Rutan Long EZ

[Scotty]

Hi,

 

Im looking at a "project" Long EZ to return to flying condition. It was built in the US and imported here but has not flown in 20 years and has never been on the Australian register. Who out there has one or has owned/flown one? Any info on the good and bad points would be greatly appreciated.

 

Im a LAME with a group 7 ( composite) rating so the work required does not worry me but i was wanting to here from owners or anyone with info on if they are a good aircraft and what problems they have. It is fitted with a Lycoming 0-320 E2d engine that is running but I would be overhauling it.

 

Cheers Scott

 

 

[kaz3g]

Hi Scott

 

Very interesting aeroplane but it was far more popular in the USA than here. Never flown one but have seen a couple Vari-ezes around and the Long is essentially a development of that.

 

Plans were available through Aerocad for some time and there was a CD put out by another mob in the US. Google is probably your best friend.

 

Getting a check ride might not be easy...

 

Good luck

 

kaz

 

 

[Old Koreelah]

Very attractive aircraft Scott. Rutan designs always appealed to me for their sleek efficiency and innovation, but after a few years of building and flying I have pretty well fallen out of love with them. Fast, slippery and exciting a Long Eze may be, but I would not like to be in one when the engine stops. A very long takeoff and landing run, they don't look like they'd like rough strips. The rear-mounted prop is subjected to all the gravel and grit thrown up by the nose wheel.

 

That said, I'd love a smaller, single seat STOL version!

 

 

[old man emu]

That wouldn't be the one that's sitting in the corner of a hangar at Camden, would it?

 

The big thing to watch for, as with all pushers, is CHT. We recently replaced an engine in one that the owner cooked by overleaning. I think that you have to run them a bit on the rich side of best mixture.

 

Another problem is that they don't like unsealed landing areas. They can break the nose gear leg on grass strips.

 

OME

 

 

[Scotty]

Its in a hangar at Jandakot W.A. Theres a few things that im concerned about; He built it 20 years ago, It only flew once for an our after he built it then he moved from the US to AUS and it hasnt flown since, and the engine he put in already had heaps of hours on it when he got it 20 years ago.

 

Maybe it might be best to avoid it?

 

 

[old man emu]

I'd like to know why it only flew for an hour after it was built. That sounds like it was its production flight. Also why he didn't get it flying in Australia, but that might have been for C of A difficulties. If that engine hasn't run for 20 years, I'd suggest that its a boat anchor at worst, or is only worth its core value.

 

If you like this type of plane, a Cosy has just come in to our shop for a Periodic, and I believe that it is up for sale.

 

OME

 

 

[Methusala]

A friend had access to a Long-Eze years ago and I had a trip to Holbrook in it. It went like a scalded cat, about 170kt and climbed well also. Because of the high speed, the angle of climb was perhaps not so awesome but all aircraft are a mixture of compromises. They are designed as a fast traveling machine and the Long-Eze even had a bit of room for 'stuff' in the wing strakes from memory. Honestly, I think the biggest problem is that they are so comfortable (made of "plastic", the engine noise and vibration is well isolated from occupants and the seating position is glider style semi recumbent), one could go to sleep! Because they are so slippery (Very little frontal area), descents need to be well anticipated and they're only designed for very smooth and relatively long strips. Rutan was a very innovative designer and his work in space launches puts him in a select group of pioneering genius'. Don

 

 

[Yenn]

I think it is the Long Eze that has a rudder on each vert stab. but it only turns outwards, so you can end up with lack of rudder in crosswind landings. There may be a fix for that problem. A friend of mine nearly came unstuck at the Bundy Air Display a few years ago, in conditions I handled with no problem in the Corby.

 

 

[Sapphire]

I've done 30knot plus cross wind landings in a Varieze with the recommended reduced rudder travel and plenty of rudder control. However, the wing lightly scraped the ground on one of them. Good luck with the project Scotty. I've flown both and the Long Eze is the most popular.

 

The Varieze is very weight limited depending on it's empty weight when built. Mine could take full fuel. one average weight pilot and a a small kid for passenger with no starter motor. The Long Eze addressed that with a bigger plane and engine.

 

To add, they are the easiest a/c I have ever flown, especially on landing. Because of the long strips in the USA they land them at 100 mph [statute] for better visibility. Another aircraft I am investigating is the humble Hummel Bird and it does around 100 kts on a half Volkswagen engine [converted]. Has no struts and as well quite low drag.

 

 

[winsor68]

I've done 30knot plus cross wind landings in a Varieze with the recommended reduced rudder travel and plenty of rudder control. However, the wing lightly scraped the ground on one of them.

So to get this straight the Varieze was the original Rutan design... and the Longeze was the slightly later Mk 2 of the same design?

There is a lot of info available online about the breed... They are an aircraft that I have had a fascination with since childhood (when they were first designed)...

 

Here is a link to an Airbum flight report... http://www.pilotfriend.com/flight_reports/reports/30e.htm

 

This one was at Temora... apparently from Cairns... Beeeautiful!

 

 

 

[Sapphire]

Yes, nice a/c winsor. The Varieze can be lic as an ultralight as easy as signing a few forms

 

 

[Old Koreelah]

D

 

Yes, nice a/c winsor. The Varieze can be lic as an ultralight as easy as signing a few forms

That must mean it's "stall" is under 45kts! A lot slower than I was led to believe.

 

 

[Methusala]

They don't stall! Don

 

 

[Old Koreelah]

They don't stall! Don

Yes, I am aware of that. I should have used "minimum flying speed".

 

 

[winsor68]

Both would make Ra-Aus rego... Would you fly one with only Ra-Aus flying experience? Hmmmm....

 

Varieze max weight appears to be set at Maximum of 500kgs

 

Longeze max weight " " 650kgs

 

Keeping in mind they are all "experimental" and have their max weight set by the builder...

 

Long and short of it... There is a wealth of great info online... best advice I have read is tread very, very carefully. Opinion is they are a brilliant aircraft... particularly if you built it yourself. I imagine there is a LOT of room for variation in build quality (especially in areas like Spars and wing attachments) ...

 

The only really bad thing I have read about them has to do with inadequate protection if you tip it on its back... apparently the consequences can be lethal as evidenced by an early Australian built example... perhaps the seat back roll protection was not adequately strong enough on this aircraft?

 

A ride in one is definitely on my bucket list!

 

Note: I am not an authority but am an avid reader... lol Google the heck out of it and you can read all this info online and form your own opinion to a point...

 

 

[sain]

I call marketing bollocks on the "they don't stall". tape some red wool to strands to the wings and take one up. Get lots of altitude and then go through your standard stall routine. Watch what happens to the wool. feel how the plane porpises along as the nose drops in the stall and then picks itself up again when the speed increases and the cannard starts flying again.

 

Oh, and please video it and stick in on youtube. Or even better, come down Canberra way and take me for a ride in one!

 

Personally I love the look of those planes. damn sexy aircraft.

 

If anybody is interested in building a new one (or rebuilding one) the opencanard project may be of use.

 

http://www.opencanard.com

 

 

[Old Koreelah]

Thanks for the link, sain. Love the concept, except for the long ground roll. Would like to know the shortest strip one of these can handle.

 

 

[Sapphire]

The guy who lic his first Varieze as an ultralight in Australia had to do many trials and some modifications to prove it could fly at or below 45 knots. Others like me could then get it passed just by signing on the dotted line. When I talked to Steve Bell on the phone he wanted to know what the stalling speed of my Varieze was as it was not listed on his information sheet for that type of a/c. I told him it didn't stall and there was silence and a bit of mumbling on the end of the line. It got sorted out eventually. Variezes are built a bit longer and shorter. Lots of wind tunnel tests and test flight were done over a long period of time and changes were made even as people were building them. With the nosewheel extended before climbing in, the a/c will want to tip back agressively taking out your prop and probably landing on the wing tips nose up

 

That and the hand starting means you need lots of disipline even before you get into the air.

 

 

[sain]

Thanks for the info Sapphire.

 

My understanding of how the "it doesn't stall" worked was the front cannard was set at greater angle of attack than the main wing, so that it stalled first which forced the nose to drop slightly before the main wing would start to stall. and that pretty much stops the main wing stalling, unless your pretty aggressive on the entry to the stall, or in some weird attitude when it hits.

 

My understanding also was that if the main wing did stall the handling/recovery would be slightly problematic.

 

Can you shed any more light? whats it actually like to handle in a stall?

 

 

[Sapphire]

Interesting questions Sain. I havn't done a high speeed stall in this aircraft which would stall the main wing. During flight testing they were able with great difficulty to stall the Varieze and put it into a spin. It took over 12 turns to recover. Late in the development of the plane some pilot had an uncontrolled wing drop while just flying straight an level. Wasn't really dangerous as the plane instantly recovered with a change of speed. Rutan did many flights over a long period to reproduce it. Eventually it was discovered that wing drop could happen at a certain speed and aft c of g. and corrections were made. This a/c has been so extensively tested that in my opinion it is one of the safest to fly and easiest.

 

 

[Scotty]

I've done 30knot plus cross wind landings in a Varieze with the recommended reduced rudder travel and plenty of rudder control. However, the wing lightly scraped the ground on one of them. Good luck with the project Scotty. I've flown both and the Long Eze is the most popular.The Varieze is very weight limited depending on it's empty weight when built. Mine could take full fuel. one average weight pilot and a a small kid for passenger with no starter motor. The Long Eze addressed that with a bigger plane and engine.

To add, they are the easiest a/c I have ever flown, especially on landing. Because of the long strips in the USA they land them at 100 mph [statute] for better visibility. Another aircraft I am investigating is the humble Hummel Bird and it does around 100 kts on a half Volkswagen engine [converted]. Has no struts and as well quite low drag.

Thanks for the info, is there much storage space in the Long Eze. Ive read somewhere that you can fit a bit of stuff insude the wings. I just find them very interesting and thinkit might be a good longterm restore project while i get my flying hours up on other aircraft. Do they have any nasty habits or things you need to watch out for?

 

 

[Sapphire]

Thanks for the info, is there much storage space in the Long Eze. Ive read somewhere that you can fit a bit of stuff insude the wings. I just find them very interesting and thinkit might be a good longterm restore project while i get my flying hours up on other aircraft. Do they have any nasty habits or things you need to watch out for?

I owned a Varieze for two years but only did one flight in someone elses Long Eze which has more storage space. I would have more nasty habits than those two a/c. Do big circuits, especially in the beginning. They have large turning radius so turn onto final with plenty of space and moderate angle of bank. To reduce landing distance, round out over the gravel and hold off till you are over the bitumen. A lot of pilots dont use the air brake. It makes for about 20% less landing distance and protects your prop when taxiiing. I deployed the airbrake on early final. My circuit procedure differed from the Varieze manual. I would desend on crosswind doing 150 kts for better visibility downwards. Turn downwind and reduce speed to 120 kts. Turn base and reduce speed to 100 kts. Turn final and reduce speed to 80 kts and deploy airbrake. The manual has you apply airbrake on downwind. The catch is the airbrake is designed to retract automatically at speeds over about 90 kts. so your circuit would be slow, lack downward visibility, and not have as good contol turning. You will have to adjust the airbrake by trial and error so it retracts at the right speed. Make sure you have enough runway to do a landing without airbrake. When first I got my Varieze, the air brake retracted at 60 knots and was impossible to use untill re adjusted. The first time you fly, you will be test pilot and it will be your first solo. You'll have your hands full.

 

 

[Scotty]

I owned a Varieze for two years but only did one flight in someone elses Long Eze which has more storage space. I would have more nasty habits than those two a/c. Do big circuits, especially in the beginning. They have large turning radius so turn onto final with plenty of space and moderate angle of bank. To reduce landing distance, round out over the gravel and hold off till you are over the bitumen. A lot of pilots dont use the air brake. It makes for about 20% less landing distance and protects your prop when taxiiing. I deployed the airbrake on early final. My circuit procedure differed from the Varieze manual. I would desend on crosswind doing 150 kts for better visibility downwards. Turn downwind and reduce speed to 120 kts. Turn base and reduce speed to 100 kts. Turn final and reduce speed to 80 kts and deploy airbrake. The manual has you apply airbrake on downwind. The catch is the airbrake is designed to retract automatically at speeds over about 90 kts. so your circuit would be slow, lack downward visibility, and not have as good contol turning. You will have to adjust the airbrake by trial and error so it retracts at the right speed. Make sure you have enough runway to do a landing without airbrake. When first I got my Varieze, the air brake retracted at 60 knots and was impossible to use untill re adjusted. The first time you fly, you will be test pilot and it will be your first solo. You'll have your hands full.

How much flying experience do you think you would need before you flew one? I'm still learning at the moment but have access to a c172, 172rg , rv6a and a bonanza to fly and get my hours up on.

 

 

[Sapphire]

Scotty, you'll be learning till you hang up your head phones. The plane is forgiving and if it were any safer it would be boring. I would do high speed taxiing down the runway time after time raising the cunnard. Then when you think you are ready on a nice cool morning with a light wind straight down the strip, lift it off. When I did, I was taken back by the apparent high nose attitude, but even with that was maintaining only 500 feet but travelling over 130 knots. The normal climb attitude puts the canard and nose so high all you can see are the helecopters hovering above you [you're getting your first flight on video?] Do your circuit as planned and plan to go around. You'll know when you have enough experience. When the a/c you are flying is getting boring and you are looking for some more hot action, then its time. A note on the high speed taxi bit. If you have wheel fairings, the temperature inside can get so hot as to disintegrate the composite strut and the wheel falls off. Take your fairings off for the high speed taxi practice. I wrapped the strut with heat insulating material and drilled some holes in the bottom of the fairing as recommended in one of Rutans newsletters. Also, Continental engines are notorious for icing. Install a carby temp guage.

 

 

[Scotty]

Scotty, you'll be learning till you hang up your head phones. The plane is forgiving and if it were any safer it would be boring. I would do high speed taxiing down the runway time after time raising the cunnard. Then when you think you are ready on a nice cool morning with a light wind straight down the strip, lift it off. When I did, I was taken back by the apparent high nose attitude, but even with that was maintaining only 500 feet but travelling over 130 knots. The normal climb attitude puts the canard and nose so high all you can see are the helecopters hovering above you [you're getting your first flight on video?] Do your circuit as planned and plan to go around. You'll know when you have enough experience. When the a/c you are flying is getting boring and you are looking for some more hot action, then its time. A note on the high speed taxi bit. If you have wheel fairings, the temperature inside can get so hot as to disintegrate the composite strut and the wheel falls off. Take your fairings off for the high speed taxi practice. I wrapped the strut with heat insulating material and drilled some holes in the bottom of the fairing as recommended in one of Rutans newsletters. Also, Continental engines are notorious for icing. Install a carby temp guage.

Ive read that there was a few mods that have been done on them since they were built. The one i was looking at has had nothing done on it for 20 years, do you know where you can find a list of all the mods? It has a lyco 0-320 in it which should give it a bit of power. What do you think it would be worth?