Talk Morgan Forums Community Vehicle Talk (non-Morgan) Unusual plane spotted

Much to my surprise I saw a canard light aircraft fly over yesterday. I think I correctly identified it as a Burt Rutan designed Long-EZ, but it was too high for me to see much in the way of detail but the shape was either a Long-EZ or one of the variants.

For those who don't know what I am on about here is a photo of one in flight.



It is a very interesting concept and one that had me fascinated years ago when I first came across Burt Rutan's designs.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burt_Rutan

Interesting, Peter, do you know what the advantages are with the canard design? Better overall aerodynamics, improved prop efficiency ?

Ugly looking bugger isn't it.

a very similar looking canard flew over Basildon Park two weeks ago. I was surprised when people said they had never seen one before.

These have been around for a long time I can remember seeing one demonstrated 20 years ago. My Father flew it but wasn't impressed at all - mind you he was a Spitfire man and the only light plane he ever thought compared was a Falco with retractable tricycle undercarriage, a pretty little plane. He had flown just about everything that was prop driven by that time too.

You are probable right Peter although other Canards were available. I have a Quicky Q2 (a variant of the Rutan), in my flying log. Gerrywal they were very light and slippery max speed around 180 kts. because of the Canard design they don,t really stall as the smaller front wing stalls first while the larger rear wing still has lift, the front wing drops and regains lift preventing a true stall and spin resulting in a rapid "nodding" descent. Tricky to land as approach speed is quite high but great fun.

Didn't John Denver meet his untimely end flying an experimental Rutan Long Ez?

Arwyn

Yes, October 12, 1997 when he crashed the Long-EZ aircraft he was piloting after it ran out of fuel just off the coast at Pacific Grove, CA.

There are still a few of the Rutan designed canards around as a result of the a/c home building boom in the 70's and 80's; saw one parked at Blackpool last June on our way to Scotland. After landing the nose wheel is retracted so the the bird does not sit on it's tail once the occupants disembark. As Burgundymog points out their efficiency was the great appeal plus very safe stall characteristics. These days few are being built. I got to fly a Long EZ once and it was interesting but the tiny wheels and spindly nose gear mean they're suitable only for nice smooth runways. Anorak anecdote: Met Burt Rutan at Oshkosh in about '88 and he kindly posed for a photo with my then 9 year old daughter who, suitably inspired, became a commercial pilot.

It is a bit more complex than that. Although an experienced pilot he had only had a brief familiarisation flight in the aircraft, he failed to refuel it and when needed to switch fuel tanks, the previous owner builder had placed the fuel switch in a differnt place to the design where it could be reached by the passenger. It is thought that when Denver twisted in the pilot's seat to reach the fuel switch he jammed his foot on one of the pedals causing the plan to go out of control.

A combination of error, an unsafe design modification, and inexperience on the type of aircraft.