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Aviation History
1982
1982 - 2032.PDF
Rutan takes on new challenges OSHKOSH '82 Oshkosh visitors often reach their mecca after some epic journeys, and the most spectacular trip this year was by the pilot of a LongEz who flew to nearby Fond du Lac from Hawaii. His 4,000 miles journey took 32hr flight time (including 20hr over-water) at an average fuel consumption for the 115 h.p. Lycoming of 3-6 US gal/hr. An extra tank in the rear cockpit brought the LongEz's fuel capacity up to 117 US gal, and HF and Loran were carried. Fourteen LongEzs were included in a line-up of more than 50 Rutan canards, not including numerous Quickies and two-seat Quickie 2s, in the design of which Rutan was also involved. One homebuilder brought a side-by-side LongEz development called the Cozy. Rutan's Grizzly Stol aircraft was an in evitable eye-catcher at Oshkosh but is, he says, a one-off aircraft for which he has no development plans at present. It was built largely to prove the concept of high-lift devices on tandem wings, and with a minimum flying speed of 35kt can, he claims, be landed in about twice its own length in a strong wind. While Rutan is still considering pos sible applications for the Grizzly, one feature that will definitely be used on his round-the-world design Voyager is the storage of fuel in the big interconnecting booms. Rutan's aero-towing combination of a Grizzly with his Solitaire sailplane is the first time an experimental-category air craft has towed an experimental-category sailplane. While originally designed for the Soaring Society of America's home- built sailplane contest, due to be judged in September, Solitaire looks like being a successful glider in its own right, and plans should be available for home- builders early next year. With only 12J2 **-,--- -may. t :-f:: T;. 1 : metres span, its glide angle is estimated at over 1:31 at 50kt, with 40kt as mini mum sink speed. It has been aero-towed behind the Grizzly in a 20kt crosswind. For self-launching, its present engine is a Cuyuna single-cylinder unit driving a retractable propeller via three vee belts. From Mojave (typical density alti tude 6,000ft) it has a 600ft take-off run followed by a 400ft/min climb rate. While successful propeller retractions and restarts have been made, Rutan is not entirely happy with the engine's future because of a possible fire risk in the installation and is working on the possibility of using a Normalair-Garrett unit, in which the whole engine/propeller combination would be retracted. Solitaire itself has docile qualities both on and off tow and is designed to be flown by relatively low-time pilots. Test pilot Mike Melvill had limited gliding experience when he took Solitaire on its first flight, and says its general handling is comparable to the popular Blanik two- seater but with better performance. The rudder is particularly powerful, the ele- Top Rutan's ex traordinary - Look ing Grizzly com bines Fowler flaps and other high-lift devices with a canard layout Left Soli taire, with its in board - mounted airbrakes open 426 vator is not unduly sensitive on tow and Solitaire can be held at full aft stick with no tendency to "departure" left or right. Construction of homebuilt Solitaires will probably use now-traditional Rutan technique, with a solid foam core for the wing. There are no two-seat inten tions, although he might go to a 15 metre, retractable-wheel development. The non-stop round-the-world Voyager could fly by next spring in readiness for a record attempt late in 1983. Rutan has combined the ultimate range factors of engine/propeller efficiency, aerodynamics, and take-off/landing weight ratio in a canard design with lOOft-span, high-aspect ratio wing and an engine at each end of the fuselage, like his Defiant twin. The wing and canard are joined by two booms (like the Grizzly) and they, plus most of the remaining airframe, will house fuel for 30,000 miles. Two engines are required for reasons of economy, in that so little power is needed when the aircraft is light towards the end of the flight. Two crew will have a bed available for rest, although in the early part of the flight this will be occupied by a collaps ible fuel bladder. Other recent Rutan projects include the now-complete scale demonstrator for the light jet trainer contest, and his Predator rhomboidal-wing ag aircraft which has finished windtunnel tests and might be built as a proof-of-concept prototype if suitably financed. A canard design for a 36- or 22-seat commuter air liner, with rear-fuselage-mounted eng ines, is undergoing windtunnel tests by Nasa. Rutan is working on several other pro jects for contract customers, and has formed a separate company which will have a 30,000ft2 working area alongside the present Rutan Aircraft Factory at Mojave. FLIGHT International, 21 August 1982
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