Bede BD-3

BD-3
General information
Type	Homebuilt aircraft
National origin	United States
Manufacturer	Bede Corporation
Designer	Jim Bede
Status	Prototype only
History
First flight	1965

The Bede BD-3 is a prototype six passenger homebuilt aircraft.

Design and development

The BD-3 is a six place, low wing pusher configuration aircraft with tricycle landing gear. The aircraft is powered by two engines driving a single shrouded pusher propeller connected with V belts and overriding clutches. The aircraft uses STOL Boundary layer control devices. The fuselage was built using aluminum honeycomb. Bede intended to scale up a turboprop variant for 15 and 24 passengers. The BD-3 prototype was sold to the EAA AirVenture Museum, ^{[1] [2]} although by 2013 it did not appear on the museum's list of aircraft owned. ^[3]

Variants

Bede XBD-2

Flying prototype - Twin Continental O-300

BD-3

Production model

Specifications (BD-3)

Data from Air Progress, Flying

General characteristics

• Crew: 1
• Capacity: 5 passengers
• Length: 30 ft 8 in (9.35 m)
• Wingspan: 38 ft 5 in (11.71 m)
• Height: 12 ft 4 in (3.76 m)
• Wing area: 192 sq ft (17.8 m²)
• Gross weight: 4,300 lb (1,950 kg)
• Fuel capacity: 116 U.S. gallons (440 L; 97 imp gal)
• Powerplant: 2 × Lycoming IO-540-B1A-5 horizontally opposed piston aircraft engine, 290 hp (220 kW) each
• Propellers: 3-bladed Hartzell - Aluminum

Performance

• Cruise speed: 260 kn (300 mph, 480 km/h)
• Stall speed: 36 kn (42 mph, 68 km/h)
• Range: 1,100 nmi (1,270 mi, 2,040 km)
• Service ceiling: 28,000 ft (8,500 m)

See also

• Bede BD-4

References

1. Air Progress: 31. November 1978.{{cite journal}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
2. Flying Magazine: 105. November 1962.{{cite journal}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
3. "Aircraft Collection". AirVenture Museum. Retrieved December 23, 2013.