How do the wings join together to make it cantilever? The specs list
     width as 7 feet with wings folded. What does that mechanism look
     like?

     Steve Carlisle

     Not shown in the plans that I have. I have no idea. It might be like
     a sailplane where the spar fits into a socket.

     Paul Lamar

     The wing spar slides over the centre spar tube in a very tight fit .

     I have been looking for a wing fold system for it. Bede built it
     just so you could take the wing off rather than fold then others have
     come up with methods of sliding the wing off the centre spa with an
     internal leg holding the fuselage end of the wing up while you rotate
     the wing  90 degrees and fold back.  Then a contraption of some sort
     straddles the rear fuselage to support the wing folded. This way fuel
     and electrical lines don't need to be disconnected.

     Reminder to oneself never to visit an internet site and not download
      relevant info immediately .

     Speaking of that Paul I have downloaded the weight and balance graphs
      for which I thank you. Weight and balance is at the perimeter of my
      knowledge and as yet I don't have a copy of the plans but still just
      picking the damage apart.

     Having great difficulty getting in to the nuts holding the top door
     hinges on. Only a tiny opening in the box there and fuel and
     electrical wires run through it. Have bent a spanner to 90 degrees
     but still not sitting on the nuts . Plan b to be considered . Have to
     get the hinges off to remove the front side skin. Shame a large
     access door hadn't been built in either side for access to the back
     of the instrument panel. Some have done this.


     Mark Dillner

        Mark, I have some BD-4 Plans in a tube minus page 4 .     i do
        not know the vintage or Model. Yours for Shipping costs if you
        can use them. Page 4 is the fuselage side view.


      Virgil N. Salisbury


Jim Bede had the original spars chemically milled to taper the ID as it travel to the tip to save weight.
Best bet is to find an abandoned one and go from there all else is simple angle extrusion nut plates and gussets.

The landing gear carry though box is the only "difficult" assembly and not by much.

Aftermarket plans for the Aluminum wing is the way to go there two sets of plans to achieve that made the rounds both had followings and worked well. Pre GUI intranet... Late 80s early 90s..  Most did this to achieve a reliable wet wing tank an mitigate UV allot were parked outside.

http://www.airbum.com/pireps/PirepBD4.html


Matt  Naiva

That is the first I heard about that chem milling being applied to the tube.
That is real expensive. We used to chem mill Camaro bodies for racing.

I have seen a turned down spar  tube on a BD17 at Sun N Fun.
Now they appear to be drilling large holes in the front and back of the big tube.
Which will work and add to the fuel capacity,

Here is a FWF installation of the big turbo (same as the TTC) and an inter cooler for
burning gasoline. It needs moving the motor mount in on the right side to clear
the rad. The engine is rotated  90 degrees to get the intake and exhaust on
the bottom where there is a lot more room in the cowl. It needs a try sump system.
I have a lot of hours in this so pay attention if you every build one :-)

It will make a gangbusters airplane with plenty of boost at 18,000 feet.
Also no problem taking off over weight for long range or just hauling
stuff. +/- 6 G[s while certified are only  +/- 4.5 Gs.

The alt is on the back of the engine like my rotary powered RV4.
Gives more room for the cool;ing system om the right side.

It has an 18 inch spinner but a 16 will work.

Paul Lamar

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