ajp

My Feedback: (4)

Hello, for the past 2 months I have been converting a 12 year old BD-10 to turbine power. This is a model that I used to kit in the early 90's as a ducted fan model designed to fit a violett fan. I cut out the existing intake ducts and formed new intakes to fit around the main tank. The orginal fiberglass tail pipe was left installed.
Here are some features of the model:


* 48 inch wing span with a fuselage length of 63 inches
* Wren 44 gold
* Rhom air retracts with BVM wheels and brakes
* 40 oz dubro tank with a UAT
* 12lb dry weight
* 11 servos
* WREN 44 pipe

I started the Wren today and I was impressed with the power this little thing produces. My previous 8 years of turbine experience has been with RAM and Jet Cat so running a Wren was a new experience today.


Paul Appelbaum

Boomerang1

What a gorgeous little plane! The full size was promoted as the first supersonic homebuilt, did it ever exceed mach 1?

Both my friend & I use Wren engines, you will learn to love your Gold! - John.

mugenkidd

My Feedback: (94)

Paul, Looks great... I remember dreaming about this kit in the 90's... I was a kid back then, great to see new life in this kit. Any plans to re-kit?

Ram-bro

My Feedback: (101)

you have my vote to rekit this.... I mean to remarket the kit. I think with the state of elctric power and small turbines, the world is yours

ajp

My Feedback: (4)

The orginal BD-10 prototype or the other 4 produced never did go supersonic.
The kit that I produced in the 90's just included glass,foam and hardware. IN today standards it would be a very complicated kit to build. Today everybody expects to have a completed model painted and sitting on its gear in 15 minutes out of the box.

Paul Appelbaum

thunderchief

Paul,
Do you know what your wing area is?
Thanks

ajp

My Feedback: (4)

This model has 400 sq.inches of wing area. But the reason that I think that the ducted fan model flew so good is that the fuselage is basically a giant airfoil.

Paul Appelbaum

Ram-bro

My Feedback: (101)

" Kit IT and we will come".........
how close is the scale outline?

Ron S

My Feedback: (2)

Paul used to work with Jim Bede years ago, so its pretty scale. And that's an old model - I remember it well - still in nice condition! Good to see you're getting back into this stuff again, Paul! [8D]

Ron Schwarzkopf

Doug Cronkhite

My Feedback: (34)

That looks like a PRIME candidate for electric power.

ajp

My Feedback: (4)

Actually this is a new model built about 12 years ago that has never been flown. The only part of this model that are exactly scale is the tail and fwd fuselage up to the intakes. Scale intakes would be about 3 sq. inches each. THe height of the fuselage is a little tall to accept the violett fan. The wing area is enlarged about 15% and the real BD-10 had leading edge flaps.

Paul Appelbaum

Ram-bro

My Feedback: (101)

I stll say "kit it", That is what the hobby needs. It could fill that niche of the market that Top Gun Aircraft had with their F15 and Mig 29. I would be interested

ajp

My Feedback: (4)

How many modelers are still willing to glue balsa together and sheet foam cores and apply 3/4 oz cloth?

ianober

My Feedback: (12)

Cool little plane. I still love kit building myself. Did you use a stainless pipe inside the fiberglass one? Do you think the wings will hold well enough on the fuse when pulling some decent G's? I am looking forward to some video or solid flight report. Looks like it will be a lot of fun!!

ajp

My Feedback: (4)

I painted the existing fiberglass tailpipe with heat shield, and formed an outer layer around the wren pipe with .003 alunimum. There is a 3inch piece of .003 alunimum between the aft hatch and the start of the wren pipe.

Paul Appelbaum

Ram-bro

My Feedback: (101)

we are still out there....builders that is.

seanreit

My Feedback: (60)

No doubt about it, this is my shop as of four minutes ago, plenty of building going on here on a Saturday night no less!

I remember seeing one of these on DF power at Superman Jet Rally about 4 or 5 years ago. Neat airplane for sure!

Ram-bro

My Feedback: (101)

Sean, how do you Texans build without a building season? I mean your shop is your garage....here in Nebraska we have our building/rebuilding season and it doesnt happen in the garage. Heck its only about 1 deg right now , on a saturday nite no less.

jetflyr

Isn't that the *only* way to build?

Given the advances in edf, and the wonderful MW-44's, I think there'd be a pretty good demand for it!
Greg
(Who just came up from the workshop and a covering job... on a Saturday night too!)

seanreit

My Feedback: (60)

Why heating and cooling, of course!

mugenkidd

My Feedback: (94)

Paul, if you really are kicking around the possibility of re-kitting this plane come up with a price and take deposits, don't build unless you get the number of serious customers that you are looking for.

btw I remember not too long ago in an issue of model airplane news you had made a single engine business jet that looked pretty neat, go ahead and kit that also ....seriously if you have any information on that plane I would be interested in that one also.

Anyway just wanted to say again that I was a huge fan of your kits when I was a kid and glad to see you back on the scene maybe oneday I'll finally be able to purchase one of those kits.

Michael

Bob_B

My Feedback: (11)

Waiting to hear your impressions of the model with Gold power!!!

jescardin

My Feedback: (1)

Paul, congratulations maestro!.

I just got one of your kits last year and even have the video where you explain the building. I think most probably the model shown on the video is just this one you have converted to turbine.
My model is nearly complete and I have only noted missing the pilot dolls -which I sincerely dislike- and the carbon fiber diedral braces, something very easy to get new ones; in the other hand, the modeler who sold it to me included a lot of balsa sheet for wing panels covering as well as for the fuselage.

I still have it in a very early building stage as I have to finish a pair of projects before I go further indeep. I plan to use a BVM Viojett and .91 for power as my smaller turbine is a JetCat P-60 wich I think may be too much powerfull for this little wonder.

Here you see, after 10 years and one of your models has gone as far away as Spain. Please, keep us informed in your progress with the turbime powered BD-10 for which first flight I desire you top best luck.

Best Regards,

Jesus Cardin

mcdonald77

I would build one from sticks and foam. I searched for plans a few years ago and didnt find anything. I am really interested in the BD-10!

mugenkidd

My Feedback: (94)

Bob Thacker designed one back in the 90's it was featured in "Flying Models" magazine...if my memory serves me right it was designed around the byron fan, which makes it bigger than this one. the plans and article are still available from www.flying-models.com ....it had a 67in wingspan, but from what I remeber you had to cut a lot of foam to build it. still would be something very unique to have.