Long Eze:
Rutan Long-eze In January 1979, Mr Rutan began the design of an enlarged and improved VariEze, to be powered by an Avco Lycoming O-235 engine that would have an electric started and engine driven alternator. The new model was intended specifically to have long range (hence the name Long-EZE), good forward field of view during landing, and lower approach and landing speeds than the VariEze, to make it more suitable for pilots of low proficiency. In its initial prototyped form (N79RA), as first flown on 12 June 1979, it was generally similar to the VariEze; but in addition to the changed power plant, it had wings of increased span and sweep, a 'rhino' rudder on the nose, and no control surfaces on the winglets. Flight testing revealed several deficiencies in flight characteristics. As a result a new wing was designed, with an Eppler section, reduced wing sweep, increased area, ailerons of increased span and the eventual introduction of rudders in larger winglets, leading to the deletion of the 'rhino' rudder. When the Long-EZ was flown with the wing in this finalized form, the desired flight characteristics had been achieved. On 15 December 1979, piloted by Dick Rutan, it took off in an attempt to set a new closed circuit distance record in FAI Class C1b. Landing 33 h 33 min and 41 s later, the Long-EZ had covered a distance of 7,725*3 km; 4,800*3 miles, which beat the former 20-year-old record by almost 2,969 km; 1,845 miles. On 5 June 1981, the same pilot took off from Anchorage, Alaska, for a successful attempt of the ClassC1b straight-line distance record. This time he covered 7,244 56 km; 4,563*70 miles, landing at Turk Island, West Indies, after 30 h 8 min in the air. This Long-EZ had a 119 kW (160hp) Avco Lycoming O-320 engine. On 9-10 April 1982 the 2,000 km Class C1b record was raised to 177*78 knots (204*58 mph) by Jeana Yeager in the same Long-EZE. Generally similar in construction to the VariEze, the standard two-seat Long-EZ has an 85*75 kW (115 hp) Avco Lycoming O-235 flat-four engine, and a maximum fuel capacity of 197 litres (52 gallons). Plans for construction of this aircraft have been available to homebuilders since April 1980. Approximately-3,500 sets of plans had been sold by early 1984, with about 1-600 Long-Ezs then under construction and 115 flying. In 1984, then US Army was evaluating two Long-Ezs as potential reconnaissance aircraft, with sensors installed in the space normally occupied by the passenger.
Dimensions Wing span - 7*96 m 26 ft 1 ¾ in Foreplane span - 3*59 m 11 ft 9 ½ in Length overall - 5*12 m 16 ft 9 ½ in Height overall - 2*40 m 7 ft 10 ½ in Areas Wings, gross - 7*62 m sq 81*99 sq ft Foreplane, gross - 1*19 m sq 12*8 sq ft
Weights Weight empty, basic - 322 kg 710 lb Weight empty, equipped - 340 kg 750 lb Normal max T-O weight - 601 kg 1,325 lb
Performance (with o-235 engine at max T-O weight, A: solo, B: two seat Max Cruising speed, 75% power at 2,440 m, 8,000 ft A - 161 knots, 298 km/h, 185 mph B - 159 knots, 295 km/h, 183 mph Cruising speed, 40% power at 3,660 m, 12,000 ft A,B - 125 knots, 232 km/h, 144 mph Max rate of climb at S/L A 533 m (1,750 ft)/min B 411 m(1350 ft)/min
Service ceiling A 8,230 m (27,000 ft) B 6,705 m (22,000 ft) T-O run A 168 (550 ft) B 253 m (830 ft) Landing run A 137 m (450 ft) B 207 m (680 ft)
Range with max fuel at max cruising speed, 40 min reserves A 2,205 km; 1,370 miles B 1,553 km; 965 miles Range with max fuel at 40% power, 40 min reserves A 3,235 km, 2,010 miles B 2,301 km, 1,430 miles