- Design and development
- Specifications (original outer wing panel)
- References
- External links
{{Refimprove|date=August 2015}}| name=Rutan VariViggen | image=variviggen.jpg | caption= }}{{Infobox Aircraft Type | type=Homebuilt light aircraft | manufacturer=Rutan Aircraft Factory | designer=Burt Rutan | first flight=April, 1972 | introduced= | retired= | status= < 5 flying | primary user= private owners | produced= | number built= ~20 | unit cost= | variants with their own articles=VariEze} |
The Rutan VariViggen is a homebuilt aircraft designed by Burt Rutan. The aircraft is a tandem two-seater of composite construction with a delta wing and a canard foreplane. The VariViggen is powered by a 150 hp Lycoming O-320 aero engine in pusher configuration. The prototype was designated Model 27, and the production version was Model 32. Design and developmentThe VariViggen was named after the Swedish fighter plane, the Saab 37 Viggen, which had partially inspired his design. Rutan became interested in aircraft which resisted stalls and spins, and the VariViggen was his first full scale design. He began working with the design as a student at Cal Poly in the early 1960s, and started building the prototype in his garage in 1968. After four years of work, the aircraft made its first flight in April, 1972. In order to increase efficiency, the Model 32 (also known as the VariViggen SP) had a slightly longer fuselage, a larger wingspan and winglets. The Rutan Aircraft Factory sold over 60 plan sets for the VariViggen to homebuilders, and eventually about 20 of the aircraft were built. Following the crash of one in New Brunswick, Canada in September 2006 due to wing tank fuel contamination,[1] fewer than five are currently still flying. The prototype aircraft, N27VV, was donated to the EAA AirVenture Museum in 1988. Rutan also began work on an all-aluminum variant, the MiniViggen, but later abandoned the project and focused his efforts on the VariEze. Specifications (original outer wing panel){{Aircraft specs
|ref=Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1976–77[2]
|prime units?=imp
|genhide=
|crew=1
|capacity=1 passenger
|length m=
|length ft=19
|length in=0
|length note=
|span m=
|span ft=19
|span in=0
|span note=
|height m=
|height ft=
|height in=
|height note=
|wing area sqm=
|wing area sqft=119
|wing area note=
|volume m3=
|volume ft3=
|volume note=
|aspect ratio=3:1
|airfoil=
|empty weight kg=
|empty weight lb=950
|empty weight note=
|gross weight kg=
|gross weight lb=
|gross weight note=
|max takeoff weight kg=
|max takeoff weight lb=1700
|max takeoff weight note=
|fuel capacity={{convert|35|USgal|impgal L|abbr=on}}
|more general=
|eng1 number=1
|eng1 name=Lycoming O-320-A2A
|eng1 type=air-cooled flat-four
|eng1 kw=
|eng1 hp=150
|eng1 note=
|prop blade number=2
|prop name=Hegy wooden fixed-pitch
|prop dia m=
|prop dia ft=5
|prop dia in=10
|prop dia note=
|perfhide=
|max speed kmh=
|max speed mph=163
|max speed kts=
|max speed note=
|max speed mach=
|cruise speed kmh=
|cruise speed mph=125
|cruise speed kts=
|cruise speed note=(econ cruise at {{convert|7000|ft|m|abbr=on}})
|stall speed kmh=
|stall speed mph=
|stall speed kts=
|stall speed note=
|never exceed speed kmh=
|never exceed speed mph=180
|never exceed speed kts=
|never exceed speed note=
|range km=
|range miles=400
|range nmi=
|range note=(max fuel, 30 minutes reserve)
|endurance=
|ceiling m=
|ceiling ft=14000
|ceiling note=
|climb rate ms=
|climb rate ftmin=1200
|climb rate note=
|time to altitude=
|more performance=*Take-off run to 50 ft (15 m): {{convert|950|ft|m|abbr=on}}
- Landing run from 50 ft (15 m): {{convert|600|ft|m|abbr=on}}
|avionics=
}}References1. ^{{Citation | date= September 17, 2006 | url = http://www.bst-tsb.gc.ca/eng/rapports-reports/aviation/2006/a06a0092/a06a0092.asp | publisher = Transportation Safety Board of Canada | title = Aviation Investigation Report A06A0092}}
2. ^{{Harvnb|Taylor|1976|p=530}}
- {{citation |editor-last=Taylor |editor-first=John W. R. |editor-link=John W. R. Taylor |title=Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1979–1977 |year=1976 |publisher=Jane's Yearbooks |location=London |isbn=0-354-00538-3 }}
External links{{commons category}}- NZ website on the VariViggen
- Sun 'n Fun Air Museum
- AirVenture Museum
- Museum of Flight VariViggen website
- Aerofiles VariViggen information
- VariViggen History
{{Scaled Composites}} 6 : Homebuilt aircraft|Rutan aircraft|Canard aircraft|Delta-wing aircraft|Single-engined pusher aircraft|Low-wing aircraft |