BJ-4 Information?

Someone at the gliderport brought in a 1969 version of "Joy of
Soaring". It was fascinating to flip through the pages. Many things
are the same then as now.

There were several pictures of gliders; Diamant, Standard Libelle,
1-26, 2-33, Sisu, Skylark 4, Dart, Kestrel - all of which I have heard
of - and a BJ-4 which I have never heard of. The sailplane directory
only mentions, with zero deails, a Beatty-Johl BJ-3.
http://www.sailplanedirectory.com/Pl...cfm?PlaneID=44.

The configuration of the glider is rather different in several
aspects.

- The horizontal stap appears to be a counter-balanced all flying tail
with 2 visible weights on ~12" booms attached to the leading edge.
- The horizontal and vertical stabs are overly large.
- There is a small vertical stab below the fuselage that also houses
the tail wheel.
- There is something 3-4" long trailing from the wings at regular
intervals.
- The aspect ratio of the wing seems very high.
- There is a visible gap between the wing and the ailerons.
- The registration appears to be "ZS-GFD" which is South African.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aircraft_registration
- The competition number is "4".

Can anyone tell me more about this glider? Sure wish that Dick
Johnson was still around, I'd bet that he'd know in a heartbeat.

I will try to scan in a copy and get it on the web.

- John DeRosa

On Fri, 01 Jul 2011 12:39:59 -0700, ContestID67 wrote:

Someone at the gliderport brought in a 1969 version of "Joy of Soaring".
It was fascinating to flip through the pages. Many things are the same
then as now.

There were several pictures of gliders; Diamant, Standard Libelle, 1-26,
2-33, Sisu, Skylark 4, Dart, Kestrel - all of which I have heard of -
and a BJ-4 which I have never heard of. The sailplane directory only
mentions, with zero deails, a Beatty-Johl BJ-3.
http://www.sailplanedirectory.com/Pl...cfm?PlaneID=44.

The configuration of the glider is rather different in several aspects.

- The horizontal stap appears to be a counter-balanced all flying tail
with 2 visible weights on ~12" booms attached to the leading edge.
- The horizontal and vertical stabs are overly large.
- There is a small vertical stab below the fuselage that also houses the
tail wheel.
- There is something 3-4" long trailing from the wings at regular
intervals.
- The aspect ratio of the wing seems very high.
- There is a visible gap between the wing and the ailerons.
- The registration appears to be "ZS-GFD" which is South African.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aircraft_registration - The competition
number is "4".

Can anyone tell me more about this glider? Sure wish that Dick Johnson
was still around, I'd bet that he'd know in a heartbeat.

I will try to scan in a copy and get it on the web.

- John DeRosa

One of two built according to sailplanedirectory.com

Same wing as BJ-3, aspect ratio of 20.

"The BJ-3A was developed from the BJ-3 in 1968, followed by the BJ-4,
which features a new fuselage and tail unit and uses the existing BJ-3
wings. The original T-tail was replaced by a tall perpendicular fin with
an all-flying tailplane located on the fuselage behind the rudder. The two
BJ-4s were built for the 1970 World Championships."

Image of BJ-3
http://www.probertencyclopaedia.com/...rd=Beatty-Johl
+BJ-3&offset=0

Fowler flaps on the trailing edge.

Frank Whiteley

As promised you can find scans from "Joy of Soaring" (1969) of the
BJ-4 here = http://aviation.derosaweb.net/images/BJ-4/

If the wings of the BJ-3 were used on the BJ-4 (they sure don't look
the same in the two images) then the fowler flabs shown on the BJ-3
are removed on the BJ-4 image shown in the "Joy of Soaring" - which
would explain why I am seeing the 3"-4" somethings (hinges?) hanging
off the trailing edge.

Frank - Where on http://sailplanedirectory.com are you finding that
information? I cannot find.

Interesting ship.

- John

At 23:16 01 July 2011, ContestID67 wrote:
As promised you can find scans from "Joy of Soaring" (1969) of the
BJ-4 here = http://aviation.derosaweb.net/images/BJ-4/

If the wings of the BJ-3 were used on the BJ-4 (they sure don't look
the same in the two images) then the fowler flabs shown on the BJ-3
are removed on the BJ-4 image shown in the "Joy of Soaring" - which
would explain why I am seeing the 3"-4" somethings (hinges?) hanging
off the trailing edge.

The reason you don't see the flaps in the BJ-4 pictures is that both the
BJ-3/BJ-4 had variable geometry wings. The flaps retracted inside the
wing, thus increasing the aspect ratio for high speed flight.

I've obviously been in this sport too long, I remember too many obscure
things 8^(

Marc

At 23:16 01 July 2011, ContestID67 wrote:
As promised you can find scans from "Joy of Soaring" (1969) of the
BJ-4 here = http://aviation.derosaweb.net/images/BJ-4/

If the wings of the BJ-3 were used on the BJ-4 (they sure don't look
the same in the two images) then the fowler flabs shown on the BJ-3
are removed on the BJ-4 image shown in the "Joy of Soaring" - which
would explain why I am seeing the 3"-4" somethings (hinges?) hanging
off the trailing edge.

The reason you don't see the flaps in the BJ-4 pictures is that both the
BJ-3/BJ-4 had variable geometry wings. The flaps retracted inside the
wing, thus increasing the aspect ratio for high speed flight.

I've obviously been in this sport too long, I remember too many obscure
things 8^(

Marc

At 23:16 01 July 2011, ContestID67 wrote:
As promised you can find scans from "Joy of Soaring" (1969) of the
BJ-4 here = http://aviation.derosaweb.net/images/BJ-4/

If the wings of the BJ-3 were used on the BJ-4 (they sure don't look
the same in the two images) then the fowler flabs shown on the BJ-3
are removed on the BJ-4 image shown in the "Joy of Soaring" - which
would explain why I am seeing the 3"-4" somethings (hinges?) hanging
off the trailing edge.

The reason you don't see the flaps in the BJ-4 pictures is that both the
BJ-3/BJ-4 had variable geometry wings. The flaps retracted inside the
wing, thus increasing the aspect ratio for high speed flight.

I've obviously been in this sport too long, I remember too many obscure
things 8^(

Marc

For any who are interested the BJ series of gliders began in South
Africa in the 1960's . Pat Beatty and Fritz Johl were the designers/
builders and eventually the series ran to a B-8( Later designs were by
Pat alone ) .
Pat Beatty was a member of the club I flew out of in Johannesburg the
1970's . He was a truly innovative designer and introduced many unique
ideas into his designs .
His wife Betty, also a glider pilot of some fame in South Africa -
mainly for pioneering wave flying in the Cape town area ( Betty's
wave) wrote a very interesting book entitled " Just for the Love of
Flying" which includes a chapter or two about the BJ series of
gliders . Sadly she and Pat died in a motor accident in 1991. Pat's
gliders including the BJ 2 and BJ 4 established a number of World
Triangle Speed records in the 1970's .

At 00:58 02 July 2011, Marc Ramsey wrote:
At 23:16 01 July 2011, ContestID67 wrote:
The reason you don't see the flaps in the BJ-4 pictures is that both
the
BJ-3/BJ-4 had variable geometry wings. The flaps retracted inside the
wing, thus increasing the aspect ratio for high speed flight.

I've obviously been in this sport too long, I remember too many obscure
things 8^(

Sorry for the repeat, I occasionally manage to do this when posting via
gliderpilot.net. Hey Andy, if you do a 302 Redirect after a post, people
like me won't screw up quite so often. But, thanks for providing an
alternative to the evil Google Groups...

Marc

On Jul 1, 5:16*pm, ContestID67 wrote:
As promised you can find scans from "Joy of Soaring" (1969) of the
BJ-4 here =http://aviation.derosaweb.net/images/BJ-4/

If the wings of the BJ-3 were used on the BJ-4 (they sure don't look
the same in the two images) then the fowler flabs shown on the BJ-3
are removed on the BJ-4 image shown in the "Joy of Soaring" - which
would explain why I am seeing the 3"-4" somethings (hinges?) hanging
off the trailing edge.

Frank - Where onhttp://sailplanedirectory.comare you finding that
information? *I cannot find.

Interesting ship.

- John

http://www.sailplanedirectory.com/zwfoud.htm scroll down to the BJ-3
Beatty-Johl

It's at the bottom of the article.

Frank

On Jul 1, 7:22*pm, Marc Ramsey
wrote:
At 00:58 02 July 2011, Marc Ramsey wrote:

At 23:16 01 July 2011, ContestID67 wrote:
The reason you don't see the flaps in the BJ-4 pictures is that both
the
BJ-3/BJ-4 had variable geometry wings. *The flaps retracted inside the
wing, thus increasing the aspect ratio for high speed flight. *

I've obviously been in this sport too long, I remember too many obscure
things 8^(

Sorry for the repeat, I occasionally manage to do this when posting via
gliderpilot.net. *Hey Andy, if you do a 302 Redirect after a post, people
like me won't screw up quite so often. *But, thanks for providing an
alternative to the evil Google Groups...

Marc

Looks like Google Groups is back to current.

Frank