Bede BD-5J in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020. Image courtesy of Patrick Chovanec]
Key Takeaways:
The Bede BD-5J is celebrated as the world's smallest jet, famously featured in the James Bond film *Octopussy*, and is known for its incredible agility and maneuverability.
Conceived as an ambitious kit plane, the project faced significant setbacks, including company bankruptcy due to difficulties in sourcing suitable jet engines.
Despite its popularity for aerobatic stunts, the BD-5J has a remarkably high fatality rate, estimated at 15% of all flights, primarily due to unreliable engine performance.
Beyond airshows, the tiny jet found a practical military application, serving as a stand-in for cruise missiles in U.S. 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.""
