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Maybe Nial knows what this is.

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You're right Paul. I was thinking of the "Experimental" letters one often sees on aircraft.

By the way, my pre-war plane uses the letters "NC" to start off its tail number.

I saw a BD-5 fly once (at the Sussex, NJ airshow). Amazing and terrrifying.
 
I also saw the BD-5 fly at an air show. It would fit in my garage nicely.
 
That's Rocky the Flying Squirrel.
 
This BD-5 jet is carried with the wings off in an enclosed trailer. Wings take about 30 minutes to install. They are very tricky to fly, that's why a few novices were killed in them. Stall speed is pretty high. The kits take a lot of sheet metal skill to complete and there are a bunch of unfinished kits out there, I wonder why!
 
This is the BD-5 (I think) that is part of the Hagerstown Aviation Museum's collection. From what I recall, it is basically an empty shell...but a small one!

DSC_0062 by onyxsax, on Flickr

Just to give you a bit of size perspective, here it is next to a TBM Avenger (a VERY large single engine plane -- 54 foot wingspan). The Avenger was initially bought by the CAF and given to the Stars and Stripes Wing in Frederick, Md. When the wing folded, the plane was brought to Hagerstown and languished for several years. Finally the National Capital Squadron in Culpeper was assigned the plane and the CAF had the plane restored by Jack Kosko's crew in Fawn Grove, PA from about 2007 or 08 (IIRC) to 2012. It has been in Hagerstown for over a year waiting on final details. The engine has now been run and the plane has been taxied about, so I expect a first post-restoration flight this spring. I've helped periodically with the restoration of this plane.

DSC_0055 by onyxsax, on Flickr
 
SaxMan said:
This is the BD-5 (I think) that is part of the Hagerstown Aviation Museum's collection. From what I recall, it is basically an empty shell...but a small one!

DSC_0062 by onyxsax, on Flickr

Just to give you a bit of size perspective, here it is next to a TBM Avenger (a VERY large single engine plane -- 54 foot wingspan). The Avenger was initially bought by the CAF and given to the Stars and Stripes Wing in Frederick, Md. When the wing folded, the plane was brought to Hagerstown and languished for several years. Finally the National Capital Squadron in Culpeper was assigned the plane and the CAF had the plane restored by Jack Kosko's crew in Fawn Grove, PA from about 2007 or 08 (IIRC) to 2012. It has been in Hagerstown for over a year waiting on final details. The engine has now been run and the plane has been taxied about, so I expect a first post-restoration flight this spring. I've helped periodically with the restoration of this plane.

DSC_0055 by onyxsax, on Flickr
Click to expand...

There wasn't much difference in the outward appearance between the BD-5 and the BD-5J. The one pictured appears to be the piston powered model. I like the big patch work on the fuselage! Grin. Incidentally, the fella flying the one in my photo will build you one if you want. $$$! PJ
 
Paul, I'm pretty sure this is a jet powered model. From what I recall, it may have been one of the Budweiser jets? Either way, it's pretty darn small, even for Spridget owners.

The statistic I like is that it would take 33 of the 1275cc engines to equal the displacement of the Avenger's Wright 2600 engine, although only about 29 or 30 of them to match the horsepower.
 
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