Pictures from the 1997 BD-5 Expo

October 11-12, 1997 - Attitude Aviation, Livermore, California

Bobby Bishop's Freedom Jet, ex-Coors Silver Bullet, certified by Guiness as the World's Smallest Jet

The pilot's view of Little Angel (left) and a vendor's display of his BD-5 drive system.

Attendance was definitely not skimpy; well over 70 people showed up (left). Seth Anderson (right), who works at the NASA Ames Research Center, talks about flying the BD-5, airfoil modifications, custom props and anything else anyone asked about.

Talk about BD-5 Heaven; the flight line was packed! (left). That's BD Micro's Skeeter Carnes, discussing the finer points of his 17' modified B-wing. (right)

On the left is the inside of the stretched engine compartment of a BD-5TP delivered at the Expo. On the right, a closeup of the nosegear box as delivered to the customer.

The Little Angel, with its distinctive paint scheme (left). It was for sale at the Expo and comes with the Riblett airfoil reprofile. On the right is the airframe Rich Perkins was to use for his BD-5J, but I understand he sold it and is now working on a new airframe.

Two more examples of BD-5's that were for sale at the Expo.

On the left is a very clean installation of a Rotax engine on a BD-5. The yellow BD-5 on the right flew into the Expo all the way from Canada!

On the left is another view of the Canadian BD-5, powered by a Honda EB-2 engine. At right is another view of BD Micro's 17' modified B-wings.

Yes, that engine on the left is BD Micro's Quantum turboprop engine, a highly modified Solar T62A1. On the right is what I thought was the nicest nearly-completed BD-5 at the expo, polished to a tee.

Two more views of BD-5TP components delivered to the happy owner at the Expo.

On the left, another view of the Rotax installation. On the right, two Expo examine a nearly completed -5.

Just when we thought we'd seen it all, here comes a 55% scale P-38, taxiing in front. The Expo emptied almost instantaneously. It's made out of composites, wood and metal and uses two Suzuki 100 hp engines. Nice cockpit, too!