Smallest Jet in the World

Bede BD-5 is considered the smallest jet in the world. The idea of the Bede BD-5 came in 1967, when a man named Jim Bede was inspired by the aircraft known as Schleicher ASW 15. However at that time Bede was developing design for Bede BD-4. The BD-4 was a high-wing four seat aircraft that offered great performance and was inexpensive. The company managed to sell about 600 BD-4s, and is said to be a success.

Project‘s development on the Bede BD5 began in 1970.Company constructed the prototype later that year. Compared to Bede BD-4 , BD-5 had a radical design,as it was an extremely small one-seat aircraft that looked more like a jet fighter ,with the pilot sitting in a semi-reclined position. Behind the cockpit there was a a two-cylinder 40 hp engine powering pusher propeller. Two versions were planned to make an appearance, the BD-5A with 14' 3" (4.34 m) wings that were developed for higher speed and acrobatics, and the BD-5B with a 21' 6" (6.55 m) wings for longer distance.

To increase performance the Bede BD-5 featured both a V-tail and retractable landing gear in order to reduce air resistance. To improve deceleration for landing spoilers were attached to the wings, as the air resistance was low. The version with the short wings could reach 210 mph (340 km/h) speed in cruise. Long-winged version is said to be a little bit slower , but can travel up to 1215 miles in range.

Bede BD-5 was not only developed to be easy to fly, but also to be easy to build and own. The fuselage was constructed primarily from fiberglass panels over an aluminum frame, reducing construction time. First designs also required some welding in the landing gear department,but it was outlined that this would be changed in further versions, so construction procedure wouldnt require any special tools or skills for that matter.Even the operational costs were palnned to be very low, offering 40 mpg fuel efficiency.

In October 1971 magazine Science & Mechanics had the Bede BD-5 on the cover page with the price tag of $1,950 and a top speed of 215 MPH. Also the construction of the original prototype was shown in one of the articles, with information about how easy it was to build. By the end of the year, they had more than 4,300 orders, making it one of the most popular general aircraft projects in modern history. Two years later Popular Science magazine also wrote an article about the Bede BD-5, but the price was already $2,965. Years later the versijon BD-5J has been introduced and it is now a proud Guinness record holder for the World's Smallest Jet for more than 25 years.

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