Bede BD-5J in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020. Image courtesy of Patrick Chovanec]
Key Takeaways:
The Bede BD-5J, the world's smallest jet, was an ambitious 1960s kit plane that commercially failed due to engine issues but gained fame from the James Bond movie *Octopussy*.
Despite its popularity for airshows, the BD-5J is notoriously dangerous due to engine reliability problems, with an estimated 15% fatality rate for real-world flights.
In *Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020*, it's depicted as an incredibly agile and maneuverable aircraft, challenging to master but fun to fly, and was historically used by the U.S. military as a cruise missile stand-in.
For this session in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020, I’m flying the Bede BD-5J, the world’s smallest jet, famous for being flown by Roger Moore as James Bond in Octopussy.
The BD-5J is very popular at airshows, so I’m flying it today out of Oshkosh (Whitman Regional Airport, KOSH) in Wisconsin.
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Patrick Chovanec works as an economist in New York City, and has taught as a professor at China's Tsinghua University and at Columbia University. He is a private pilot, and author of the recently released book ""Cleared for the Option: A Year Learning to Fly.""
