From HandWiki - Reading time: 4 min
| Grizzly | |
|---|---|
| Rutan Grizzly at the EAA AirVenture Museum, Oshkosh. Image courtesy by TDL. | |
| Role | Tandem-wing STOL research aircraft |
| Manufacturer | Rutan Aircraft Factory |
| Designer | Burt Rutan |
| First flight | January 22, 1982 |
| Number built | 1 |
The Rutan Model 72 Grizzly is a tandem-wing STOL research aircraft designed by Burt Rutan, now preserved at the EAA AirVenture Museum, Oshkosh. The aircraft exhibited excellent short take-off and landing (STOL) capabilities.
This composite-construction aircraft features three lifting surfaces: A front wing with approximately half the span of the main wing and a cruciform empennage. Front and main wings are connected by a pair of struts with square cross-section which also serve as fuel tanks. Both wings carry Fowler flaps on part of their span for STOL. The fixed tail-wheel undercarriage has four low-pressure, small-diameter main-wheels, on two cantilever spring struts, with a spring mounted tail-wheel assembly. The four-seat cabin is completely enclosed with a combination of flat, squared and outward-bulged tear-drop shaped windows.
After completion of testing the Grizzly was donated to the EAA AirVenture Museum, Oshkosh in 1997.
Data from Jane's all the World's Aircraft 1984–85[1]
General characteristics
Performance