Bede BD5-J Microjet
Reg. N53EJ
It was a celebrated guest at airshows in the 1980s, it had a starring role in a James Bond film, and now it is one of the attractions at Hangar-7: the BD-5J, the world's second smallest airplane. Only the Cri-Cri, which unlike the Flying Bulls' specimen cannot claim a jet engine, is smaller.
The tiny airplane was built by the American Jim Bede, who flew the prototype for the first time in 1971. Instead of developing his own production plant, the engineer opted for a different sales channel ? the original models of the BD-5 were sold as kits with a pusher propeller. More than 5,000 units of the single seater were shifted in this way. It was, however, the Microturbo TRS-18 turbo jet engine which revealed the BD-5's true qualities ? much more powerful performance compared to the prop versions, plus the look of a (miniature) jet plane, with retractable undercarriage. There's a good reason it was honoured with a several minute-long appearance in the James Bond film "Octopussy".
Both Sigi Angerer and Dietrich Mateschitz were also impressed by the barely 3.80 metre-long microjet, when they saw a BD-5J for the first time 18 years ago at the Oshkosh Airshow in the US. Still in the livery of an American brewery back then, in those days the microjets were popular guests at airshows. With a scant five metre wingspan, turbine engines with a powerful 328 pounds of thrust and a maximum speed of almost 500 km/h, the planes are predestined for spectacular manoeuvres in the air.
Contact with Salzburg was revived in 2008 by Flying Bulls pilot Guido Gehrmann. The former world champion hang glider has a weakness for small nippy aircraft, and the microjet was his idea of the perfect airplane ? small, light, manoeuvrable. When they heard that a BD-5J was up for sale, they didn't think twice. The Flying Bulls' model comes from Arizona and was owned by Bob Bishop. Shortly before Christmas 2010 it arrived at Hangar-8 in Salzburg, where it has received a general overhaul. The Flying Bulls are now the richer by another rarity. Of the 14 jet-propelled machines ever built, only three are still airworthy.
"In terms of flying characteristics, the microjet is extremely good-tempered and really easy to fly. Only landing is unusual, because the landing gear is so short", says Gehrmann. "Gliding experience is therefore advisable, but the fun you can have in the air with the airplane is limitless." You can tell that from one glance at the little mite ? no wonder the BD-5J is the darling of visitors to Hangar-7!