Rahul Sharma (Editor)

Beneš Mráz Be 150 Beta Junior

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Wingspan
  
11 m

First flight
  
January 5, 1937

Length
  
7.55 m

Manufacturer
  
Beneš-Mráz

The Beneš-Mráz Be-150 Beta-Junior was a light aerobatic trainer and racing aircraft, designed and built in Czechoslovakia in the late 1930s.

Contents

Design and development

With the success of the Beneš-Mráz Be-50 Beta-Minor Beneš decided to produce a smaller version with better performance for sport flying. A major incentive was the availability of five spare 78 kW (105 hp) Walter Minor engines, which would imbue the Be-150 with much improved vertical performance compared to the Be-50.

Beneš shortened the fuselage and fitted the short-span wings of the Be-52, retaining the open cockpits and fixed, trousered, tailwheel undercarriage of the Be-50.

Operational history

The Be-150 was first flown on 5 January 1937, but was rejected by the MNO (a Czech sport aircraft association) and the three production aircraft were used for general flying club use and for air racing.

Specifications (Be-150)

Data from

General characteristics

  • Crew: 2
  • Length: 7.55 m (24 ft 9 in)
  • Wingspan: 10.66 m (35 ft 0 in)
  • Wing area: 14 m2 (150 sq ft)
  • Gross weight: 790 kg (1,742 lb)
  • Powerplant: 1 × Walter Minor 4-cyl. Air-cooled inverted in-line piston engine, 78 kW (105 hp)

    • Performance

  • Cruising speed: 185 km/h (115 mph; 100 kn)
  • Range: 750 km (466 mi; 405 nmi)
  • Service ceiling: 5,500 m (18,045 ft)

    • References

    Beneš-Mráz Be-150 Beta-Junior Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA