One of the great things about the BD4 is the never exceed speed of
234 MPH. This means you can use a 350 HP turbo 2 rotor and cruise
at 200 MPH. That is far far better than  a  $750.000 brand new
Cessna 182.  You can probably get 90 gallons of fuel in it as well.
Vans airplanes have a never exceed speed of only 200 MPH. If you
install breathing oxygen you can do it at 18,000 feet as well with
out going IFR.

The BD4 is a high performance four place kit aircraft and as such
is a real bargain. Easy to build as well.

Paul Lamar

ZU - MBD take 210 Liters of fuel or 55, 4 us gallon The aluminum
metal skin is epoxying to the ribs with no rivets, sleek and low
friction laminar flow wing. Only the control surfaces have cherry
nut rivets. The endurance time with a 2 rotor "will bead your
bladders endurance in cruise configuration"!

Le Roux Breytenbach

Install a relief tube :-)

I was thinking more of Oz where it is 3000 miles coast to coast.

When you put the skin on the wings how do you keep it down while
the epoxy cures?

Paul Lamar


The wing was imported from Bede corp completed.Think they epoxy the
rib flanges and then press the skin that is pre bended at the
leading edge in a jig.The wing hang on the spar horizontal with the
rib flanges upwards 90 degree's This process is done in a pre heated
room so that after curing of the epoxy the skin is very stiff and do
not tin can in the sun.


    Le Roux Breytenbach

    What was the cost of the wing?

    Paul Lamar


It was $10 000 US in 2010 but a friend is building one now in
Namibie and there was not a much increase in price

Le Roux Breytenbach


With a Mazda turbo rotary and a 1000 pounds of payload it makes it one of the worlds
best if not the best buy in light cargo aircraft. Ideal for the Australian Out Back.
Some times it take day's to get places on dirt roads.

I have never been to Africa so I don't know about that.

A good biz in Oz is an experienced person that help's people complete
their experimental aircraft. That is what happed on our time to climb
aircraft project. I worked for them. They have done several projects for
over seas customers. In the case of Oz probably the labor rates in the US
are cheaper.

http://aviationfx.net/

Paul Lamar


Plastic bag and a shop vac. Bleed air so as to not collapse the wing. .......

Lynn E. Hanover

Good idea Lynn Thanks. If you build your own all aluminum wing which I do not
have the plans for you will need a way to attach the aluminum ribs to the 6.5 inch
diameter aluminum tube spar.

The early BD4 used fiberglass moldings that incorporated the rib and the skin.
They were bonded to the spar using hose clamps I think.

Here is a way to make aluminum flanges that fasten the ribs to the spar.

http://old.bd-4.org/wings_steere00.html

I suspect the all aluminum wing is much better.

The only thing better than that would be a Carbon spar and skin.

Paul Lamar


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