Scaled Composites Model 81 Catbird
Scaled Composites · United States · first flew 1988 · light aircraft
The Scaled Composites Model 81 Catbird is a composite five-seat light aircraft designed by Burt Rutan, remarkable for its canard configuration and unusual twin-boom pusher layout. It demonstrated that a five-seat aircraft could be flown by a single engine while meeting all FAA safety requirements.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Low-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Distinctive composite construction with bulbous fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Five-seat canard pusher with tractor nose engine
- Twin tail booms flanking rear-mounted pusher prop
- Distinctive composite construction with bulbous fuselage
Identify by the canard foreplanes, a conventionally-placed tractor engine at the nose, a separate pusher propeller at the tail between twin booms, and the wide five-seat composite fuselage.
Specifications
- The Scaled Composites Model 81 Catbird has a length of 8.43 m (28 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 12.19 m (40 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 441 km/h (274 mph).
- Typical crew: 1 pilot + 4 passengers.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Designed by Burt Rutan and first flown in 1988, the Catbird was built to prove that a certificatable five-seat single-engine aircraft could outperform contemporary twin-engine designs in both speed and efficiency. It remains a one-off demonstrator owned by Scaled Composites and was never put into production.
Variants
Only a single prototype was built; no production variants or derivatives were developed from the Catbird design.
Where you'll see it
The Catbird has remained a privately operated demonstrator based in Mojave, California, and has not entered service with any airline, military, or operator outside Scaled Composites.
Related aircraft
- Scaled Composites ARES
- Scaled Composites Rutan Voyager
- Rutan Boomerang
- Scaled Composites Proteus
- Beechcraft King Air 350
- Boeing Condor
- CMC Leopard
- Extra 300
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