Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Burt Rutan comes in for a landing

As a new factory opens to produce his SpaceShipTwo design for Sir Richard Branson and his suborbital space tourism venture, legendary designer Burt Rutan is planning his retirement next April. Rutan is 67, and the Experimental Aircraft Association intends to honor him with a gathering of Rutan-designed aircraft at the equally legendary Oshkosh fly in. The EAA Museum is gathering planes including "VariViggen and VariEze prototypes, the Amsoil racer, Grizzly, Voyager fuselage mock-up, Solitaire, Williams V Jet II, and the SpaceShipOne feathering mock-up." Rutan practically gave birth to the homebuilt "kitplane" industry and put the first manned suborbital vehicle since the X-15 into space as a private venture.
Clear skies, Burt.

No comments: