Beneš-Mráz Be-500 Bíbi

Beneš-Mráz · Czechoslovakia · first flew 1936 · light aircraft

The Beneš-Mráz Be-500 Bíbi was a single-seat Czechoslovak light racing and sporting monoplane of the mid-1930s, representing the high end of the interwar Czech light aviation industry. It was a sleek low-wing design intended for air racing.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Low-mounted, tapered
E — Engines	1 × piston, nose-mounted
F — Fuselage	6.1 m fuselage
T — Tail	Conventional

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1930s Czechoslovak light sporting monoplane
Single-seat low-wing racer designed for the Beneš-Mráz company
Small Czech interwar sports aircraft

A sleek single-seat low-wing monoplane with a closely cowled inline engine, small cockpit canopy, and smooth fuselage typical of interwar racing designs; broadly similar in appearance to the Percival Mew Gull but smaller.

Specifications

The Beneš-Mráz Be-500 Bíbi has a length of 6.1 m (20 ft).
It has a wingspan of 8.4 m (28 ft).
Its maximum speed is 310 km/h (193 mph).
Typical crew: 1.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

First flown in 1936, the Bíbi was one of the faster light aircraft of its era in Czechoslovakia, developed for competitive air racing. Beneš-Mráz was an active manufacturer of light aircraft and trainers in the 1930s. The type was produced in very small numbers before World War II disrupted Czechoslovak aviation.

Variants

Very limited production; minor engine and detail variants may have existed.

Where you'll see it

Used by private Czech sporting pilots in the late 1930s for racing and personal flying.

Related aircraft

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