Warbird Information Exchange

saw this sitting at a gas station tonight and managed to snap a few quick cell phone pictures. A check of the N-number led me to this eBay auction listing from 2005:

http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/s ... clnk&gl=us

Vehicle Description YOU ARE BIDDING ON AN EXPERIMENTAL BD-4 THAT HAS BEEN
SLIGHTLY DAMAGED IN A TAXI ACCIDENT. THIS AIRCRAFT IS POWERED BY A FORD 5.O
L GT-40 MUSTANG RACING ENGINE. THE ENGINE IS RATED AT 320 HP AND HAS A
REDUCTION BELT DRIVE OF 1.38 : 1 . THIS ENGINE HAS LESS THAN ONE HOUR TOTAL
TIME. AIRCRAFT N1064F THIS BD-4 IS AN ALL METAL, PLANS BUILT, TRICYCLE
LANDING GEAR AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT HAS A FLAT SPRING TYPE MAIN GEAR WITH
CLEVELAND 500X5 WHEELS AND BRAKES. THE NOSE GEAR IS A SPRING TUBE TYPE
USING A STOCK 3400 TAILWHEEL FORK AND WHEEL. INSTRUMENTS: AIRSPEED,
ALTIMETER, T&B ELECTRIC, VSI, COMPASS, WATER TEMP., HOUR METER, VOLTMETER,
TACHOMETER, AND FUEL GAUGE. ENGINE: FORD MUSTANG 5.0 L GT-40, ALUMINUM HEAD
LONG BLOCK WITH COMPRESSION RATIO OF 9:00 TO 1. TOTAL COST OF ENGINE &
ACCESSORIES WAS $6200 IN 1996. BD-4 TOOLS: FORM BLOCKS FOR MAKING WING &
ELEVATOR RIBS L&R, FLARING TOOL FOR RIB CUTOUTS, AND WING JIGS. THE
AIRPLANE HAS NEVER FLOWN. DURING A HIGH SPEED TAXI TEST THE AIRPLANE
SUSTAINED DAMAGE BY GOING OFF THE RUNWAY. DAMAGE INCLUDES ENGINE MOUNT
TUBES BENT, ELEVATOR SKIN DAMAGED, ONE BLADE OF IVO PROP. BROKEN, LANDING
GEAR STRUTS BENT, AND NOSE GEAR FORK CASTING CRACKED. THIS AIRPLANE IS
BEING SOLD FOR A FRIEND WHO LIVES IN KNOXVILLE, TN. ANY QUESTIONS
CONCERNING THE AIRPLANE WILL BE FORWARDED TO THE OWNER FOR ANSWERS. THE
AIRPLANE AND ACCESSORIES, INCLUDING TOOLS, MUST BE PICKED UP IN KNOXVILLE

Bob Steward A&P IA
Birmingham, AL
BD-4 Serial #1
http://www.mindspring.com/~n76lima/n624bd/


Wonder if it ever flew?

_________________
Donate to support WIX here:

http://www.warbirdsresourcegroup.org/donate.html

Dave, check your photos from Sevierville last year. I seem to recall a similar looking plane flying there while we were at the museum. I didn't take any photos of it.

finally checked, Bruce...it was a different plane at Sevierville in April, 2010...listed as a "Zenith STOL CH 801"

_________________
Donate to support WIX here:

http://www.warbirdsresourcegroup.org/donate.html

Well I stumbled onto the complete story about this plane. The plane was damaged in a taxi run several years ago and the gentleman (in his 70s) who built the plane contracted Parkinson's Disease. The man's son had been storing the plane ever since. With no chance of his father being able to repair or fly the plane, he decided to donate it to the local EAA chapter that his father had been a member of. I assume it was being trucked to the Skyranch when you saw it.
http://www.eaa17.org/data/03-2012Flyer.pdf

I had forgotten the BD-4 had a metal fuselage.
It's been years since I've seen one, it nice though that this plane is going to a good home. Hopefully, the EAA guys will fix and fly it.

_________________
Remember the vets, the wonderful planes they flew and their sacrifices for a future many of them did not live to see.
Note political free signature.
I figure if you wanted my opinion on items unrelated to this forum, you'd ask for it.

Well now, Thanks for identifying what the goofy looking thing I saw @ Concrete WA. a few months ago is.

_________________
Don't make me go get my flying monkeys-