Beneš-Mráz Bibi
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| Be-550 Bibi | |
|---|---|
 Beneš-Mráz Be.550 Bibi, 1939 | |
| General information | |
| Type | Sporting aircraft |
| Manufacturer | Beneš-Mráz |
| Designer | |
| Number built | ca. 18 |
| History | |
| Introduction date | 1936 |
| First flight | 1936 |
The Beneš-Mráz Bibi was a 1930s Czechoslovak two-seat touring aircraft.
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Design and development
[edit]The Bibi was designed and manufactured by Beneš-Mráz, developed from the Beta-Minor design. The Bibi was a lighter, smaller aircraft in which the seats were side-by-side instead of in tandem, and the cockpits were fully enclosed, retaining the Beta-Minor's cantilever low-wing cantilever monoplane layout, with fixed tailwheel undercarriage. Development of the Bibi began with the Be-501 two-seat cabin tourer, and culminated with the Be-555 Super Bibi.[1]
Operational history
[edit]One example of the Be-550 Bibi (OK-BET) was imported into the United Kingdom, stored during World War II, then registered as G-AGSR until a fatal crash in 1951.[1]
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Variants
[edit]- Be-501 Bibi
- Single seat, initial development aircraft for the Bibi cabin tourer.
- Be-502 Bibi
- Single seat development prototype for the Bibi series.
- Be-550 Bibi
- Initial production version introduced in 1936, with at least six built, including single exports to Egypt and the UK.
- Be-555 Super Bibi
- The final iteration of the Bibi with many improvements. Production continued after the start of WWII, with at least ten built.
Specifications (Be-550)
[edit]Data from L'Année Aéronautique 1938–1939[2]
General characteristics
- Crew: Two
- Length: 7.31 m (24 ft 0 in)
- Wingspan: 11.51 m (37 ft 9 in)
- Height: 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)
- Wing area: 14.0 m2 (151 sq ft)
- Empty weight: 330 kg (728 lb)
- Gross weight: 560 kg (1,235 lb)
- Powerplant: 1 × Walter Mikron II air-cooled 4-cylinder inverted inline engine, 45 kW (60 hp)
Performance
- Maximum speed: 200 km/h (120 mph, 110 kn) at 100 m (330 ft)
- Cruise speed: 175 km/h (109 mph, 94 kn)
- Range: 780 km (480 mi, 420 nmi)
- Service ceiling: 5,200 m (17,100 ft)
- Time to altitude: 6 min 30 s to 1,000 m (3,300 ft)
Notes
[edit]- ^ a b Jackson 1974, p. 358
- ^ Hirschauer & Dollfus 1939, p. 26
References
[edit]
- Hirschauer, L; Dollfus, Ch (1939). L'Année Aéronautique 1938–1939 (in French). Paris: Dunod. Retrieved 11 December 2019 – via BnF Gallica.
- Jackson, A.J. (1974). British Civil Aircraft since 1919. Putnam ISBN 0-370-10014-X
- Němeček, V. (1968). Československá letadla. Praha: Naše Vojsko.
- Taylor, Michael J. H. (1989). Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. London: Studio Editions. p. 152.
- World Aircraft Information Files. London: Bright Star Publishing. pp. File 890 Sheet 25.