Rutan_SkiGull Knowpia

SkiGull
	SkiGull on its maiden flight, with the skis retracted.
Role	Amphibious
National origin	United States
Designer	Burt Rutan
First flight	November 2015
Status	In development
Number built	1

The Rutan SkiGull is an amphibious aircraft designed by Burt Rutan.^[2]

Development edit

The SkiGull is a two-seat composite/titanium aircraft equipped with retractable ski undercarriage that can have wheels attached for water, snow or land operations, landing on around 400 feet of surface, but with a range to cross oceans.^[3] The engine is configured to operate with Swift Fuel, auto or boat fuel. The aircraft is being developed privately.^[4]^[5]

Public disclosure of the SkiGull design was made at the EAA's Airventure convention in 2015. Details included ability to operate in ocean waves with skis or land on smooth water or grass with skis retracted, 140 knot cruise speed (optionally 177 knots turbocharged), quiet flight, water takeoff in 460 feet, high wing with 47-foot span (foldable), ground transportation without a trailer, a single 44-percent-span Fowler flap behind the main propeller, and two electric motors with forward-folding^[6] reversible propellers to simplify docking and give optional takeoff power.^[7]

The SkiGull performed water tests in October 2015. It has two 12 hp electric motors for docking, but they can also fly the plane 8 miles without the piston engine. The plane can loiter for 35 hours.^[8] First flight tests in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho lasting 1.8 hours were successfully completed November 24, 2015. Tests included basic stability and control in cruise configuration and with flap down and skis extended.^[9] Rutan states that his goal for the aircraft is "something that we'll look back and say, 'what this airplane is and is able to do, in terms of operating in beaches, rough water, and have the kind of capabilities that it has, is not just something a little better than the best floatplane, but something that is really truly breakthrough in nature.'"^[10]

Ongoing work is addressing refinements such as stall characteristics and pitch attitude in water. Changes also include larger wheels functionally independent of the skis and no longer configured as a "tail dragger."^[11]^[12]

Specifications (SkiGull) edit

Data from AVweb^[4]

General characteristics

Crew: one
Capacity: one passenger
Wingspan: 47 ft (14 m)
Powerplant: 1 × Rotax 912iS air and liquid-cooled, horizontally opposed piston aircraft engine, 100 hp (75 kW)
Powerplant: 2 × electric motors , 12 hp (8.9 kW) each

Performance

Cruise speed: 170 kn (200 mph, 310 km/h)

References edit

^ "Rutan's SkiGull Takes First Flight". November 25, 2015. Retrieved November 27, 2015.
^ "Legendary Plane Designer Burt Rutan Tests Weird Seaplane". Popular Science. November 25, 2015. Retrieved December 4, 2015.
^ Whitfield, Bethany (March 12, 2015). "Burt Rutan Releases Details on His New Aircraft Design". Flying. Retrieved March 13, 2015.
^ ^a ^b "Rutan's Next Airplane". March 12, 2015. Retrieved March 12, 2015.
^ "Aerospace Guru Burt Rutan Talks About SkiGull, His Next Plane". NBC News. March 12, 2015. Retrieved March 12, 2015.
^ "Development continues on Burt Rutan's SkiGull". generalaviationnews.com. August 26, 2015. Retrieved July 27, 2017.
^ "SkiGull details revealed". aopa.org. July 22, 2015. Retrieved December 4, 2015.
^ "Burt Rutan Takes SkiGull to the Water". Flying Magazine. November 5, 2015. Retrieved December 4, 2015.
^ "Rutan's SkiGull - First Flight". eaa.org. Archived from the original on November 26, 2015. Retrieved December 4, 2015.
^ "SkiGull's First Flight and an Update from Burt". Looking Up, Way Up!. Retrieved April 8, 2016.
^ "TESTING… TESTING…1…2…3". Looking Up, Way Up!. Retrieved January 1, 2018.
^ "BurtRutan.com". Burt Rutan. Retrieved July 27, 2017.