title: Beecraft Honey Bee
text: # 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
  