Beneš-Mráz Be-150 Beta-Junior

The Beneš-Mráz Be-150 Beta-Junior was a light aerobatic trainer and racing aircraft, designed and built in Czechoslovakia in the late 1930s.

Be-150 Beta Junior
Role Light aerobatic trainer and racing aircraft
National origin Czechoslovakia
Manufacturer Beneš-Mráz (Pavel Beneš and Jaroslav Mráz)
Designer Ing. Pavel Beneš
First flight 5 January 1937[1]
Number built 3[1]
Developed from Beneš-Mráz Be-50 Beta-Minor

Design and development

With the success of the Beneš-Mráz Be-50 Beta-Minor Beneš decided to produce a smaller version with better performance for sport flying. A major incentive was the availability of five spare 78 kW (105 hp) Walter Junior engines, which would imbue the Be-150 with much improved vertical performance compared to the Be-50.[1]

Beneš shortened the fuselage and fitted the short-span wings of the Be-52, retaining the open cockpits and fixed, trousered, tailwheel undercarriage of the Be-50.[1]

Operational history

The Be-150 was first flown on 5 January 1937, but was rejected by the MNO (Czechoslovak Ministry of Defense) and the three production aircraft were used for general flying club use and for air racing.[1]

Specifications (Be-150)

Data from [1]

General characteristics

  • Crew: 2
  • Length: 7.55 m (24 ft 9 in)
  • Wingspan: 10.66 m (35 ft 0 in)
  • Wing area: 14 m2 (150 sq ft)
  • Gross weight: 790 kg (1,742 lb)
  • Powerplant: 1 × Walter Junior 4-cyl. Air-cooled inverted in-line piston engine, 78 kW (105 hp)

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 215 km/h (134 mph, 116 kn)
  • Cruise speed: 185 km/h (115 mph, 100 kn)
  • Range: 750 km (470 mi, 400 nmi)
  • Service ceiling: 5,500 m (18,000 ft)

References
  1. "Beneš-Mráz Be-150 "Beta Junior"". geocities.ws (in Slovak). Retrieved 5 August 2014.
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