The Bede BD-5 is a small, single-seat jet aircraft. Created in Second Life by Velocity Aeronautics, the BD-5 was based on the real-life Bede BD-5 created in the late 1960s by US aircraft designer Jim Bede.
Background
Notable for having appeared in the opening sequence of the 1983 James Bond film, Octopussy, the BD-5J holds the record for the world's lightest jet aircraft, weighing only 358.8 lb (162.7 kg).
The BD-5 has a small, streamlined fuselage holding its semi-reclined pilot under a large canopy, with the engine installed in a compartment in the middle of the fuselage, and a jet engine mounted immediately to the rear of the cockpit.
The combination of fighter-like looks and relatively low cost led to the BD-5 selling over 5,000 kits or plans, with approximately 12,000 orders being taken for a proposed factory-built FAA certified version. However, few of the kit versions were actually completed due to the company's bankruptcy in the mid-1970s. In total, only a few hundred BD-5 kits were completed, although many of these are still being flown today.
Features
- Functional Canopy.
- Functional landing gear.
- Hidden James Bond theme song.
- Navigation lights.
Images
_1.png "Bede BD-5 (Velocity) 1.png (1.18 MB)")
.jpg "Bede BD-5 (Velocity).jpg (63 KB)")