Bede BD 14

Design and development

Designed as a four-seat development of the Bede BD-12, which was, in turn, a two-seat version of the single-seat Bede BD-5, the BD-14 was to feature a cantilever low-wing, a four-seat enclosed cockpit under a gull-wing canopy, retractable tricycle landing gear and a single engine in pusher configuration. The aircraft was built from fibre-reinforced plastic composite materials.

The company that currently owns the rights to the design, BedeCorp, indicates that production was not started due to the cost of tooling and the lack of funds.

Operational history

In April 2015 no examples were registered in the United States with the Federal Aviation Administration, although one had been registered to the designer at one time. It is likely that no examples exist any more.

Variants

BD-14A

Prototype

BD-14B

Proposed production version.

Specifications (BD-14A)

Data from AeroCrafter and Bede sales brochure 1994

General characteristics

Crew: one

Capacity: three passengers

Length: 24 ft 11 in (7.59 m)

Wingspan: 27 ft 0 in (8.23 m)

Height: 8 ft 7 in (2.62 m)

Wing area: 113.6 sq ft (10.55 m²)

Aspect ratio: 6.4

Airfoil: 66 415 (root) 66 418 (tip)

Empty weight: 1,050 lb (476 kg)

Gross weight: 2,200 lb (998 kg)

Fuel capacity: 45 US gallons

Powerplant: 1 × Air-cooled, four stroke aircraft engine , 150 hp (110 kW)

Propellers: 2-bladed

Performance

Maximum speed: 195 mph (314 km/h; 169 kn)

Stall speed: 56 mph (49 kn; 90 km/h)

Range: 975 mi (847 nmi; 1,569 km)

Service ceiling: 19,000 ft (5,791 m)

Rate of climb: 1,050 ft/min (5.3 m/s)