Beecraft Honey Bee
# Beecraft Honey Bee

The Beecraft Honey Bee was an all-metal V-tailed homebuilt aircraft, that was designed by Walter E. Mooney and first flown on 12 July 1952.

## Design and development

The Honey Bee was designed and built by Walter E. Mooney

The Honey Bee is a single seat all metal, high-wing, tricycle gear-equipped aircraft with a V-tail. The stressed skin aircraft is designed to accommodate wing flaps and slots.

The prototype was test flown by William Chana on 12 July 1952 and certified on 17 December 1953.

## Aircraft on display

The Honey Bee prototype now is on display at the San Diego Air & Space Museum. It is the lone Bee aircraft to survive an arson fire at the museum.

## Specifications (Honey Bee)

Data from Air Trails

General characteristics

* Crew: 1
* Length: 17 ft (5.2 m)
* Wingspan: 29 ft (8.8 m)
* Wing area: 95 sq ft (8.8 $m^2)$
* Airfoil: NACA 4418
* Empty weight: 550 lb (249 kg)
* Gross weight: 860 lb (390 kg)
* Powerplant: 1 × Continental A-65 , 65 hp (48 kW)
* Propellers: 2-bladed

Performance

* Maximum speed: 100 kn (120 mph, 190 km/h)
* Rate of climb: 1,100 ft/min (5.6 m/s)
* Wing loading: 8.95 lb/sq ft (43.7 $kg/m^2)$
* Power/mass: 13.25lb/hp
