Arcraft Quiz No. 98

[Doug Robertson]

This aircraft quiz may be my most unusual and thought-provoking yet.

Once upon a time there was a STOL aircraft that had 164,000 pinholes in the wing upper surfaces to employ a suction boundary layer control system airflow through these holes and blown into the engines compartment. Curved-section sealed flaps having boundary layer-suction air provide a smooth curved upper surface of large camber when deployed/extended. The two engines drove a single propeller housed in a circular shroud pusher configuration. (I could not make this up!)

1a. Name of Aircraft designer? and 1b. Purpose of the design? Be specific.

2. Aircraft exact name/nomenclature?

3a. Engines make and 3b. model nomenclature with 3c. horsepower each?

4. Date of first flight?

5. Number of aircraft seats?

Full aircraft specs/performance figures will be provided when the quiz is won or stumps the readers over a reasonable time.

[Doug Robertson]

With over 100 looks and no replies, here are the answers, which may surprise.

1a. Jim Bede, 1b. Test bed for the six seat BD-3.

2. BEDE XBD-2, STOL and research aircraft.

BONUS-Registry N327BD. Fixed tri-gear.

3a. Two Continental, 3b. O-300A 6 cylinder, 3c. 145 Hp each, driving a three-blade prop within a circular shroud.

4. Initial flight date July 26, 1961.

5. Four seats.

Dimensions:
Wingspan-38'6"
Length-23' 8.5"
Height-12' 4.75"
Wing Area-150 sq. ft.

Performance:
Max speed: 204 mph at sea level
Cruise: 179 mph at 9,000'
Initial climb rate: 1,050 ft/min.

Weight:
Loaded: 3,400 lb.

Incidentally, I met the late Jim Bede, aeronautical engineer at EAA AirVenture 2008. RIP, Jim.

I thank all who were perplexed, baffled by this quiz, as that is my intent. And incidentally, four photos of the aircraft are on this site. I hadn't looked it up here in formulating the quiz. See N327BD. (My source in-flight photo differs-showing a tall swept vertical stabilizer tail).