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Rutan Grizzly

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Grizzly
Rutan Grizzly at the EAA AirVenture Museum, Oshkosh. Image courtesy by TDL.
General information
TypeTandem-wing STOL research aircraft
ManufacturerRutan Aircraft Factory
Designer
Number built1
History
First flightJanuary 22, 1982
Preserved atEAA AirVenture Museum, Oshkosh

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 low stall speeds and excellent short take-off and landing (STOL) capabilities.

Design and development

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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 which increased wing area by over 45 square feet.[1] 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 cabin converted to sleep two; folding of the rear seat allowed for a 78-inch bed.[2]

After completion of testing the Grizzly was donated to the EAA AirVenture Museum, Oshkosh in 1997.

Specifications

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Data from Jane's all the World's Aircraft 1984–85[3]

General characteristics

  • Crew: 1
  • Capacity: 3 passengers
  • Powerplant: 1 × Lycoming O-360B 4-cylinder air-cooled horizontally-opposed piston engine, 180 hp (130 kW)
  • Propellers: 2-bladed Hartzell Q-tip constant speed propeller

Performance

  • Stall speed: 35 kn (40 mph, 65 km/h)

References

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  1. ↑ "STARGAZER - A unique database on Burt Rutan and his projects!". stargazer2006.online.fr. Retrieved September 30, 2026.
  2. ↑ "STARGAZER - A unique database on Burt Rutan and his projects!". stargazer2006.online.fr. Retrieved September 30, 2026.
  3. ↑ Taylor, John W. R., ed. (1984). Jane's all the World's Aircraft 1984–85 (75th ed.). London: Jane's Publishing Co. pp. 492–493. ISBN 0-7106-0801-2.
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