> Paul
>
> I too am building a Berkut. I'll be putting the mistral G-300 on mine
> I had to do a complete rebuild on my airplane. The workmanship was so
> bad on it that I couldn't even save the wings. I have some spare parts.
> we are almost on the gear now. I can help as well with whatever he needs.
>
> Tony
>
>
> Do they still make the berkut and wouldn't a three rotor be two
> much for the air frame? There's a guy with a similar design that
> gets. 250 + at altitude with an 0- 200.
>
> Clifton
>
> You are speaking of Klaus and that is a variez which is smaller
> than a Berkut. The O-200 is highly modified and Klaus has spent
> 1000 of flight hours refining the aerodynamics. His hangar is
> directly across the taxiway from mine so I know.
>
>
> The Berkut is designed for an O-540.
>
> Paul Lamar
Ahh!!! I'm feeling an attack of canard configurationism
insensitivity!! "All you canard airplanes look alike. Can go 500mph
on 40hp and create fuel in the process.." Ha ha. :)
A Varieze (Burt Rutan's 2nd "mainstream" design) is a small airplane.
It has a total lifting surface (wing) area of 66sq ft - on par with
Reno F1 racers, and yet the Varieze can carry 2 people in reasonable
comfort. A stock Varieze will cruise between 165 and 200mph on a
100hp O-200 for about 4 hours. There's more speed potential as Klaus
has demonstrated (in x-country flying, and at Reno).
The Long EZ was Burt's next "mainstream" design - which had a goal of
correcting all of the design deficiencies of the Varieze - namely the
tiny wings which limited the useful load, caused high-ish minimum
airspeeds which necessitated long, smooth runways. The Long EZ is
about 40% larger in most dimensions, designed around 4 cylinder
Lycomings (O-235's, and O-320's are common while O-360's are
numerous), carries 2x the fuel (52gal), and because of it's increased
size is necessarily less fuel efficient than the Varieze at a given
speed. The Long EZ is a practical 2 seat traveling airplane with
enough useful load to carry an IFR panel, 2 adults, plus a little
baggage across the US with one fuel stop. A normal 150hp Long EZ will
cruise around 200mph.
Burt designed some other canard style airplanes including the Defiant
(a push-pull 4-seat twin), and the Beech Starship. All of Burt's
experimental airplanes were plans-built, glass over foam construction.
Not kit-built (ignore the Solitaire).
The Berkut was Dave Ronneberg's creation after having done several
Long EZ's and working on a few of Burt's projects (including the
'round the world Voyager). The Berkut has essentially the same wing
area as the Long EZ but was stretched to accommodate bigger people and
heavier engines - 4 Cylinder FI Big Bore Angle Valve Lycomings
(IO-360) and can accomodate the lighter O-540's. Fixed pitch prop,
retractable main landing gear (along with the nose gear), F4 Phantom
style canopies. Lots of Carbon Fiber in the structure. 230-250mph
cruise speed. There was a Berkut that raced in the Sport Class at
Reno - lapping in the low 260mph range. Early Berkuts had only a few
molded pieces of the airframe while later airplanes included
more/mostly molded parts.
The E-Racer was Shirl Dickey's design - LongEZ construction methods,
wings, canard, side by side seating, and was the source of the
retractable main gear for the Berkut. Shirl's early airplane had an
automotive v engine mounted behind the seats (ahead of the wing)
driving a shaft, reduction unit and prop (located behind the wing).
Shirl later redesigned the airplane to use a conventional aircraft
engine mounted in the normal (LongEZ) location. Only a few have been
built. My personal favorite. Have used engines from v6 Buicks to
O-320's to a supercharged O-540. 180mph to 250mph cruise depending on
engine and drag reduction.
The Cozy was Nat Puffer's design. Started out as a Long EZ with a
front seat wide enough for two (narrow) people, and a wide, single
back seat. Early Cozys even had the O-235 like the early Long EZs -
must have been doggy.. Later (Mk IV) the back seat was widened to
accommodate two (narrow) people and the common engine became the
Lycoming O-360. LongEZ wings, canard, winglets. 180 to 230mph
cruise. Normally built from plans like a LongEZ. AeroCad has a kit
version - molded parts.
All of the above typically "kneel" while parked on the ground.
Without the weight of the front seater(s), most of of these won't sit
securely on the nose gear - tipping over to rest on the main gear and
tips of the wings - usually damaging the prop. The E-Racer is
supposedly pretty secure while sitting on all 3 wheels - the
passenger/pilot sit close to the airplanes CG and so they don't
represent as much of a balancing force. None the less, the fuselage
sides must be climbed over to enter or exit any of these airplanes,
and kneeling the nose gear makes this easier. The airplanes with
electric gear can lower and extend the gear (raising and lowering the
nose) while on the ground.
The Velocity is a totally different line of airplanes. The only real
similarities are that it has the horizontal stab up front, swept wings
in the back and (most have) vertical stabs co-located with wingtip
winglets. Velocity's are all molded kit built, use engines from
150-300hp. Some of the new ones are 5 seaters - wide back seat.
Swing up doors on each side. Have cruise speeds from 170mph to 270mph
depending on whether it has retractable gear (a unique design) and
what engine it's using.
There have been a few other one-off airplanes that look like the
original Varieze..
Probably more than anyone wanted to know... ;)
Matt-
Not all I still want to know if the berkut is being produce because I
thought they went out of production. A long time ago.
Clifton
I don't know.
Paul Lamar
No they are no longer being produced. You have to find a project.
There where 80 kits sold. we currently have 9 in the air.
I must caution anyone who wants to build one though, it's a
very very difficult airplane to build.
Tony
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