Rutan Defiant

what is it?

The Rutan Model 40 Defiant is a four-seat, twin-engine homebuilt aircraft with the engines in a push-pull configuration. It was designed by aerospace engineer Burt Rutan for the Rutan Aircraft Factory.

🔎How to recognise it: 2 piston engines with propellers · tricycle gear · 9.4 m wingspan

base stats

• speed 342 km/htop speed
• range 1,808 kmwithout refuelling
• seats 3passengers
• size 1,360 kgmax take-off weight

Bars compare against all aircraft: 3,500 km/h, 20,000 km, 850 seats; size and number built on a log scale up to 640 t (An-225) and 45,000 built (Cessna 172).

fun facts

• 🎂First flew 48 years ago, in 1978.
• 🏎️Top speed is 2.6× a car on the Dutch motorway (130 km/h).
• 🚗Wingspan of 9.4 m: about 2 cars parked nose to tail.
• 🌍Range of 1,808 km: 10× Amsterdam to Brussels.

piston: A car-like piston engine turning a propeller: simple and cheap, the classic small plane.

spec sheet

first flight

1978-06-30

number built

—

role

homebuilt aircraft

origin

🇺🇸 United States

makers

Rutan Aircraft Factory

engines

2× Lycoming O-320

passengers

3

length

7 m

wingspan

9.4 m

height

2.8 m

max take-off weight

1,360 kg

top speed

342 km/h

cruise speed

309 km/h

range

1,808 km

ceiling

5,485 m

wings

canard

landing gear

tricycle gear

Specs are for the version in the Wikipedia article's specification section. Blank means the sources don't say.