Bede As In Speedy

Bede as in SpeedyThe little airplane shown here taking shape and cruising at close to 200 miles an hour is powered by a German snowmobile engine. And its radical shape owes much to sailplane design, in which Europe has been the leader. But the concept behind the BD-5 is as American as Kitty Hawk. It's almost as American is its builder.Jim Bede, who just turned 40 and has the aerodynamics of a small dirigible, has been tinkering with airplanes since he was 14. Lake Edison and Ford and Bill Lear b...