Where Have All the EAB Aircraft Gone?

[rwanttaja]

I talked to the Blackfly folks last year and there were a lot of questions they couldn’t or wouldn’t answer regarding performance and failure modes. IMO they were kind of flying under the radar under the guise of being a Part 103 craft (which they could only meet by claiming to be water capable).
Didn’t make it to AV so admittedly kinda out of touch with their progress. Also not that thrilled that EAA put one in the museum, just don’t think it’s earned a place yet.

Hmmmm....how does an aircraft earn a place in a museum?

Should museums contain only Cessna 172s, Piper Warriors, and Bonanzas? Or should they include the dead-ends in aviation design as well? The Aero Commander Larks, the Baumann Brigadiers. Aren't they as telling as the successful planes?

I like P-51s, but wouldn't go out of my way to visit a museum just because it had an ordinary Mustang. But I might for a museum with a Bell XP-77, or a P-75 in its original configuration.

Assuming the videos weren't faked, the Black Fly is just as deserving of being in a museum as a lot of aircraft. However, I think it would have had a stronger claim on the EAA museum if it had flown in public, at AirVenture last year....

Ron Wanttaja

[Airmutt]

Well for starters we’re in the EAA, the spirit of sport aviation. By definition that would be homebuilts, vintage/classic, warbirds, ultralights, & rotorcraft. So yes, maybe a truly unique or special aircraft of one of the types you mentioned if it fits the classic era definition just might make it. EAA does do grand champion classics, right?
The BD-5A/B was unique design for its time but ultimately a unmitigated marketing disaster. Don’t see museums rushing to have a BD-5 on display.
To my point, the design is in DT&E. The vast majority have not seen it fly, don’t know the conditions the video was made, and it’s not even in production. Based on that then the Icon A5 should be on display. Guess EAA is just trying to prove that they’re hip and woke to the “drone” generation.

[FlyingRon]

I wouldn't call it a "marketing disaster." It was a unqualified disaster. The real issue was not having engines available and the ensuing Bede bankruptcy. The design had significant aerodynamic issues as well (some of these have been addressed somewhat by third parties). Typical Jim Bede strategy, take a lot of money from customers and then never deliver what they were sold.

[Kyle Boatright]

Typical Jim Bede strategy, take a lot of money from customers and then never deliver what they were sold.

Typical? I know Bede failed on some subsequent designs (the -10, -12, and -14) but I don't think customers took the hit on those.

[rwanttaja]

I believe the did on the 12 and 14. IIRC, there were some games played with the "escrow" payments customers made.

Ron Wanttaja

[FlyingRon]

Not only those who made BD-12/14 deposits, but also those stupid enough to sign up to be a dealer for him.

[Airmutt]

Jim Bede should have been the chief engineer of R&D and not allowed near the front office. He was a smart guy but sometimes his ideas were just too far ahead of the manufacturing technology or he simply moved on to something new never finishing a project. It’s kinda amazing that the 5 still has a small but faithful following.

[FlyingRon]

Except while some of the ideas were spiffy, they still needed someone other than Jim to fix defects in the design.

I liken it to when my in laws used to work for Hugo Gernsback. He'd come up with lots of spiffy inventions. Many were ahead of their time, a lot were never going to be practical. The only difference, is his were never intended to get off paper and the thirty cents you spent for your copy of the magazine was all he asked from you.

[Airmutt]

Aah, the dark side of the EAB world; no design, performance or delivery guarantees. Ya pay your money and take your chances whether you’re buying a roll of plans or a kit. There have been a lot of folks to show up at Oshkosh with the next great plane only to fail. Meaning a lot of people got stung over the years; Bede just did it in bigger numbers.

[Floatsflyer]

Aah, the dark side of the EAB world; no design, performance or delivery guarantees. Ya pay your money and take your chances whether you’re buying a roll of plans or a kit. There have been a lot of folks to show up at Oshkosh with the next great plane only to fail. Meaning a lot of people got stung over the years; Bede just did it in bigger numbers.

Bede and all the other EAB and Certified fraudsters that litter the failed GA graveyard, in total, don't come close by comparison to the Eclipse VLJ, the greatest financial failure in the history of GA. Over $1.3 Billion up in smoke and thousands who lost huge amounts of money.

And, as you say, people still show up at Osh every year begging to give lots of their money as deposits to complete strangers to hold a place for the next great flying machine that will never be delivered or certainly not delivered at the original dog and pony show price.