- Design and development
- Operational history
- Specifications
- References
- External links
{{Refimprove|date=May 2016}}| name=Rutan Grizzly | image=Rutan Model 072 Grizzly N80RA -06002.jpg | caption=Rutan Grizzly at the EAA AirVenture Museum, Oshkosh. Image courtesy by TDL. }}{{Infobox Aircraft Type | type=tandem-wing STOL research aircraft | manufacturer=Rutan Aircraft Factory | designer=Burt Rutan | first flight=22 January 1982 | introduced= | retired= | status= | primary user= | produced= | number built= 1 | unit cost= | variants with their own articles=} |
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, proving that this is also possible with a Rutan-typical canard design. Design and developmentThis composite-construction aircraft features three lifting surfaces: A front wing with approximately half the span of the main wing and a classical 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. The Grizzly is intended for use as a bush plane with unique safety and comfort, the four-seater could be used by two persons as a camper for back-country activities with its seats folded to become a {{convert|6|ft|abbr=on}} long bed. A planned amphibian version of the Grizzly was never realized. Use as a bush plane may conflict with the Grizzly’s low wings and Fowler flaps which might interfere with vegetation or obstacles. Operational historyThe career of the Grizzly contains several “firsts”: - first use of computational methods at Rutan Aircraft Factory for airfoil and wing-system design
- first use of a Fowler-type flap system on the canard surface of a tandem wing aircraft
- first practical Three-surface aircraft that paved the way for the later Grumman X-29 or Piaggio Avanti
- an exceptionally long first flight on 22 January 1982 (2.6 hours) exploring a vast area of operability
- first experimental airplane to tow another experimental airplane (the Solitaire) on June 23, 1982
After completion of testing the Grizzly was donated to the EAA AirVenture Museum, Oshkosh in 1997. Specifications{{Aircraft specs
|ref=Jane's all the World's Aircraft 1984-85[1]
|prime units?=kts
|genhide=
|crew=1
|capacity=3 passengers
|length m=
|length ft=
|length in=
|length note=
|span m=
|span ft=
|span in=
|span note=
|height m=
|height ft=
|height in=
|height note=
|wing area sqm=
|wing area sqft=
|wing area note=
|aspect ratio=
|airfoil=
|empty weight kg=
|empty weight lb=
|empty weight note=
|gross weight kg=
|gross weight lb=
|gross weight note=
|max takeoff weight kg=
|max takeoff weight lb=
|max takeoff weight note=
|fuel capacity=
|more general=
|eng1 number=1
|eng1 name=Lycoming O-360B
|eng1 type=4-cylinder air-cooled horizontally-opposed piston engine
|eng1 kw=
|eng1 hp=180
|eng1 shp=
|eng1 kn=
|eng1 lbf=
|eng1 note=
|power original=
|thrust original=
|eng1 kn-ab=
|eng1 lbf-ab=
|prop blade number=2
|prop name=Hartzell Q-tip constant speed propeller
|prop dia m=
|prop dia ft=
|prop dia in=
|prop dia note=
|perfhide=
|max speed kmh=
|max speed mph=
|max speed kts=
|max speed note=
|max speed mach=
|cruise speed kmh=
|cruise speed mph=
|cruise speed kts=
|cruise speed note=
|stall speed kmh=
|stall speed mph=
|stall speed kts=35
|stall speed note=
|never exceed speed kmh=
|never exceed speed mph=
|never exceed speed kts=
|never exceed speed note=
|range km=
|range miles=
|range nmi=
|range note=
|combat range km=
|combat range miles=
|combat range nmi=
|combat range note=
|ferry range km=
|ferry range miles=
|ferry range nmi=
|ferry range note=
|endurance=
|ceiling m=
|ceiling ft=
|ceiling note=
|g limits=
|roll rate=
|climb rate ms=
|climb rate ftmin=
|climb rate note=
|time to altitude=
|lift to drag=
|wing loading kg/m2=
|wing loading lb/sqft=
|wing loading note=
|fuel consumption kg/km=
|fuel consumption lb/mi=
|power/mass=
|more performance=
|avionics=
}}
References1. ^{{cite book |title=Jane's all the World's Aircraft 1984-85 |editor1-last=Taylor |editor1-first=John W. R. |edition=75th |year=1984 |publisher=Jane's Publishing Co. |location=London |isbn=0 7106 0801 2|pages=492-493 }}
External links- website on the Grizzly
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20170805051932/http://igor113.livejournal.com/249781.html photo report]
- Aerofiles Grizzly information
{{Scaled Composites}} 3 : Rutan aircraft|Canard aircraft|Three-surface aircraft |