Brokaw Bullet
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| BJ-250 Bullet | |
|---|---|
| Type | Sports plane |
| Manufacturer | Homebuilt |
| Designed by | Bergon Brokaw and Ernie Jones |
| Maiden flight | 18 November 1972 |
The Brokaw BJ-250 Bullet was a two-seat sports airplane designed in the United States for amateur construction.
[edit] Development
Dr. Bergen Brokaw had flown fighter aircraft in the United States Navy in the 1940s and 1950s. He set out to create an aircraft with fighter-like performance, and a rear seat to carry his wife, "Buddy". With the help of Ernie Jones, they created a low-wing single-engine high-speed aircraft which was also stressed for aerobatic flight. Six years in the development and construction, it first flew in October 1972.[1] At that time it was considered the fastest homebuilt aircraft extant. Its tricycle undercarriage is retractable.
The Bullet originally flew with a Continental TSIO-520B turbocharged six-cylinder piston engine rated at 310 hp. With that engine its top speed is listed as 219 mph at sea level and 322 mph at 20,000 feet.
The engine was later changed for a Lycoming TSIO-541-E1A4 turbocharged six-cylinder piston engine rated at 380 hp.
Its final engine configuration was an Allison TPE 331-25AA turboprop, rated at 475 shaft hp. It is displayed with that engine at the Sun 'n Fun Museum as of 2008.
During the 1970s and 1980s, Brokaw marketed the plans to other homebuilders.
The prototype aircraft is preserved and displayed at at the Sun 'n Fun air museum at Lakeland, Florida.
[edit] Specifications (original BJ-250)
General characteristics
- Crew: one pilot
- Capacity: 1 passenger
- Length: 22 ft 9 in (6.94 m)
- Wingspan: 23 ft 8 in (7.21 m)
- Height: 8 ft 10 in (2.69 m)
- Wing area: 97 ft² (9.0 m²)
- Powerplant: 1 × Lycoming TIO-541-A, 380 hp (283 kW)
Performance
- Cruise speed: 320 mph (515 km/h)
- Rate of climb: 3,000 ft/min (15.0 m/s)
[edit] References
- Taylor, Michael J. H. (1989). Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. London: Studio Editions, 215.
- Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1977-78. London: Jane's Yearbooks, 530.
- Sun 'n Fun Air Museum website
[edit] See also
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