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Development continues on Burt Rutan’s SkiGull

By Tom Snow · August 26, 2015 ·

Burt Rutan always draws a crowd at his AirVenture forums, especially when introducing a new aircraft design.

And since his current project, the SkiGull amphibian, may be the “retired” 72-year-old designer’s last homebuilt, the standing-room-only crowd at this year’s Oshkosh was all ears as he broke his long-standing rule of keeping a new design under wraps until it has flown.

Although Rutan’s first PowerPoint slide announced that everything he was about to say “could all be BS” because the plane has not yet flown, the legendary designer’s record of accomplishment, including 46 unique aircraft designs, says otherwise.

RutanSkiGullOSH151
Rutan at this year’s Oshkosh. Photo by Tom Snow.

And this time it’s personal, because the SkiGull is designed as a dream plane for Rutan and his wife, Tonya, a newly-minted seaplane pilot. Together, they plan to tour the world and land virtually anywhere they desire, not just at airports.

“I’ve worked on airports since 1965 and I‘ve realized that I don’t like airports,” said Rutan with a grin.

Until his 2011 retirement from Scaled Composites, which created the X-Prize winning SpaceShipOne, Rutan worked for decades at the Mojave Airport in the California desert and it’s obvious that he is enjoying the change of scenery at his current home in Coeur d’Alene, a lakeside resort community in northern Idaho.

With a strut-braced 47-foot wingspan, Rutan’s new design is a tandem two-seat amphibian that looks more like a motor glider than a seaplane. The long, thin wings fold to make ground handling and transportation easier.

Although Rutan gave up golf to focus on building the plane, he said there is plenty of room in the rear baggage compartment for a set of clubs.

RutanSkiGullOSH154The most unique design feature of the amphibian is a pair of extendable water skis that are reminiscent of the 1950s era Convair Sea Dart prototype on display on the campus of SUN ‘n FUN at Lakeland-Linder Regional Airport in Florida. The twin skis include small 4-inch diameter wheels and hydraulic shock absorbers. Rutan said that seaplanes have long needed shock absorbers to cushion the ride on rough water.

The composite trimaran is designed to operate off any almost surface and even handle large ocean swells, including 10G hits on one sponson. Operating in salt water will not be a problem because there are very few metal components, Rutan noted.

RutanSkiGullOSH155“For water takeoffs, the two skis stay retracted until the plane accelerates to 15-22 knots, when the skis are extended, allowing it rise and absorb shocks for the remainder of the ski-borne takeoff run,” he explained.

To help the plane get off the water easily, a large 44% chord Fowler flap is located at the center of the wing, directly in the airflow of the propeller.

“It normally lands with skis extended,” added Rutan. “However, it can land on smooth water or grass with skis retracted.”

The plane’s rudder houses a single component that serves as a tail wheel, a tail-ski and a water rudder.

RutanSkiGullOSH153At high power settings, the SkiGull is designed to cruise at 140 knots and to be capable of loitering almost silently at low power.

Rutan recently used a friend’s ski boat to push a full-scale mock-up of the plane’s hull and retractable skis at various speeds on Lake Coeur d’Alene and he collected enough data to confirm that his unique design should work.

Rutan During initial water testing
Photo by Mike Kincaid

A tractor-mounted Rotax engine burning car gas will give the plane remarkable non-stop efficiency and range. Rutan says a 2,500-mile flight from California to Hawaii will be possible.

SkiGull Water Testing
Photo by Mike Kincaid

Although a Rotax 912iS will be used initially, Rutan admired the company’s new 135-hp turbocharged 915iS prototype unveiled at AirVenture, which may be the ideal engine for high-altitude cruising when available. He may also eventually install a constant speed prop.

The plane will also have two 12-hp auxiliary electric motors with 30-inch diameter reversible, forward-folding props that are designed to assist with docking and provide extra thrust if needed during takeoff or if the engine fails.

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Rutan’s work on the SkiGull is being filmed as part of a documentary, “Looking Up, Way Up! The Burt Rutan Story” being filmed by antennafilms.

In addition to engineering drawings, Rutan showed actual photographs of his nearly-completed SkiGull, which he built in Idaho with the help of a small team of friends.

Although his goal was to fly the plane to Oshkosh this year, Rutan realized about three weeks out that even continuing to work 18-hour days was not going to allow him to finish the new design and do a proper flight test program.

Producer Scott B and Burt Rutan
Documentary Producer Scott B and Burt Rutan

“I’m going to go home, work at a slow pace, and do the test program right,” said Rutan at the conclusion of his forum. He promised to bring the plane to Oshkosh next year and perhaps invite the ICON amphibian to a fly-off.

Although he stopped offering plans of his aircraft designs long ago, Rutan was cagey about what a friend of his might market once the design is proven.

So, stay tuned for further news about what could be one of the most versatile flying machines ever designed.

About Tom Snow

Tom Snow, a 2,100-hour commercially-rated pilot from Chattanooga, Tennessee, owns an A36 Beechcraft Bonanza and a Searey amphibian.

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Comments

  1. Jack Wolf says

    December 5, 2015 at 6:56 am

    I for one will be at Oshkosh next summer with checkbook in hand just in case plans are available. I would not be interested in a kitplane.

  2. jay says

    August 28, 2015 at 5:36 am

    From everything I hear it was liability/ he was sick of the lawsuits from grieving families of idiots that didn’t want to admit it was their loved ones fault. I also wish Burt was back in plans built business. It’s an example of how a few bad apples ruined it for everyone.

  3. bill s says

    August 27, 2015 at 1:32 pm

    Another thought provoking design by Burt. Does anyone know why he quit the plans built aircraft business? Liability fears perhaps?

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