aircraft and a wonderful gentleman. I'd love to see it go back into production too!
Great job as always. Would love to see a part 2 focusing on their flagship model, actual construction of it, and of course flying it. There isn't a lot of current videos out there which would certainly boost confidence in purchase consideration. Bede is a great brand but needs improved marketing.
I was privileged to have lunch once in a week at his favorite restaurant in Medina, Ohio, The Corkscrew. He was pretty much a shadow of his former self, but he was still a hyper-promoter. He always had a joke/story prepared, and he laughed so hard he would almost fall off his bar stool. A most engaging fellow, Jim was also probably the strangest man I ever sat next to. I say that in a kind way. Enthusiasm met the hard wall of reality, repeatedly, in Jim Bede. When others would mumble "why," Jim would shout "Why not?"
In 2000 I had the pleasure of putting two flights on an old builder's BD-5B. I had to pinch myself that I was not sitting in high school English class 1984 bored to tears looking at Homebuilt Aircraft magazine reading about the BD-5. I consider it to be one of the pinnacle aircraft I have flown. Happy to see they are still in business.
Wow this was my wet dream come true to see. Jim's dead but his legacy lives on... Oh... one last thing, BD 10 or bust!!
I had the opportunity to fly the BD-10 out of St. Louis dozens of years. What a fantastic plane. Roll rate was unreal. Smooth and easy to fly.
I actually met Jim Bede once at the Oshkosh ,Wisconsin airshow many years ago.
I liked him and was very smart.
Good show! Nice keeping all these companies in the spotlight . I can imagine his office coming to him and saying” whats with all the BD10 inquiries “😂😂
Haha! Yeah right? I wish I could have taken that one for a flight!
I never knew that model even existed 😂. If I was rich I would buy one for sure.
@@ExperimentalAircraftChannel The BD-10 is a kit plane with a jet engine. This sounds like it would be above the $100,000 range. Aerobatic? Mach 1.4 & what range?
I remember seeing a BD5J flight demo at a Pt Magu airshow in the mid 80's I think it wzs. Very impressive. It came in hot and went vertical so quickly and just kept climbing. It almost seemd that it had no airspeed bleed off, VERY COOL !!!
Pretty cool seeing this, I work a couple hangars down from these guys. Actually stopped by while this video was being shot. Good work 🤘🏼
out of all the homebuilt kits ive seen this looks BY FAR the easiest. it looks so straight forward.
I can remember the BD 5-D, the first personal Jet plane sponsored by Playboy, I wonder how that worked out, it was a very cool aircraft.
You experimental aircraft people are amazing. Just love watching this channel for that. I’ve sailed old boats for a living for most of my 75 years and we have have a lot in common. Difference is, if I did what you do, I wouldn’t have made it past 40.
Awesome video bring back many memories growing up reading about the BD-5 in popular science watching it fly in James Bond movie and seeing the BD-5 silver bullet in the air shows. BEDE has been around for a long time and still going strong. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️👍🏻👍🏻🤠.
Wait a minute! Tell us about the Grumman HU-16 Albatross airplane hiding in the back of the hangar at 12:27 and a couple of other places in the video! Owned by "Adventures Albatross" of Dover, Delaware! The USAF actually had a bunch of these in the Viet Nam war era. A big amphibious plane! You can find many of them being restored and sold at Carson City Airport, Carson City, NV.
Dan E'berry...
The owners of the Albatross are renting space for restoration of the aircraft. They previously restored another to flight and we can only hope that this one follows suit.
Brian Ingraham
I would love to see the BD-10 perfected and brought back. Not for my self mind you (my eyes are too bad to fly any more) but to prove that the concept of a supersonic home nuilt was sound. By the way, are there spec sheets and drawings available to produce a model from?
Cool run through of the models! We have the only remaining BD-8 based at our airport (as far as I know). Really unique aircraft!
I wonder if they resolved the vertical stabilizer flutter issues on the BD-10? I remember it was a major issue that grounded these birds early on. Interesting they did not mention pricing on it.
Jim Bede also designed and marketed a ground based vehicle that evolved into the BD-5 later on. It was called The Pulse. It used the rear section of a motorcycle engine and drivetrain. There are several clubs in the States that collectors restore and drive these vehicles.
The BD-10 there is a non-flying history exhibit. They have no real intentions towards redesign and production from other interviews I've seen.
Awesome find, honestly didn’t know Bede was still in production! Thanks for seeking this out and showing us. Also you need to do a snip it on the flying boat in the hangar
Same here. Always felt bad about not seeing a greater business success to match Mr. Bede's obvious engineering acumen.
This looks solid.
After watching Mr.Burt Rutan tell his story about working with Mr.Jim Bede I am surprised you would do a tour of the Bede Company but you got to make a living. Personally I wouldn't own a Bede plane if I got it for free!! Nuf said.
So glad to see Jims legacy is carried on!! Currently own and flying an AA1-A and loving it!
I'd give my testicles for a BD-5.
I go tmy private and commercial in Grummans: a Traveler, Cheetahs and a Tiger for my instrument.
Love it. A BD-4C is in my future. Because it has been around for so long, the design is well-proven, there are tons of them flying, and lots of great (tested) modifications as well.
Be sure to sit in one and look around. Always good to try on for size etc. Thanks for saying hello today!
Tailwind and Cougar are also worth a look if you like the BD4
What kinds of mods?
@@farmboy694 Extended wings, larger fuel tanks, extended cabin (for more rear seat room), full-window doors (entire door is a window), flip up doors (hinge on top instead of on front), low-drag wing interface fairings, low-drag windshield fairings, fiberglass skin rather than aluminum, every engine under the sun, ballistic parachutes, electric flaps, stick-to-yoke conversions, it goes on and on...chances are, if you can think of it, someone has already done it in the last 50 years, and there are plans on the Internet detailing how to do it.
@@christianjforbes, the Tailwind and Cougar are terrific designs in their own right, with the main difference being the BD-4C is a true 4-place aircraft with a Bonanza-sized cabin.
Brian Ingraham
Love the mini blue angel BD-10, such a good looking bird! I wonder if with the advances in li-po tech if they could ever make an electric turbofan engine, flight duration might suck but man that would be fun.
Electric turbofan? What is that?
@@MattH-wg7ou He means Electric ducted fan. it's used on most R/C Jet models. I'm not sure you could get it to fly, let alone be agile, as EDFs are not particularly efficient and batteries are heavy (Electric aircraft lean more into the glider wing for efficiency for that reason)
@@DFX2KX Aah okay thats what i suspected. Thanks for the clarification.
I was at the factory just before Thanksgiving 2019. I saw several BD4s in various stages of construction. All the aircraft on this video were there. The honeycomb wing and elevator jigs weren't set up yet so I didn't see that. I sat in an impressive BD-4. All my questions were answered. I had been building a BD 4 back in the 70s and had to give it up due to divorce, moving etc. One guy was using a computer aided construction device to make a landing light bracket. It was all interesting and fun to see. I hope BD does well.
Nice! Sorry "life happened" during your project. I have bought/sold several over the years myself. Hope you can get back into it! Thanks for watching!
BD 4 what a cool aircraft. Guys I'm in love with this airplane but also with its design. That circular spar is awesome. Structure looks pretty sturdy, solid and yet, heavy duty. The most eye catchy feature is that the whole thing is boxy! As I've said, I'm in love with this airplane. I'm speechless about the process tooling that you people have designed and developed: simple but very smart. You don't have an idea about how much I've enjoyed this video.
That jet looks like the f-18 I would love to take a ride in that thing
3 of the 5 made killed people. NOTHING is worth your life.
Glad to see they are still around. Quick build is an understatement.
Thanks for stopping by this morning!
Thanks for sharing. I'm wondering about power plant choices for the BD-4? What do you suggest for this aircraft? I want to purchase and build this summer. What a fine looking airplane. (I'm betting that it feels good to fly) .
This BD-10 is absolutely amazing! I wish you good luck you are great team!
I like the BD10 for it shape and flexibility. With a few upgrades it can fly again.
What a gorgeous plane! Always enjoy your videos!!! Love aircraft like this.
I got a ride in a BD 4 several years ago. I was impressed, that thing really moved out. The owner told me he blew the doors off 182's every chance he got.
Wao! I've been waiting so long for that tour! Thanks to this channel and to Tim! I am #1 fan of Bede Corp!!!
Great Show. Brought back lots of memories watching my Dad mull over plans to build a BD-4 back when it was something new in the EAA magazine. He liked the practicality of its design. Unfortunately it remained a dream.
What was the main problem with the BD-10 ? There was a story in Flying Magazine a few years ago about the test pilot who was killed
when doing flight testing over 250 Knots.
I think one of the major issues was the excessive flex caused by the wingspan being shorter than the length of the fuselage.
What is the performance of the prop-driven BD-5? According to Wikipedia, the cruise is 199 kts (229 mph) for the 70 hp model. Whoever posted that article clearly had it confused with the jet-engine version.
Love this sort of tour.... the ribs are kinda like the crashed F4 wings I looked at back in '71 at the base scrap pile B.P. NAS HNL. ,... not fond of his frame construction but I guess it's what works for him...........Thanks for tour this morning.
I don't think I have seen the RIBS made from this material but... the Grumman Yankee and Tiger etc are made with a similar material and have done just fine through the years. But those are also Bigger wide flat sections. Thank YOU for taking the time to say hello this morning!
Not a structural engineer here but I've heard that the Honeycomb structure in one of the strongest there is ( used correctly ).......... I was blown away when I saw the torn open wing on a crashed Fantom .... the area was no more than 8-10 inches thick and thinner at the very tip.......
I'm sure they had something better than Aluminum in the structure.... and it appeared to be Glued to the substructure.
Stay well and if I run into you at one of the shows I've a new red hat fro ya! ( lol)
Stay safe & well.
The frame construction has proven to be very safe. Similar to the roll cage on a race car.
I new a structural and aeronautical engineer very well and was told by this person about alveolate design strength and weight advantages. It’s been used in aluminum pre fab buildings but made out of cardboard believe it or not! So the characteristics are naturally advantageous.
@@ExperimentalAircraftChannel Dark Aero is using a carbon fiber honeycomb rib of this style. I believe the Belite used this for their ribs, and others are using these honeycomb materials for ribs and structures as well.
Honeycomb for the wings, but the fuselage is inferior to any bike. No tubes. No bent tubes following the streamlines, but individual pieces. Flat aluminum plates instead of for example 3 printed sleeves or just sleeves CNC cut out of a tube and then welded like on a bike. Maybe even order the shorter tubes from a bike manufacturer.
As Katie alluded, you are distinguishing your brand. I did not know Bede was still going strong. Keep up your good work! Tell Katie I said hi! :) :)
I was Jim’s friend in Libertyville IL. I also photographed the first BD10 model concept in my living room. Went to Oshkosh With
Melbourne Beach Florida 🌴🇺🇸 USA Interesting. My Dad used to take me to his facilities when I was a kid at the Cuyahoga County Air Port. 🏄
One of the best aviation channels YT
I’d love the BD10! But out of practicality, the BD 4 is probably what I would end up with. The BD 5 was an awesome plane, but I would have loved to see the BD 14 on the market.
BD4 sure a good and clean looking airplane !
Awesome video! Love Fort Pierce, and I love aircraft.
I was lucky enough to find a complete BD-5 kit back in 1988, so I picked it up for just $1500. I owned a IFR 172 at the time (in N. Miami, FL area) but really wanted a fast “toy” to play with on weekends. The plan was to build it a little at a time in some extra warehouse space we had at the airport.
Unfortunately those kits had no predrilled rivet holes so lot of time to jig was needed. When I lost my hanger during the early ‘90’s “depression”, I reluctantly decided to sell all the half finished pieces. I often wonder if the guy who bought it ever finished and flew it, you see so very few of them ever get completed and into the air.
Still sad about the one that got away, I guess I have to go to Ft Pierce and check out the single seater in the video. Happy flying guys. ✈️
Bede was a pioneer in aviation. I remember him as a maverick that defied conventional thought in aviation.
I remember seeing the BD5J at an airshow as a kid. "Quickest Gear Retract in the West" they would quote as it flew by. Gear up! Gear down! Gear up! (It only flies for like 30min with fuel capacity).
@@ExperimentalAircraftChannel Corky Fornoff rolled it so fast it bent the wings. But he was able to land it.
@@dirtcop11, actually the bent wing was the result of a canopy opening while Bobby Bishop was conducting high-speed dive tests. The canopy rim struck Bobby in the forehead and knocked him out for a short period. But the impact of the canopy bow made Bobbie pull the side-stick to the point where he imparted a 14g load on the wing, bending the center section 19 degrees up, but nothing broke. That's the beauty of the tubular spar.
Corkey was flying chase in another BD-5J and managed to talk Bobbie down even though Bobbie could barely see.
Brian Ingraham
Perdy much my entire life I've wanted a BD5. Still do. But, the BD10, certainly is the favorite one. If they could figure out what's wrong with that plane (flutter was it?) it would be so cool to continue to make it!
The BD-10 looks so nice. If only it were safe.
Wonderful the aircraft are still being produced. 😎
Apart from fabrics, what other materials are available for homemade ultralights.
Hi Bryan
As i said before i am building a heavily modified BEDE4C in the uk and this was The Video I was waiting for. so nice to see the person on the end of the phone and such energy is almost up there with the jedi master himself. Thankyou from a windy uk
Well hello windy UK and Thank You for taking a moment to say hello here! I appreciate your support and taking the time to watch!
The BD-5, of course.
Maybe they make a cross-over between the 5 and the 10. A subsonic, single seat 10.
I wish they've started producing the bd 10. Would be real fun to know what it feels to go supersonic just with a simple pilot's lisence.
Those are cool! When I'm a retired rich guy, I'll build one. Thanks
bd4 has always been one of my favorites
Can't believe we don't have a low prices affordable new experimental jet in the market in 2021...you can buy an used L-29 for $200k in really good shape..
THUMBS UP: thanks for having great audio. New subscriber. The BD-10 on the front of Popular Mechanics in 1988 motivated me to finish my private pilots license.
All of them. Always loved their designs.
How does the fuselage react to torsion on the main spar? It appears there is only one twisty tube, no?
Who's Grumman Seaplane is that? Do a feature on That !
I'm wondering why use 2024 aluminum for the skins if they're "non structural". 6061 would resist corrosion better and it is used as structural for fuselage and wings on Zenairs.
Excellent stuff American bro
A friend built a BD-5 and could never get it to cool right. After spending thousands on cooling systems, and not getting anywhere, it’s now on display in the Smithsonian. Bede, always with a shister deal. Hope this guy can shake the stigma.
That BD-10 is sweet!!
THAT... would be one to get a ride in (ONE DAY). It is currently in need of a few repairs before airworthy at this moment in time.
Experimental Aircraft Channel just have them keep the speed down.. Way down
Please, fix the issues with the bd10 and start selling them.
Finally the BD-10 is returning to the market
I LOVED the Bede-5 as a kid and even more as an adult. Too bad the engine issues were such a problem and the torsional oscillation with the prop shaft. That's what ultimately led to the demise of that glorious aircraft.
Great video, good questions and answers. Thank you
Thank You! I appreciate your feedback. Most welcome!
The BD-10 is the only one I'd want. That jet is what EVERYBODY dreams of
The BD10 was always a favorite. Don't even care about the supersonic potential, .95 mach would be plenty.
Ok, I'm confused, I like the BD4, but why would a person spend time and money on a 4 seat plane when the FAA doesn't allow passengers in experimentals??? They've nailed a few here around the Seattle area. Just curious, if you can get clearance for passengers, then it would be a Great option for people.
Yes sir...I am sorry you have been misinformed. You are allowed to have passengers in Experimental Aircraft. There is a placard for passenger warning explain it is in fact "Amateur Built. " Be it two seats, four or more. You CAN fly passengers. There is a "Test Phase" after construction (40hrs typical) that you are not to take passengers. I hope this ads clarity.
@@ExperimentalAircraftChannel Thank you!
Great video! Love these planes! Jim Bede was an amazing man, amazing designer and a wonderful family.!
All those screws worry me. Nylon lock nuts Will back off under vibration. Wouldn't you have to safety wire every single one of those nuts? If they start coming loose, how do you get to them to retighten if you glued the skins on? I like the idea of the construction method, but would have preferred to see rivets.
I believe he said they were all steel lock nuts.
I built a few of my own sprint car wings when I was racing. I bonded the aluminum skins with clear rtv silicone and rivets. which I later learned that some rtv silicones were known to be somewhat corrosive to aluminum. Well I once tried to take one apart that I had crunched up. I drilled out the rivets and couldn't peel the skins off without destroying them. So I have no doubt that bonding works.
@@429thunderjet2 Didn't say bonding doesn't work, only that bonding seems like a bad idea when you're covering up so much hardware you may need to retighten later. I have tried to removing such bonding with great difficulty before myself too. But a racecar is one thing, whereas an airplane that gets minimally inspected and maintained over decades is another. If the wing race car nuts come loose, you might crash, but with roll cage, safety gear, etc. if the tail comes off the airplane....well. Steel locknuts, steel with nylon inserts, etc. doesn't matter. they all come loose over time. That's why everything in aviation is safety wired on, or has a cotter pin.
428 Renegade...
As Dennis Rantanen points out below, they are NOT nylon lock nuts but rather steel mechanical locking nuts. I have never seen a BD-4 nut vibrate loose.
Many people have suggested using rivets, but there are two flaws there... 1) a rivet of the same size is difficult to shoot due to it's size, and 2) if you didn't like using the large rivets you would have to triple the number of fasters resulting in thousands of shot rivets.
The use of bolts and nuts has proved itself since 1968. Apparently Jim Bede figured out the best construction method 50 years ago!
Brian Ingraham
Cool airplanes!!!👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
The Fighter Jet is Awesome 👍
Very good. Excellent questions.
I make some very good new plane designs on simple Rockets2 as a build platform and virtual test , but I think my SSTO space shuttle maybe a design platform someone bigger might find efficient
I love them all!! Very nice. It's going to take quite some time to save for one of those.
I like the aluminum strut structure. Murphy aircraft has something this similar to this but this could be the game changer for the high-wing Cub clone design. One of the reason for me NOT to build a Cub clone is the amount of welding and fabrication of the steel-tube fuselage. I can rivet, I can bolt but to properly weld a steel tube structure takes many hours of practice.
You could master it. I have done it. It actually is quite fun when you get into it. But I also prefer working with aluminum if I had to choose. Any AIRCRAFT CONSTRUCTION is quite rewarding however! Thanks for engaging here today and taking the time to watch! We appreciate you!
This is awesome the BD line is continuing.
The Bede 4 is the Tesla Cyber Truck of experimental aircraft. 4 seats is appealing!
How can we create enough demand for the BD-10 jet? Cmon now we gotta bring it back.
Excellent stuff bro
This was a super cool video! Iconic aircraft designer!
Experimental Aircraft Channel: great video about an Huge influence in kitplanes and dreams! Always wanted to recreate a 2 seater BD5.5 with the new Yamaha 300hp engine out there with turbo so you could go high and get into the 300's.
Thanks for the tour, but gotta say, honestly, as soon as I saw the BD-10, I had a bad case of attention lock!🥰
Really nice tour of sbop/process! Amazing the airplanes available now, & classics still being produced!