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

The Bede Corp has a website with information and current pricing on the kit and sub assembly kits.

The famous BD-4 Kit Plane  Bedecorp

http://www.bedecorp.com/bd-4c.html <http://www.bedecorp.com/bd-4c.html> <http://www.bedecorp.com/bd-4c.html <http://www.bedecorp.com/bd-4c.html>>

Alan Mullen
Colorado


Paul,

You mentioned the BD-4 VNE is 235. MPH or knots? I ask as the RV10 listed
VNE is also 230 MPH or 200 knots.

Bill Jepson

Its in MPH on the BD4. I did not know that about the RV10. Van raised it on the RV10.
I was talking about the RV4 and RV6. Maybe it is higher on the RV8 as well.

The BD4 is a clean airplane so that becomes very important under IFR
conditions. You can point the nose straight down on a C182 and never
exceed VNE :-)

I suspect a high wing is lower drag than a low wing as the low
pressure on top of the wing would affect the fuselage on a low
wing airplane. The Lancair is a good example. It needs a bulge on the fuse
in the region of the trailing edge.

Paul Lamar

Paul, your comments on speed are why I asked my question. Van has always listed the RV-10 with a Vne of 200, but that is 200 knots. When I bought my kit they were advertising a high cruise speed of 200 MPH. That may have been the source of the confusion. The BD-4 is considerably smaller and more economical as the RV-10 needs a rather thirsty 6 cylinder with 265 HP to achieve those specs.
Bill Jepson

Put a turbo 2 rotor  in it and lean it out to 16 to 18 to one and it will burn only slightly
more fuel than a Lyc. A lot lower cost and longer lasting. Put a manual waste
gate and you can get a lot more power than the Lyc for take off on
high altitude airports. Of course you can save a lot of money with car gas.
Also put a blow off valve on the intake manifold to keep the turbo from
running away.

Do you have a 3 rotor? I know you were thinking of a 3 rotor.
Here is the old style motor mount with the Schertz beam.

Paul Lamar

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