Bede BD-5J in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020. Image courtesy of Patrick Chovanec]
Key Takeaways:
The Bede BD-5J is renowned as the world's smallest jet, popularized by its appearance in the James Bond film *Octopussy*.
Conceived as an affordable kit plane in the late 1960s, the project was plagued by engine supply issues, ultimately leading to the company's bankruptcy.
Despite its highly agile and maneuverable flight characteristics, the BD-5J is notoriously dangerous, with an estimated 15% fatality rate largely due to engine reliability problems.
Beyond aerobatic airshow displays, the U.S. military utilized the tiny jet as a stand-in for cruise missiles in training exercises due to its identical radar signature.
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.""
