Rutan's construction techniques gained the attention of NASA, and he partnered with them and other aircraft corporations to design high-speed, low cost, delta-wing aircraft, like the AD-1 in 1980. Rutan formed Scaled Composites about this time, and spent much of this time working on very creative and innovative aircraft designs. His brother, Richard Rutan also joined the company during this time. Rutan's next challenge was to design an aircraft that could circle the globe without refueling. Rutan succeeded in this goal when he designed the Voyager, a masterpiece of engineering that indeed circled the globe with his brother Dick Rutan and Jeana Yeager on board in December 1986. They covered the entire globe in just about nine days, with eighteen gallons of fuel remaining in the tanks (Heppenheimer 402-404). For their efforts, they all received a Presidential Citizens Medal from President Reagan, and gained notoriety around the world.
Rutan has continued to innovate in his quest for aviation immortality. Today, his company is working on several different prototypes for NASA and commercial enterprises, including the DCX, a single-stage to orbit rocket that could replace the Space Shuttle in space travel and the Roton, another single-stage vehicle that can transport up to 7,000 pounds into space. He is also partnering with Virgin founder Sir Richard Branson to create SpaceShipOne, and SpaceShipTwo, sub-orbital spacecraft that can reach 328,000 feet or more. SpaceShipOne made history when it reached 328,000 feet during several test runs. All of these designs could...
To add to the list of innovations, the SpaceShip Company formed by Branson and Rutan is also working on creating a viable spaceport, as well. There are also many other small, private jets and aircraft under design at Scaled at this time.
Unfortunately, Scaled recently made the news again in August of this year, when a devastating explosion at the plant killed three workers, Glen May, Eric Blackwell, and Todd Ivens, and severely injured several others. Rutan was not injured in the blast. An investigation into what caused the blast continues.
In conclusion, Burt Rutan is responsible for some of the most innovative and practical aircraft designs available today. At Scaled Composites, he continues to push the envelope of aircraft design, refusing to see problems, but creating opportunities instead. We owe much of the innovation in modern aircraft design (such as the inclusion of canards on modern airliners) to Burt Rutan. Someday, we may even travel practically and safely in space due to his design and vision.
References
Editors. "About Rutan Aircraft Factory, Inc." RutanAircraft.com. 2003. 18 Sept. 2007. http://www.rutanaircraft.com/htmlpages/rutancompany.html
Editors. "Scaled Composites." Scaled.com. 2007. 18 Sept. 2007. http://www.scaled.com/
Heppenheimer, T.A. A Brief History of Flight: From Balloons to Mach 3 and Beyond. New York: Wiley, 2001.
