Rutan Aircraft

Burt Rutan designed some of aviation's most revolutionary homebuilts: the VariEze (1976), Long-EZ, and twin-engine Defiant — all canard pushers with composite construction. The VariEze and Long-EZ were built in greater numbers than almost any other homebuilt type of their era. These designs were easier to build, performed better, and cost less than certified Cessnas, Beechcrafts, or Pipers of the time.

The Long-EZ offers excellent cruise efficiency with a Lycoming engine in pusher configuration. The canard design is stall-resistant by nature — the canard stalls first, dropping the nose before the main wing can stall. However, canard pilots have higher rates of fuel starvation incidents and judgment errors than the general homebuilt population. Used Long-EZs and VariEzes are available through the Canard Owners and Builders Association (COBA).

Rutan's canard configuration provides inherent stall resistance — the aircraft pitches nose-down rather than departing into a spin. Pilot miscontrol rates are lower than the overall homebuilt population. However, the pusher engine location means a forced landing results in the engine impacting from behind. Fuel system management requires attention — fuel starvation is more common in canard fleet than average. Overall, these are among the safest homebuilt designs when flown by trained, attentive pilots.