BD5B

"Bart D. Hull" wrote ...
There was a BD-5J that was used as the "Coors Silver Bullet" and then was
used
for shows at Oshkosh, etc. I could see that particular BD-5 as having more
than
350 hours on it. I don't know if this particular bird is still flying.

After each airshow, the wings were pulled off and it was put in a trailer.
Makes
sense as far as having a car and tools at the airshow as well as your
plane.

There's a dirty little secret about the Microturbo TRS 18 engine used in the
BD-5J that the owners don't like to talk about. It only gets 50 hours
between hot section overhauls and a hot section overhaul costs $5,000. The
plane is trailered to airshows because the owners don't want to pay the $100
per hour in maintenance costs for the hot section. Well, that and the fact
that the airplane doesn't even have enough fuel for VFR reserves when it
takes off.

Juan's engine, the Microturbo Cougar, on the other hand is a different sort
of animal. It was designed for target drones and has a much lower thrust
rating. Basically it's a disposable engine but if he ever gets it flying
he'll sell it and the airframe to you for $100,000.

Rich

Jeff

Excellent looking bird (and flies to ).Unless you told someone, your
mods still let it look 'classic' and not like some of the ones with
'warts all over them.

How do you cool. Scoop looks small. Do you have a fan on radidtor or
some other method? I see the louvers just ahead of the tail skid but
such a small area wonder how you get enough air out to keep all cool
and exit properly?

Big John


On Sun, 16 Nov 2003 03:43:46 GMT, "Jeff Schroeder"
wrote:

With all of the invective, misinformation, pie in the sky hope, personal
grudges, and ignorant opinion that has made its way into the BD-5 dialogue
over the years, I've tried to state the facts as I know them, and help
others avoid mistakes. (like choosing to build a 5 in the first place,
rather than something more useful for the labor involved)

This plane, regardless of its faults, will be with us for some time as it
is one of the most facinating , notorious designs ever created. As many of
us have discovered, a rational examination of your abilities and needs has
little to do with the homebuilt design chosen. For example, I mostly fly
locally, but still want a ViperJet, Turbine Legend, or L-39. I ended up with
the 5 because I got the basic Bede incomplete kit for $ 500 from someone
who never started it. I figured it was like a big model, and could be
finished in a year or so. I was bullheaded enough, (and had a lot of shop
experience) to be able to keep going until it was done. I was curious
enough, and fortunate, to research it fully, and make several critical mods
during construction. This plane REQUIRES that the builder thoroughly
understand its history, and the experiences of others over the years, before
doing your own.

For photos of mine, and some experiences testing it, go to the
HomebuiltAirplanes.com site and look under the Completions and Flying
Techniques forum headings.

I'm not sure how big mine are by comparison, but want to keep them just the
same! ;-)

Jeff Schroeder



"- Barnyard BOb -" wrote in message
.. .


Kudos, Jeff...
For what gotta' be the most forthright post I've
ever read from a BD5 builder - owner - pilot.
You got big 'balls', my man.
My hat's off to ya'. g

This post is a KEEPER fer me.
Outstanding and a pure delight to read.
[Even if you're pulling my leg.]

You will keep us posted on how things go, right?


Barnyard BOb - over 50 years of successful flight

Mine cools great even on a 90 deg. day. This, however, took a lot of work.
Total air inlet area is 12 sq. in. divided between flush wingroot openings.
Air exits through an adjustable P-51 style outlet under the tail (30 sq.
in.) A standard Rotax radiator in mounted in a plenum behind the seat.
There is a second one (postal truck heater core) mounted horizontally under
the quill shaft in the back of the engine compartment. Both have ground
cooling fans. The airpath diverges from the inlets to the exhaust with
smooth curves and ramps for the air to follow. Cooling airflow can stall
around sharp corners and cause drag and poor flow internally. This is why
many installation of this type don't work well. The louvers, and a small
air outlet on the left side of the engine compartment door allow some air to
flow around the exhaust pipe and muffler and take that heat away from the
rear radiator.

The main external mods visible are a raised stabilator, and making the aft
fuselage trailing edge match the rudder TE. This BD also has a wing LE cuff,
and fuselage stretch.

These little planes are somewhat of an obsession to those of us who should
have some more common sense!

Jeff

"Big John" wrote in message
...
Jeff

Excellent looking bird (and flies to ).Unless you told someone, your
mods still let it look 'classic' and not like some of the ones with
'warts all over them.

How do you cool. Scoop looks small. Do you have a fan on radidtor or
some other method? I see the louvers just ahead of the tail skid but
such a small area wonder how you get enough air out to keep all cool
and exit properly?

Big John


On Sun, 16 Nov 2003 03:43:46 GMT, "Jeff Schroeder"
wrote:

With all of the invective, misinformation, pie in the sky hope, personal
grudges, and ignorant opinion that has made its way into the BD-5
dialogue
over the years, I've tried to state the facts as I know them, and help
others avoid mistakes. (like choosing to build a 5 in the first place,
rather than something more useful for the labor involved)

This plane, regardless of its faults, will be with us for some time as
it
is one of the most facinating , notorious designs ever created. As many
of
us have discovered, a rational examination of your abilities and needs
has
little to do with the homebuilt design chosen. For example, I mostly fly
locally, but still want a ViperJet, Turbine Legend, or L-39. I ended up
with
the 5 because I got the basic Bede incomplete kit for $ 500 from someone
who never started it. I figured it was like a big model, and could be
finished in a year or so. I was bullheaded enough, (and had a lot of
shop
experience) to be able to keep going until it was done. I was curious
enough, and fortunate, to research it fully, and make several critical
mods
during construction. This plane REQUIRES that the builder thoroughly
understand its history, and the experiences of others over the years,
before
doing your own.

For photos of mine, and some experiences testing it, go to the
HomebuiltAirplanes.com site and look under the Completions and Flying
Techniques forum headings.

I'm not sure how big mine are by comparison, but want to keep them just
the
same! ;-)

Jeff Schroeder



"- Barnyard BOb -" wrote in message
.. .


Kudos, Jeff...
For what gotta' be the most forthright post I've
ever read from a BD5 builder - owner - pilot.
You got big 'balls', my man.
My hat's off to ya'. g

This post is a KEEPER fer me.
Outstanding and a pure delight to read.
[Even if you're pulling my leg.]

You will keep us posted on how things go, right?


Barnyard BOb - over 50 years of successful flight

Thanks Jeff

Your comments all make sense and understand what you did.

Someone in a prior post commented about vision, particularly landing,
due to reclined position in the '5. People forget that in the heavy
iron in WWII there wasn't any forward vision on the take off (until
you got tail up) and landing to clear ahead. When we flared and lost
runway at 12 o'clock we transitioned to a quartering side view (I
normally used the left side). Adjusted height as needed looking at R/W
surface and tracked using the edge of the R/W or lines on R/W.
Thousands did this so I'd not think it a unsurmountable problem now in
the '5.

Fly safe. Have fun

Big John


On Mon, 17 Nov 2003 18:31:10 GMT, "Jeff Schroeder"
wrote:

Mine cools great even on a 90 deg. day. This, however, took a lot of work.
Total air inlet area is 12 sq. in. divided between flush wingroot openings.
Air exits through an adjustable P-51 style outlet under the tail (30 sq.
in.) A standard Rotax radiator in mounted in a plenum behind the seat.
There is a second one (postal truck heater core) mounted horizontally under
the quill shaft in the back of the engine compartment. Both have ground
cooling fans. The airpath diverges from the inlets to the exhaust with
smooth curves and ramps for the air to follow. Cooling airflow can stall
around sharp corners and cause drag and poor flow internally. This is why
many installation of this type don't work well. The louvers, and a small
air outlet on the left side of the engine compartment door allow some air to
flow around the exhaust pipe and muffler and take that heat away from the
rear radiator.

The main external mods visible are a raised stabilator, and making the aft
fuselage trailing edge match the rudder TE. This BD also has a wing LE cuff,
and fuselage stretch.

These little planes are somewhat of an obsession to those of us who should
have some more common sense!

Jeff

"Big John" wrote in message
.. .
Jeff

Excellent looking bird (and flies to ).Unless you told someone, your
mods still let it look 'classic' and not like some of the ones with
'warts all over them.

How do you cool. Scoop looks small. Do you have a fan on radidtor or
some other method? I see the louvers just ahead of the tail skid but
such a small area wonder how you get enough air out to keep all cool
and exit properly?

Big John


On Sun, 16 Nov 2003 03:43:46 GMT, "Jeff Schroeder"
wrote:

With all of the invective, misinformation, pie in the sky hope, personal
grudges, and ignorant opinion that has made its way into the BD-5
dialogue
over the years, I've tried to state the facts as I know them, and help
others avoid mistakes. (like choosing to build a 5 in the first place,
rather than something more useful for the labor involved)

This plane, regardless of its faults, will be with us for some time as
it
is one of the most facinating , notorious designs ever created. As many
of
us have discovered, a rational examination of your abilities and needs
has
little to do with the homebuilt design chosen. For example, I mostly fly
locally, but still want a ViperJet, Turbine Legend, or L-39. I ended up
with
the 5 because I got the basic Bede incomplete kit for $ 500 from someone
who never started it. I figured it was like a big model, and could be
finished in a year or so. I was bullheaded enough, (and had a lot of
shop
experience) to be able to keep going until it was done. I was curious
enough, and fortunate, to research it fully, and make several critical
mods
during construction. This plane REQUIRES that the builder thoroughly
understand its history, and the experiences of others over the years,
before
doing your own.

For photos of mine, and some experiences testing it, go to the
HomebuiltAirplanes.com site and look under the Completions and Flying
Techniques forum headings.

I'm not sure how big mine are by comparison, but want to keep them just
the
same! ;-)

Jeff Schroeder



"- Barnyard BOb -" wrote in message
.. .


Kudos, Jeff...
For what gotta' be the most forthright post I've
ever read from a BD5 builder - owner - pilot.
You got big 'balls', my man.
My hat's off to ya'. g

This post is a KEEPER fer me.
Outstanding and a pure delight to read.
[Even if you're pulling my leg.]

You will keep us posted on how things go, right?


Barnyard BOb - over 50 years of successful flight

Over the nose visibility isn't too bad in the BD-5. You do lose the
straight ahead view in the flare, but the nose is narrow enough that you
don't have to look off to the side very much. In flight vis is like a
sailplane; Great! The biggest problem for me has been flaring too high and
plopping it in. You sit so low to the ground (there's that lack of
crashworthiness) that its tough to wait until you're low enough before
pulling back. It seems best to just level off with slight backpressure and
let it settle in. The other visual problem is waiting until you have enough
airspeed before attempting to lift off. The low viewpoint makes you think
you're going a lot faster than you really are. (go-kart effect)

Jeff


"Big John" wrote in message
...
Thanks Jeff

Your comments all make sense and understand what you did.

Someone in a prior post commented about vision, particularly landing,
due to reclined position in the '5. People forget that in the heavy
iron in WWII there wasn't any forward vision on the take off (until
you got tail up) and landing to clear ahead. When we flared and lost
runway at 12 o'clock we transitioned to a quartering side view (I
normally used the left side). Adjusted height as needed looking at R/W
surface and tracked using the edge of the R/W or lines on R/W.
Thousands did this so I'd not think it a unsurmountable problem now in
the '5.

Fly safe. Have fun

Big John

Over the nose visibility isn't too bad in the BD-5. You do lose the
straight ahead view in the flare, but the nose is narrow enough that you
don't have to look off to the side very much. In flight vis is like a
sailplane; Great! The biggest problem for me has been flaring too high and
plopping it in. You sit so low to the ground (there's that lack of
crashworthiness) that its tough to wait until you're low enough before
pulling back. It seems best to just level off with slight backpressure and
let it settle in. The other visual problem is waiting until you have enough
airspeed before attempting to lift off. The low viewpoint makes you think
you're going a lot faster than you really are. (go-kart effect)

Jeff
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The good new is -
After the first 100 hours....
You won't even notice these effects. bfg

You don't wanna know the bad news.


Barnyard BOb - over 500 RV3 hours

Jeff

Have you gone and talked to the race car people about cockpit crash
worthiness? They build light and strong and their techniques might be
applicable to your bird (and BD-5's)?

Might give some comfort being so close to ground and going so fast?


Big John

On Tue, 18 Nov 2003 03:14:10 GMT, "Jeff Schroeder"
wrote:

Over the nose visibility isn't too bad in the BD-5. You do lose the
straight ahead view in the flare, but the nose is narrow enough that you
don't have to look off to the side very much. In flight vis is like a
sailplane; Great! The biggest problem for me has been flaring too high and
plopping it in. You sit so low to the ground (there's that lack of
crashworthiness) that its tough to wait until you're low enough before
pulling back. It seems best to just level off with slight backpressure and
let it settle in. The other visual problem is waiting until you have enough
airspeed before attempting to lift off. The low viewpoint makes you think
you're going a lot faster than you really are. (go-kart effect)

Jeff


"Big John" wrote in message
.. .
Thanks Jeff

Your comments all make sense and understand what you did.

Someone in a prior post commented about vision, particularly landing,
due to reclined position in the '5. People forget that in the heavy
iron in WWII there wasn't any forward vision on the take off (until
you got tail up) and landing to clear ahead. When we flared and lost
runway at 12 o'clock we transitioned to a quartering side view (I
normally used the left side). Adjusted height as needed looking at R/W
surface and tracked using the edge of the R/W or lines on R/W.
Thousands did this so I'd not think it a unsurmountable problem now in
the '5.

Fly safe. Have fun

Big John