This was down at PVU today. Pretty strange looking plane! Maybe you guys have some info on it?

https://skydrive.live.com/redir?resid=9 ... 3rjGIZFMTQ

It was at OSH last year--another of the Rutan's one-off designs built by his company, Scaled Composites.

Cary

Yeah that's Burt's Boomerang.

Mr. Rutan has consistently pioneered new ground in aerodynamics, and is almost single-handedly responsible for discovering what has become known as the Porkchop Factor, that airframe drag is inversely proportional to the number of flying surface to fuselage intersections.

Rutan has masterfully conquered this principle, with several of his designs having enough airframe and flying surface intersections to reduce the total aircraft drag below zero, for which he has filed international patents covering his generation of "Intersection Thrust".

However, without a stabilizing opposing force, the prototypes of many of these aircraft have accelerated uncontrollably through flutter speed and disintegrated. Although very proud that several of his aircraft having achieved perpetual motion by using the intersection thrust phenomenon, liability concerns on the part of his attorneys forced Rutan to begrudgingly install the engine on the rear of the airplane to hold it back, and prevent this dangerous overspeed condition.

It is a pretty simple idea...put one of the engines on a twin in the fuselage and you eliminate the drag of the second engine nacelle and decrease the distance between the thrust of the two engines and the center of gravity, which in turn reduces the yaw created by an engine failure. If you put a the engine nacelle on the left with clockwise turning engines you no longer have a critical engine. Looks odd, but by accounts I've read, flies well. I kind of like it, but people don't tend to buy weird looking aircraft...

..... Although very proud that several of his aircraft having achieved perpetual motion by using the intersection thrust phenomenon,.....

So.....
The Noble Mr Burt Rutan has repealed the laws of physics?
Man, I really AM impressed!!

lc

What I like the most about the Boomerang is its range; the ability to fly from CA to HI, and faster than a Baron! Here's an interesting article from Air and Space...

http://www.airspacemag.com/flight-today ... 94916.html

Once again, EZ proves to be the master of BS!

Cary

Littlecub wrote:
So.....
The Noble Mr Burt Rutan has repealed the laws of physics?
Man, I really AM impressed!!

I was being a sarcastic SOB as usual, trying to tickle the funny bone of some of the amateur (guilty, your honor) and professional (several aero's whose identity I shall not soil) students of aircraft design here on this forum.

Burt's ego has certainly repealed the laws of physics. But, in fairness we have to admit that a few of his successful designs have done really amazing things, and on the really big scores he has indeed always done what others have not been able to do (unrefueled around the world, small company prototype into near space, etc.).

Once Burt figured out how to minimize the traditional "Intersection Drag", the drag-production from airframe intersections, by using "poor man's area ruling"... to watchers of light aircraft development it sure looks like he went way out of his way to design funky airplanes with the maximum number of intersections humanly possible.

The term "intersection thrust" and Rutan having to put the engine on the back to "hold it back" is a little humorous tidbit I can't take credit for. Some smart ass other than yours truly wrote that years ago and it got forwarded to me. just seemed like a fine moment to recycle it for another round.

This website http://www.rutanboomerang.com/index.php is maintained by the current caretaker of Boomerang. Check out the design tab. It describes how Boomerang descended from the Beech Barron. I believe it is based out of San Luis Obispo now.

Once Burt figured out how to minimize the traditional "Intersection Drag", the drag-production from airframe intersections, by using "poor man's area ruling"... to watchers of light aircraft development it sure looks like he went way out of his way to design funky airplanes with the maximum number of intersections humanly possible.

Looks to me like the 9 intersections of the Boomerang is the same as the Beech Baron and one less than a Beech 18.

The defense rests....

http://www.air-and-space.com/20050315%2 ... ng%20l.jpg



http://www.air-and-space.com/19891030%2 ... de%20l.jpg

Aesthetics is not Rutan's strong suit, IMHO. Cool, yes; pretty, no.

Cary