WILD NEW YONDER RUTAN UNVEILS NEW CONCEPT IN FLYING.Byline: Jim Skeen Staff Writer MOJAVE - A twin-engine aircraft described as ``giant leap'' in general aviation design was rolled out Wednesday at famed designer Burt Rutan's Scaled Composites Scaled Composites (often abbreviated as Scaled), formerly the Rutan Aircraft Factory, is located at the Mojave Spaceport, Mojave, California, United States and is headed by aircraft designer Burt Rutan. Co. Featuring twin tail booms and propellors at the front and rear of the fuselage, Adam M-309 was shown off to a crowd of about 100 invited guests at the Mojave Airport. It flew over the crowd for a few minutes before taxiing in to allow a closer look. ``This is really taking a modern approach to aircraft,'' said John Knudsen, president of Colorado-based Adam Aircraft Industries Adam Aircraft Industries (AAI) is an aircraft manufacturer founded by George F. Adam Jr and John C. Knudsen at Centennial Airport in Arapahoe County, Colorado, in 1998. . ``Most airplanes that are out there are based on 40-year-old designs.'' The product of a collaboration between Rick Adam, founder of Adam Aircraft, and Scaled Composites, the M-309 is expected tol be manufactured in Denver. First deliveries are expected in 2003. No price has been set on the airplane airplane, aeroplane, or aircraft, heavier-than-air vehicle, mechanically driven and fitted with fixed wings that support it in flight through the dynamic action of the air. , but Adam Aircraft officials said it will be competitive with other twin-engine general aviation aircraft. Differing from most other general aviation aircraft, the airplane is built out of carbon fiber composites and features a `glass cockpit A glass cockpit is an aircraft cockpit that features electronic instrument displays. A relatively recent development, glass cockpits are highly sought-after upgrades from traditional cockpits. ,'' where traditional analog gauges are replaced with digital, finger-touch displays. The six-seat aircraft is just under 32 feet in length and has a wing span of 42 feet. The aircraft is expected to have a top speed of about 290 mph and a range of over 1,500 miles. ``It has very, very long range - the range is about twice what it is for airplanes in its class,'' Rutan said. While Wednesday's event was the aircraft's official roll out, the aircraft actually made its first flight on March 21. ``It's not very often you fly a new airplane and the pilot comes back and says `there was no squawks, let's go Let's Go may refer to: Television
Adam M-309 is also expected to be a step up in terms of safety compared to other twin engine aircraft. The positioning of the engines means that if a pilot were to lose one engine, the aircraft would maintain its lateral stability. The aircraft will have a low stall speed of about 84 mph, allowing a pilot to regain control of the aircraft at low speeds. Adam M-309 is the latest project from Rutan, whose previous work has ranged from a keel keel 1. the ventrally directed large surface of the bird's sternum, the site of attachment of the major muscles of flight. Called also carina. 2. the prominent area over the sternum in Dachshunds. for an America's Cup America's Cup: see sailing. America's Cup Most prestigious trophy in international yachting competition. First offered under another name in Britain in 1851, the cup was won easily by the America from New York and subsequently became known as the yacht to fabricating an experimental aircraft NASA NASA: see National Aeronautics and Space Administration. NASA in full National Aeronautics and Space Administration Independent U.S. is using to test the design of a space station ``lifeboat.'' Rutan is perhaps best known as the designer of the Voyager aircraft that his brother, Dick, and Jeana Yeager flown around the world non-stop on one tank of gas in 1986. CAPTION(S): 3 photos Photo: (1 -- color) A crowd of 100 guests inspect the Adam M-309. The plane features front and rear propellors and twin tail booms. Jeff Goldwater/Staff Photographer (2 -- color -- ran in AV edition only) Adam M-309 aircraft flies over crowd at the Mojave Airport Wednesday. (3 -- color -- ran in AV edition only) Aircraft designer Burt Rutan Elbert Leander "Burt" Rutan (born June 17, 1943 in Estacada, Oregon) is an American aerospace engineer noted for his originality in designing light, strong, unusual-looking, energy-efficient aircraft. says his new plane has very long range. |
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