Rutan VariEze

Rutan Aircraft Factory · United States · first flew 1975 · light aircraft

The Rutan VariEze is a revolutionary homebuilt canard aircraft designed by Burt Rutan, featuring a pusher configuration and composite construction. Its unusual layout made it one of the most distinctive and influential light aircraft designs of the 20th century.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Mid-mounted, swept
E — Engines	1 × piston, fuselage-mounted
F — Fuselage	4.32 m fuselage
T — Tail	No tailplane

WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.

Spot it by:

Canard layout with pusher propeller at rear
Forward-swept small canard foreplane, swept main wing
Distinctive winglets at main wingtips

Unmistakable canard-pusher layout with the engine and propeller at the tail, small delta canard foreplanes, swept main wing with winglets, and a very compact fuselage.

Specifications

The Rutan VariEze has a length of 4.32 m (14 ft).
It has a wingspan of 6.81 m (22 ft).
Its maximum speed is 314 km/h (195 mph).
Typical crew: 1-2.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

First flown in 1975 by Burt Rutan at Mojave, California, the VariEze demonstrated that composite canard designs could be efficient, fast, and safe for amateur builders. Plans were sold to homebuilders worldwide, and the design influenced a generation of canard aircraft including the Long-EZ. Its canard arrangement provides natural stall resistance.

Variants

The original VariEze led directly to the larger Long-EZ and inspired numerous other Rutan canard designs; the basic VariEze was produced in large numbers from plans by homebuilders across several countries.

Where you'll see it

Thousands of VariEzes have been built and flown by private owners worldwide, particularly in the United States, and many remain airworthy today in private hands.

Related aircraft

AircraftIQ — the aircraft field guide: 4,893 recognition guides, live overhead identification, works offline.