Beneš-Mráz Bibi

The Beneš-Mráz Bibi was a 1930s Czechoslovak two-seat touring aircraft.

Be-550 Bibi
Beneš-Mráz Be.550 Bibi, 1939
General information
Type	Sporting aircraft
Manufacturer	Beneš-Mráz
Designer	Pavel Beneš and Jaroslav Mráz
Number built	ca. 18
History
Introduction date	1936
First flight	1936

Walter Mikron and Beneš-Mráz Be-501 Bibi (1936)

Design and development

The Bibi was designed and manufactured by Beneš-Mráz, developed from the Beta-Minor design. The Bibi was a lighter, smaller aircraft in which the seats were side-by-side instead of in tandem, and the cockpits were fully enclosed, retaining the Beta-Minor's cantilever low-wing cantilever monoplane layout, with fixed tailwheel undercarriage. Development of the Bibi began with the Be-501 two-seat cabin tourer, and culminated with the Be-555 Super Bibi.

Operational history

One example of the Be-550 Bibi (OK-BET) was imported into the United Kingdom, stored during World War II, then registered as G-AGSR until a fatal crash in 1951.

Walter Mikron and Beneš-Mráz Be-550 Bibi (1936)

Variants

Be-501 Bibi

Single seat, initial development aircraft for the Bibi cabin tourer.

Be-502 Bibi

Single seat development prototype for the Bibi series.

Be-550 Bibi

Initial production version introduced in 1936, with at least six built, including single exports to Egypt and the UK.

Be-555 Super Bibi

The final iteration of the Bibi with many improvements. Production continued after the start of WWII, with at least ten built.

Specifications (Be-550)

Data from L'Année Aéronautique 1938–1939

General characteristics

• Crew: Two
• Length: 7.31 m (24 ft 0 in)
• Wingspan: 11.51 m (37 ft 9 in)
• Height: 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)
• Wing area: 14.0 m² (151 sq ft)
• Empty weight: 330 kg (728 lb)
• Gross weight: 560 kg (1,235 lb)
• Powerplant: 1 × Walter Mikron II air-cooled 4-cylinder inverted inline engine, 45 kW (60 hp)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 200 km/h (120 mph, 110 kn) at 100 m (330 ft)
• Cruise speed: 175 km/h (109 mph, 94 kn)
• Range: 780 km (480 mi, 420 nmi)
• Service ceiling: 5,200 m (17,100 ft)
• Time to altitude: 6 min 30 s to 1,000 m (3,300 ft)

References

• Hirschauer, L; Dollfus, Ch (1939). L'Année Aéronautique 1938–1939 (in French). Paris: Dunod. Retrieved 11 December 2019 – via BnF Gallica.
• Jackson, A.J. (1974). British Civil Aircraft since 1919. Putnam ISBN 0-370-10014-X
• Němeček, V. (1968). Československá letadla. Praha: Naše Vojsko.
• Taylor, Michael J. H. (1989). Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. London: Studio Editions. p. 152.
• World Aircraft Information Files. London: Bright Star Publishing. pp. File 890 Sheet 25.