Designing 400 Air and Spacecraft - Episode 50 · Behind the Wings summary

Key takeaways

Burt Rutan's fascination with aviation began from childhood inspirations and a drive to solve safety issues.
He designed over 400 aircraft, focusing on unique designs that often included canards for safety.
Significant aircraft like the Voyager and GlobalFlyer set world records for long-distance, non-refueled flights.
Rutan envisions a future of aviation that relies on AI, potentially eliminating the need for human pilots.
Collaboration and support played crucial roles in Rutan's projects, with many components being donated or built in partnership.

Summary

Burt Rutan's Aerospace Journey

In this episode, legendary aerospace designer Burt Rutan reflects on his impressive career in aviation and space design. He discusses his early inspirations which include witnessing B-36 bombers flying overhead and a pivotal meeting with Wernher von Braun, which led him to pursue a career as an airplane designer. Rutan highlights his philosophy towards safety in aviation, particularly his passion for addressing and solving issues related to aircraft control and departure problems that can lead to accidents.

Groundbreaking Aircraft Designs

Rutan shares in-depth stories about his most recognized aircraft, including the BD-5 and the Long EZ, explaining their innovative designs. The BD-5 was notable for its lightweight construction and unique canard design which provided natural stall protection. The Long EZ, with its impressive range and efficiency, marked a revolution in home-built aircraft. Rutan’s work eventually culminated in the design of Stratolaunch Roc, the world’s largest aircraft that plays a significant role in ongoing hypersonic flight testing.

Record-Breaking Flights

The conversation delves into some of the milestone flights achieved by Rutan's aircraft, including the Voyager, which was the first to fly around the world without refueling. Piloted by his brother Dick Rutan, this monumental achievement set a new standard for distance in aviation. Burt also discusses the GlobalFlyer, flown by Steve Fossett, which completed around-the-world flights and cemented its place in aviation history.

The Future of Aviation

Towards the end of the podcast, Burt shares his vision for the future of aviation, emphasizing a shift towards pilotless aircraft designs. He believes that advancements in AI and automotive technology will allow for the creation of aircraft without traditional controls, making flying more accessible and safe for everyday users. Rutan asserts that removing the need for pilots could revolutionize general aviation, allowing for quicker and more efficient travel.

Show notes

Legendary aerospace engineer Burt Rutan shares untold stories behind some of the most unique air and spacecraft ever built.

In this episode, Burt reflects on a lifetime of aerospace innovation — from working as a U.S. Air Force flight test engineer to breaking records with his homebuilt aircraft. He also discusses stall testing the F-4, Bede Aircraft, the world’s largest airplane, and the Voyager and GlobalFlyer around-the-world flights. This one is going to be cool!

Episode 50 marks the end of Season 5 of the Behind the Wings podcast. We'll be taking a short break and will be back later this year with Season 6!

Key Takeaways:

Burt's love of aviation began when two B-36 bombers flew over his house. He was building airplanes out of balsa wood at the time.
After college, Burt started his aerospace career at Edwards Air Force base as a civilian Flight Test Engineer. He worked on the F-4 to test and help with its stalling problems.
Jim Bede of Bede Aircraft wanted Burt to help him test and perfect his BD-5. Burt would work with him for two years overseeing test pilots and designs.
Burt's passion was to solve departure problems in aircraft. His home builds often had a canard design to help alleviate most spin issues. As of today, he has built 49 aircraft and created over 400 others.
Stratolaunch Roc, the world's largest aircraft, was designed by Burt. This twin-fuselage plane is used to test hypersonic flight by launching a vehicle, the Talon-A, from the aircraft's center.
Burt's aircraft have several world records including the round the world flights conducted by Dick Rutan in the Rutan Voyager and Steve Fosset in the Virgin Atlantic GlobalFlyer. Steve Fosset flew around the world three times in the GlobalFlyer.
Burt thinks the future of aviation is one without pilots. With the advancements of AI and autonomous vehicles, he thinks that future airplanes should be designed without aviator controls.

Resources:

Chapters:

(00:00) - Intro
(01:11) - Early Interest in Aviation
(03:03) - Spin Testing the F-4
(05:10) - Testing the XC-142A
(06:54) - Working at Bede Aircraft
(10:07) - Building the VariViggen
(11:57) - The Long-EZ
(13:07) - The World's Largest Airplane
(15:07) - 400 Designs
(16:01) - Flying Around the World in Voyager
(18:59) - The GlobalFlyer's Record
(25:16) - The Future of Aircraft
(27:10) - Life Advice
(28:15) - Outro

Designing 400 Air and Spacecraft - Episode 50