Rutan Long-EZ
The Rutan Long -EZ is a canard, designed by Burt Rutan's Rutan Aircraft Factory under the name Model 61. The aim of the draft is an aircraft that is the great routes traveled by economically and manufacture of own farmers.
Construction
The Long -EZ was designed based on the Rutan VariEze. Since it is self-made, many larger and smaller modifications on the aircraft are to be found. Compared to the previous model, in particular the wing was enlarged and equipped with larger strakes to increase the fuel and luggage capacity. The wing with a modified Eppler -1230 profile has furthermore less sweep. In addition, the drive has been changed to eliminate the usual when dealing with the VariEze ballast in the nose.
Since the aircraft was sold in the form of plans, the necessary production techniques to the possibilities of savvy self farmers are tailored. The hull was, for example, worked out of a block of foam, coated with fiberglass and thus created shell then hollowed out.
The nose landing gear is retractable, while the main landing gear is designed to be rigid. As the focus without the pilot in the front trunk area is very near the main landing gear, the Long -EZ tends to tilt when parked due to wind backwards. Therefore, it is usually retracted after disembarking the pilot the nose gear again and placed the aircraft on the aircraft nose.
Use
The Long -EZ is very popular. Meanwhile, alone at the FAA about 700 copies registered.
In 1981, Dick Rutan with 4563.35 NM ( 8451 km ) has a track record in the class C1B (<1000 kg). Rutan even stopped mid-1980s his participation in the Long -EZ and its other DIY designs, as he closed the Rutan Aircraft Factory, in order to avoid possible lawsuits.
In 1997 Dick Rutan and Mike Melvill launched their Spirit of EAA Friendship World Tour. They rounded the earth and flew over the Atlantic in 14.8 hours from Recife to Abidjan. The longest section of their journey led them to a 17 -hour non-stop flight across the Indian Ocean from Réunion to the Cocos Islands.
For experimental purposes, a Long -EZ of XCOR Aerospace was equipped with a rocket engine. In December 2005, now known as EZ- Rocket Engine from the Mojave Air & Space Port flew to 9.94 NM ( = 18.4 km ) distant California City Municipal Airport. For this she was awarded by the National Aeronautic Association (NAA ) of the record for the longest flight of a rocket-powered, launched from the ground plane.
On 31 January 2008, the first lifted from an aircraft with a Pulse Detonation Engine ( PDE) from the Mojave Air & Space Port. For this purpose, a Long -EZ from the Air Force Research Laboratory and Innovative Scientific Solutions was equipped with a PDE, and baptized in the name Borealis. The engine consisted of four tubes with a pulse frequency of 80 Hz, which produced 890 Newton thrust. In preliminary experiments, different fuels were tested, ultimately, the flight was made with refined octanes. The start from the ground was carried out with a small auxiliary rocket. In the air for about 10 seconds, the PDE was at a height of about 30 m. The aircraft is now on display in the National Museum of the United States Air Force.
On July 19 of 2012, Chip Yates with a machine of this type, which he had equipped with an electric drive, a new speed record for electric powered aircraft.