Rutan Long-EZ
 Rutan Long-EZ. Photo: NOAA, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
| |
| Make | Rutan |
|---|---|
| Model | Rutan Long-EZ |
| Type | Homebuilt aircraft |
| Country |  United States of America
|
| First flight | June 12, 1979
|
| Registered in the US | 419 (FAA register, October 30, 2026) |
| Seats | 1 pilot, 1 passenger |
| Engine | Lycoming O-235, 115 hp |
| Cruise speed | 144 mph |
| Range | 2,010 mi |
| Service ceiling | 27,000 ft |
| Max weight | 1,325 lb
|
| More aircraft · For sale | |
The Rutan Long-EZ (Model 61, said "Long-Easy") is a two-seat homebuilt airplane designed by Burt Rutan. It has a canard up front, a swept wing with rudders at the wingtips, and a pusher engine at the back.[1] The prototype, N79RA, first flew on June 12, 1979.[1] The FAA register lists 419 under Long-EZ model names with a valid registration today.[2]
History
The Long-EZ is a larger redesign of Rutan's VariEze, whose plans first went to homebuilders in 1976. It was made to use common Lycoming aircraft engines instead of the Volkswagen-based or hard-to-find small Continental engines the VariEze needed.[1] It got a bigger main wing with less sweep, larger strakes holding more fuel and baggage, and a slightly wider cabin. Plans were sold from 1980 to 1985.[1]
The main wheels are fixed in streamlined spats, and the nosewheel retracts.[1] Wikipedia counts about 700 FAA-registered Long-EZs in 2005 and 833 in 2021.[1]
Famous offshoots
- EZ-Rocket: XCOR Aerospace replaced a Long-EZ's engine with two liquid-fueled rocket engines as a test vehicle.[1]
- Twin-EZ: a Long-EZ converted to two wing-mounted Wankel engines by Ivan Shaw, who later designed the Europa kitplane.[1]
Registered in the United States
The FAA register lists 419 of these airplanes with a valid U.S. registration. Here they are by the model name the FAA uses.[2]
| FAA model name | Registered |
|---|---|
| LONG EZ | 155 |
| LONG-EZ | 137 |
| LONG-EZE | 22 |
| LONG EZE | 20 |
| RUTAN LONG EZ | 18 |
| LONGEZE | 14 |
| RUTAN LONG-EZ | 13 |
| LONGEZ | 9 |
| RUTAN LONG EZE | 6 |
| LIMA ZOO LONG-EZ | 1 |
| DB LONG EZ | 1 |
| LONG-EZ INVICTUS | 1 |
| LONG-EZ-B | 1 |
| RUTAN MOD 61 LONG EZ | 1 |
| LONG EZ SAARUS | 1 |
| LONG-EZE SP | 1 |
| JACK DAY LONG EZE | 1 |
| JEWETT LONG EZ | 1 |
| BURTON LONG EZ | 1 |
| RUTAN LONG EZE 61 | 1 |
| 14 other model names | 14 |
Specifications
| Item | Rutan Long-EZ |
|---|---|
| Crew | 1 pilot |
| Passengers / capacity | 1 passenger |
| Length | 5.12 m |
| Wingspan | 7.96 m |
| Height | 2.40 m |
| Wing area | 81.99 sq ft |
| Empty weight | 710 lb |
| Maximum takeoff weight | 1,325 lb |
| Fuel | 52 US Gal (197 L) |
| Engine | Lycoming O-235, 115 hp (air-cooled flat-four engine) |
| Maximum speed | 185 mph |
| Cruise speed | 144 mph |
| Range | 2,010 mi |
| Service ceiling | 27,000 ft |
| Rate of climb | 1,750 ft/min |
Figures as given in the Wikipedia article and its sources.[1]
Photos
-
Rutan Long-EZ 160 (UK registration G-WILY) taking off at Kemble Airfield, Gloucestershire, England. Photo: Arpingstone, Public domain -
Rutan Long-EZ with electric powerplant. Photo: FlugKerl2, CC BY-SA 3.0 -
A Rutan Long-EZ home built aircraft flying at the AERO INDIA 2013. Photo: Sonutn, CC BY-SA 3.0
All photos are from Wikimedia Commons; click a photo for its full credit and license.
Buying a Rutan Long-EZ
Sources
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 Wikipedia, "Rutan Long-EZ", read November 1, 2026. Airplane Wiki's text is written in its own words; facts are checked against this article and its sources.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Federal Aviation Administration, Releasable Aircraft Database, file dated October 30, 2026. Valid registrations of fixed-wing airplanes whose FAA maker and model names belong to this family. Airplane Wiki uses only counts from this file, never owner names or addresses.