Rutan VariEze

what is it?

The Rutan VariEze is a composite, canard aircraft designed by Burt Rutan. It is a high-performance homebuilt aircraft, hundreds of which have been constructed. The design later evolved into the Long-EZ and other, larger cabin canard aircraft.

🔎How to recognise it: 1 piston engine with propeller · tricycle gear · 6.8 m wingspan

base stats

• speed 314 km/htop speed
• range 1,770 kmwithout refuelling
• seats 1passengers
• size 476 kgmax take-off weight
• built 400made in total

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 51 years ago, in 1975.
• 🏎️Top speed is 2.4× a car on the Dutch motorway (130 km/h).
• 🌍Range of 1,770 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

1975-05-21

number built

400

role

homebuilt aircraft

origin

🇺🇸 United States

makers

Rutan Aircraft Factory

engines

1× Continental O-200-B / O-200

crew

1

passengers

1

length

4.3 m

wingspan

6.8 m

max take-off weight

476 kg

top speed

314 km/h

cruise speed

265 km/h

range

1,770 km

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.