The BD-4B is a Jim Bede-designed 2 or 4 place all metal, single-engine, high-wing kit plane, designed for either tricycle or tail wheel configuration. It has excellent cross-country characteristics, is thrifty at the pump, and is easy to maintain and fly.

Few other kit-built, piston-engine aircraft have generated the excitement that has accompanied the BD-4 since designer Jim Bede touched down with the first BD-4 at the EAA Rockford Air Show, in 1969, and taxied in to be mobbed by a crowd of excited aviation enthusiasts.

A THOROUGHLY MODERN AIRCRAFT
Today’s BD-4B and BD-4C is loaded with a host of up-to-date features that make it an excellent flying value for the 21st Century builder. Jim Bede has constantly updated the design, and today, the evolutionary BD-4B and BD-4C, sports a strong, smooth, all-metal wing, which can also be retrofitted to the earlier BD-4’s. The plane’s sleek, efficient design is still a head turner today.

The BD-4B all-metal wing is available for retrofit on all BD-4's.

LOW COST, HIGH PERFORMANCE, SAFE, EASY-TO-BUILD
The BD-4 was the first homebuilt aircraft to be offered in kit form, and it gave birth to the kit plane industry. Numbers of BD-4’s are still being built and flown today by enthusiasts who love its low cost, high performance, flying ease, control and layout familiarity, strength and ease of construction.

When Jim Bede designed the BD-4, he wrote the book-literally. The 165-page BD-4 builders book, “Build Your Own Airplane” (See Order On Line in menu) is the bible for anyone thinking about building a kit plane, containing step-by-step plans with photos, material and tool lists, FAA-approved procedures and even flight-testing advice. First-time builders contemplating other designs often start by ordering "Build Your Own Airplane."

BUILD IT IN THE GARAGE OR THE BASEMENT
If you have a basement, barn or garage, a few simple tools, access to a welder and a year full of weekends, you can build and fly one of these sleek head-turners for pennies on the dollar over purchasing a commercially built aircraft.

EASY-TO-FIND PARTS AND ACCESSORIES
All parts, accessories, engines and raw materials are standard and readily available off the shelf from manufacturers and suppliers, with plans and complex parts available from BedeCorp LLC ( "Materials Available" from BedeCorp and a complete "Bill of Materials" can be downloaded from this site. See "BD-4B Specifications.")

TWO OR FOUR SEATS - YOUR CHOICE
Jim Bede laid the BD-4B out to mount easy-to-find, dependable four-cylinder Lycoming engines. He also designed the racy-looking, yet roomy, high-wing monoplane, to be built as either a two or four place tandem-seat cruiser, depending only on the amount of horsepower bolted to the nose. You can super-size your BD-4B to four seats later, and add the folding wing option to cut down on storage costs. It’s all in the plans.

BD-C:
The BD-4C is derived from the popular BD-4B. On the surface the changes look small; however, the effect is substantial. The first change is that the cabin is 4” wider; this immediately provides a far more comfortable cabin area for all occupants. The second change is the section after the cabin has been stretched 14”;this provides more room for the rear seats, both for leg room and width.

The BD-4C also provides the use of larger, heavier engines, while keeping the center of gravity in the acceptable range. Engines up to 300 HP can be installed, for a 300 HP engine, the cruising speed at 7500 ft., would be 235 mph at 75% power. Due to the size of the available engines for this aircraft, the rate of climb would be significantly improved.

Another design change for the BD-4C is the fiberglass landing gear strut. This is not ordinary fiberglass it is the same material that 3M originally developed as scotch ply. The new material is designated as S-ply, it is 78% glass to resin and designed to be a leaf spring. This new landing gear is simpler to install and offers a durable, soft, comfortable ride.

Another design change incorporated is in the windshield post, going from the leading edge of the wing to the top of the firewall. The original angle is replaced by an angle that has a ¾” radius. This now provides a smoother aerodynamic flow pattern from the windshield to the side window. These both reduce the drag and noise.

The BD-4C can also utilize honeycomb ribs and bonded skin to the horizontal tail and bridge. The original riveted tail section can be incorporated, but the bonded skin provides an extremely smooth aerodynamic surface.

LEARN MORE
To learn more about the BD-4B, click on "Features" and "Specifications" at top left of this page. To order plans or parts from this site for this or other available Bede designs, click on "Order Online" at the top of any BedeCorp page with a blue page-top banner.