ZK-XBD – BD5J – New Zealand – Airworthy

[Benjamin Morgan]

Make: BD5-J
Year of Manufacture:
Serial Number: 3904
Registration: ZK-XBD
Date of First Registration:
Engine: PBS TJ100 Turbojet
Status: Airworthy

BD5 ZK-XBD was originally ZK-DYN and was purchased from Bernard Weinstein in approx 1995 as a semi built kit.  It was sold by Neil France three years later uncompleted.

I think that ZK-XBD (c/n 3904, built by C A McMillan of Mosgiel, first registered on 30/6/04) was the first to fly, at Taieri, but it came to grief early on when it hit a navigation board on the airfield – can anyone confirm the first flight date and that it was the first to fly? It was then sold to G S Nicholls of Tauranga on 30/6/07 and I saw it flying at the 2008 SAANZ flyin at Tauranga where this photo was taken.

ZK-XBD now owned by Andrew Vincent and has been converted to a BD5J and equipped with the PBS TJ100 turbojet engine.

 

[Benjamin Morgan]

Photo provided by Owen Wilson:

[Benjamin Morgan]

Update and Photos courtesy of Andrew Vincent:

December 22nd, 2022:  An exciting day today for me, as we conducted the first ground run of my BD. Quite a noisy little engine but performed flawlessly and exactly as promised by PBS in the Czech Republic. A couple more ground runs, then onto high speed taxiing to bed in the brakes.

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