The Boomerang (Burt's Favorite Creation) And The Oregon Aero Custom Interior (12 Pix)

(click pic for hi-res)  The Boomerang: nearly ready to fly at Mojave in 1996
 

OregonAero.com

Burt’s favorite creation:

 When world-famous aircraft designer Burt Rutan completed the Boomerang in 1996, the design looked wildly unusual, even for one from a designer who was well known for shattering conventional thought. But while aircraft from Burt like the VariViggen (his first design) and the Long-EZ (his most popular) and SpaceShipOne (his most widely known) were all very different than what we used to seeing, they all were at least symmetrical designs... meaning, if you cut them in half down the middle, the left and right sides had the same shape. But with the Boomerang, even deciding where the middle was might leave you confused!  And once you decided where you were going make that cut, you sure weren’t going to get a left and a right that looked anything alike.

 Interestingly, it was a desire to create a design that ‘flew’ symmetrically that gave the Boomerang such an unusual look. Burt wanted to create an efficient twin engine aircraft that flew nearly as well with an engine out as it did with both running, and would do so regardless of which engine was no longer running. Traditional twin-engine aircraft with an engine on each wing can be very difficult to fly safely on just one engine. Push/pull centerline thrust designs had addressed this in the past, but mounting an engine on either end of the passenger cabin doesn’t create the most comfortable environment to spend 3 to 6 hours. So, using his out-of-the-box creativity and strong engineering skills, Burt designed one of the most unusual airplanes we’ve ever seen. In the process he created his own personal favorite aircraft, and one that accomplished his very safe flying qualities on one engine goal.

One of the world's most unusual airplanes: Burt Rutan's Boomerang

 The Boomerang is built largely of carbon fiber and is pressurized to 4.6 psi. The engines are Lycoming TIO-360’s with the one on the main fuselage making 210hp and the one on the boom making 200hp. It carries about 170 gallons of fuel which gives the potential for economy cruise at 24,000 feet of 240 mph for up to 10 hours making a range of about 2,400 miles! There are five seats total, with the three seats in the back providing excellent stretch-out leg room.

 Restoration:

 Burt flew the Boomerang for several years as his personal aircraft, but some heart surgeries in 2002 changed his ability to fly and the Boomerang was parked. When Burt retired from Scaled Composites in 2010 he was looking for something good to do with the Boomerang, a way for its existence to have an impact on the future. Putting it in a museum would have some affect on the future, but if the airplane was restored to flying condition (from having sat parked for several years) its impact could be far greater. That’s where Tres Clements comes into the picture. Tres is an engineer at Scaled Composites who just happened to be in the right place at the right time to answer ’yes’ to Burt when he asked if Tres wanted the Boomerang. By becoming the leader of a group of people to restore the Boomerang and then fly it as well, Tres could give Burt’s favorite baby the care it needed while helping the world stay in contact with one of the most interesting aircraft ever built.

The Boomerang during restoration by Tres Clements and crew at Mojave
 

 Interior by Oregon Aero:

 You might already know that the Boomerang was a big hit at Oshkosh 2011 when Tres brought it out from California for its first public exposure in over 10 years. Thousands of people looked the airplane over closely with the opportunity to walk right up to it and even see inside with the unique cockpit windshield plug door being open along with the right side fold-down step/door open much of the time as well. If you happened to be there, then like me, you probably noticed that while the outside of the Boomerang was nicely painted and looked great for a 15 year old prototype, the inside looked like an experimental spaceship that didn’t care if you were comfortable or not. This is where Oregon Aero from Scappoose, Oregon comes into the picture. In late 2011, Tres flew the Boomerang up to Scappoose to have Oregon Aero install a complete custom-built interior system in the Boomerang… for the first time since its completion in 1996, the Boomerang was going to be a complete aircraft. (see Boomerang pix before the interior installation at the bottom of this post)

The Boomerang at OSH11 attracting attention before the week had even started
 

 Oregon Aero was started in 1989 by Mike Dennis and his wife Jude to help people fly pain-free by engineering and manufacturing comfortable, safer and quieter products that meet a wide range of customer needs. What started with just one product designed to make headsets more comfortable has grown into a company that offers various headset and helmet comfort products, as well as being a premier supplier of enhanced-comfort and improved-safety seat cushions and seating systems. And, as is shown by the stunning custom work accomplished on the Boomerang, Oregon Aero is an expert at producing interiors for production aircraft, or even one-of-a-kind homebuilts. They’ve reached a level of expertise that they are a significant supplier of enhanced-comfort/low-fatigue ejection seat cushions for U.S. military aircraft like the F-22 Raptor. They are also a supplier of helmet liners, ear seals, and microphone covers for military aircraft, including the F-22.

 Customers wanting an Oregon Aero interior can bring their aircraft to their facilities on the Scappoose Industrial Airpark (KSPB) just north of Portland, or for many interior projects you can ship your interior to them for upgrade. They have customers from all across the country who get seat upgrades or entire interior upgrades without ever having their airplane leave home. And their facilities and staff are up to the challenge of handling whatever aircraft interior need you have. They do work on small aircraft like Cubs and RV-12’s, all the way thru to cabin-class twins.

(click pic for hi-res)  Gorgeous interior by Oregon Aero in the one-of-a-kind Boomerang

Click to read more ...

Video: Another Supersonic SpaceShipTwo Test - Commercial Flights In 2014!

 AirPigz is all about avgeek diversity, which is why I can go from antique airplanes in the two previous posts to aerospace sub-orbital supersonic testing in the next. My theory has always been that a real love for flight finds the same fascination in both extremes. I hope you agree : )

 Virgin Galactic is moving closer to commercial service, now planning to start sometime in 2014. Get your deposits in asap my friends as there are apparently over 600 passengers booked ahead of you!

 Here's the Virgin Galactic update on yesterday's successful flight:

Company Demonstrates All Technical Mission Phases in Single Flight for the First Time, Confirms On Track to Commence Commercial Service in 2014

September 5, 2013 – MOJAVE, Calif. – Today, Virgin Galactic, the world’s first commercial spaceline owned by Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Group and Abu Dhabi’s aabar InvestmentsPJS, successfully completed the second rocket-powered, supersonic flight of its passenger carrying reusable space vehicle, SpaceShipTwo (SS2). In addition to achieving the highest altitude and greatest speed to date, the test flight demonstrated the vehicle’s full technical mission profile in a single flight for the first time, including a high altitude deployment of the unique wing “feathering” re-entry mechanism. All of the test objectives were successfully completed.

At approximately 8 a.m. local time from the Mojave Air and Space Port, the company’s WhiteKnightTwo (WK2) carrier aircraft took off carrying SS2 to an altitude of 46,000 feet. Virgin Galactic Chief Pilot Dave Mackay was at the WK2 controls, assisted by Scaled Composites (Scaled) co-pilot Mike Alsbury and The Spaceship Company Flight Test Engineer Scott Glaser. Upon release from WK2, SS2 pilots Mark Stucky and Clint Nichols, both of Scaled, ignited the rocket motor for the planned 20-second burn propelling the spaceship to 69,000 feet. During this time, SS2 achieved a maximum speed of Mach 1.43. SS2 landed in Mojave at 9.25 a.m. local time completing the flight test with the pilots reporting a flawless flight.

Chairman of aabar Investments PJS, H.E. Khadem Al Qubaisi, commented: “This flight milestone represents a key step forward for the Virgin Galactic team. The successful completion of all major aspects of the flight mission demonstrates that we are very close to achieving one of Galactic’s key goals: commercialising access to space for the broader public. I would like to congratulate the whole team on their continued success.”

“We couldn’t be more delighted to have another major supersonic milestone under our belts as we move toward a 2014 start of commercial service,” said Virgin Galactic Founder Sir Richard Branson. “It was particularly thrilling to see for the first time today the whole elegant system in action during a single flight, including the remarkable feathering re-entry system. It was this safety feature more than anything else that originally persuaded us that the overall design of the system was uniquely fit for purpose. Everything we have seen today just confirms that view. Congratulations to all involved!”

“Today, we expanded the SpaceShipTwo rocket-powered flight test envelope with a longer burn duration and robust testing of the feather mechanism, supersonic aerodynamics and wing lift structure,” said Virgin Galactic CEO George Whitesides. “Each powered flight of SpaceShipTwo yields cumulative progress that builds the foundation for safe and exciting commercial space flights.”

Composite screenshot: under rocket power / in feathered descent / in glide flight descent

OSH13: Rutan Catbird... Wide Angle In The Evening Sun (4 Pix)

(click pic to enlarge)  From the late 80's, Burt Rutan's Model 81 Catbird at OSH13

 Two years ago at OSH11 we saw the return of both the Catbird and the Boomerang, two of Burt Rutan's designs from back in the day that had their sights set on possibly re-inventing general aviation. Both airplanes were restored to flying status by people who work at Scaled Composites, giving these fabulous airplanes the chance to fly again and the world the chance to see more of Burt's unique work up close once again. You can check out my post from OSH11 that includes some Catbird pix and a link to more info on this 3-surface flying machine. But this post is really all about experiencing the unique shape of the one-of-a-kind Catbird with a wide-angle lens and a gorgeous evening sun.

 Being out on the flightline at Oshkosh in the evening is one of my favorite things to do. It's time that more effectively puts the focus on the airplanes. It's quiet with not a lot of people (or in the late evening maybe no one else at all) and the airplanes somehow speak more clearly to me. When I saw the Catbird parked near the brown arch with the low evening sun I knew some great pix were to soon follow. Be sure to click these pix to enlarge them, and enjoy one of the world's most unique airplanes in a way you've probably never seen it before.

Video: Virgin Galactic And SpaceShipTwo Supersonic On First Powered Flight Test!

(click pic for hi-res) SpaceShipTwo first powered flight on 4.29.13 (photo: Virgin Galactic)

 Great success was achieved yesterday (April 29, 2013) in Mojave California as Scaled Composites and Virgin Galactic flew SpaceShipTwo Enterprise on their first powered flight ever. After release from the mothership at 47,000 feet, the SS2 crew fired the rocket motor for 16 seconds propelling them up to 55,000 feet and Mach 1.2 - supersonic!

 The test flight appears to have been completely successful. Congratulations to all involved in achieving this major milestone!

read the full Virgin Galactic report here 

(click pic for hi-res)  Enterprise during first rocket burn test flight (photo: Virgin Galactic)  

Did You See This Awesome SpaceShipTwo 'Cold Flow' Glide Test Pic? Wow!

(click pic to enlarge)  SpaceShipTwo leaving an oxidizer trail during 4.12.13 glide test

 It's old news now since this Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo glide test took place on April 12, 2013, but this amazing pic showing the first glide test to include letting the nitrous oxidizer flow thru the nozzle is sure worth seeing... whether you've seen it already or not! Just to be clear, this is NOT a powered flight, the trail exiting the nozzle isn't providing thrust. However, the first actual powered flight could be happening ANY day now - some info out there suggests it will be this Monday the 29th.

 I suggest you keep your avgeek (spacegeek?) eyes and ears open for this historic event... it is truly a brave new world!

check out the Scaled Composites SpaceShipTwo test summary page

Desert Sun & Fun - The Mojave Experimental Fly-In (12 Pix)

Stars and stripes! Close-up of Dick Rutan's beautiful Berkut  (photo:Craig Spirko)

(click any pic to enlarge)
 

 The Mojave Experimental Fly-In last Saturday drew a diverse collection of aircraft under a typical sunny desert sky. It's pretty cool to see these aircraft gathered in front of the hangars of some of the most cutting-edge experimental aerospace companies in the world!

 I wasn't able to attend the event as I had hoped, but AirPigz follower Craig Spirko did and shared some pix of the event for y'all to see. I've included a couple images from the official Mojave Fly-In website as well... there's a nice post there too you might wanna check out.

(click any pic to enlarge)

Wide view of the Berkut and its awesome paint  (photo: MojaveFlyIn)

I think this one is self-explanatory!  Scaled.com/careers  (photo: Craig Spirko)

Lots of windmills, and a little Christen Eagle  (photo: Craig Spirko)

Click to read more ...

Mojave Fly-In April 20th (Tomorrow) - Experimental Oasis In The Desert!

Chip Yates will have his electric Long-EZ at the Mojave Experimental Fly-In April 20th

 As if having the world's most fascinating collection of aerospace companies gathered together on one California desert airport wasn't enough, the Mojave Air & Spaceport will also be attracting a very sweet collection of experimental aircraft tomorrow April 20th for the Mojave Experimental Fly-In. Chip Yates and his fast (over 200 mph) electric-powered Long-EZ will be there along with many other unique and impressive homebuilt and race aircraft from the past, present, and future. Race aircraft like the biplane speedster Phantom and the amazing over 400 mph Nemsis NXT will be there, along with Burt Rutan's Catbird, and a wide range of other great aircraft... you can get a better idea of what's expected to attend by checking out mojaveflyin.com.

 In addition to the extremely cool aircraft to look over (and their pilots and owners to talk to), Scaled Composites will have reps at the event as well as Virgin Galactic and The Spaceship Company. 

 I had planned to make the trip to Mojave to soak up all this fabulous experimental avgeekery and bring back a boatload of pix to share with you, but my regular work schedule got in the way again and I won't be able to get there. Hopefully I'll still be able to fetch up some great images from some sources out there for a sweet follow-up post.

 If you're deeply interested in cutting-edge aerospace design and manufacturing on the fringe of the future, Mojave is definitely the place to be!

Back To The Future: Read The January 1983 FLYING Magazine (Happy New Year 2013!)

The shape of the future? Bellanca Skyrocket article from FLYING Magazine January 1983

The January 1983 issue of FLYING Magazine is an amazing read!

 When I posted my fantasy TBIRD 6 seater design I knew that it was meant to be the kind of airplane that would be cut from the same cloth as the Bellanca Skyrocket II. Hmm, you aren't familiar with the Bellanca Skyrocket II? There's good news then... FLYING Magazine from January 1983 (30 years ago!) has a great article on that incredible performing 6 seat aircraft. And Google Books just happens to have the entire magazine available online for you to read, just hit this link: FLYING Magazine January 1983 - the Skyrocket article starts on page 46.

 I won't tell you much about the Skyrocket II because I want you to read that very interesting article about it. But I will tell you that the airplane was powered by a 435 hp Continental engine and had a cruise speed over 300 mph! The Skyrocket II was the future back in the late 70's but possibly because it just sounded too good to be true, it never made it into production. (here's an AVweb article from Oshkosh 1999 about a more recent attempt to market this incredible airplane - scroll down to the article)

Burt Rutan back in the day: from a must-read article in FLYING Magazine January 1983

 How about a fascinating article on Burt Rutan from 1983 with text and pictures by Peter Garrison? It starts on page 60 and gives some great history on Burt's earlier work. I learned something that I don't remember ever knowing... that  the Scaled Composites was originally just called 'Scaled' and it was actually an acronym for: Scaled Composites: Advance Link to Efficient Development. I love learning these kinds of details! It's a great article for anyone interested in the amazing aeronautical career of Burt Rutan pre-Voyager, pre Boomerang, pre-SpaceShipOne.

 And there's a whole lot more in this January 1983 issue of FLYING Magazine... from an extensive article on the AT-6/SNJ/Harvard WWII trainer (page 36) to a fascinating accident account of a Rockwell Commander 700 crash that claimed six lives very needlessly (page 74). From an article on how modern airplanes were mostly just old airplanes made slightly different (page 52) to a boatload of small ads in the back for what was then a booming Ultralight marketplace. It's all fascinating to see... article after article that you are likely to find interesting in the January 1983 FLYING Magazine!

 So start your brand spanking new 2013 off with a trip 30 years back to the future! Click the cover pic below to go to the Google Books online archive of the magazine, and Happy New year!

Click the pic to go to the Google Books archive of FLYING Magazine January 1983

Celebrate Independence Day With A New Spaceport America Logo & Website

All new Spaceport America logo gives a great look to the future of reaching into space

 I'm a logo freak (possibly a snob) so anytime a new logo emerges I'm very interested (and usually disappointed) - wow, not this time! I love this all new Spaceport America identity named 'Spirit'. I think it perfectly embodies the emerging efforts here in the United States to reach for the final frontier. Its release is also well timed to go along with Independence Day... I hope you catch the spirit : )

(check out this recent Virgin Galactic update)

Spaceport America hangar with Virgin Galactic mothership and spaceship inside

Press Release announcing the new logo and the launch of their new website:

(Las Cruces, NM) - Spaceport America, the world’s first purpose-built, commercial spaceport, has launched a new look for its brand on Independence Day. "Spaceport America is helping a new American Revolution take place in the commercial space industry, and what better time to showcase our new brand than the Fourth of July," said Christine Anderson, Executive Director of the New Mexico Spaceport Authority (NMSA).

Spaceport America’s new look was unveiled in time for Independence Day on July 4, 2012, simultaneous with the launch of an all-new website (http://www.spaceportamerica.com) on that day, marking the beginning of a new marketing effort to introduce Spaceport America to the world.

The new identity, named "Spirit", represents two stars coming together; the collaboration of innovative efforts to propel man's reach into space. The Spaceport America identity is created from the colors of our nation with red symbolizing energy, strength, and power and blue symbolizing trust, loyalty and wisdom. It reflects Spaceport America’s core commitment to the spirit of exploration, the promise of human potential, and the powerful combination of vision and courage as it launches the next generation of space.

Also this week, the NMSA announced it has obtained a temporary Certificate of Occupancy from the New Mexico Regulations and Licensing Department for the Spaceport Operations Center (SOC), a dome-shaped building adjacent to the Virgin Galactic Gateway to Space that will support operations. The design of the interior SOC fit-out is underway and final build out construction is expected to begin by the end of 2012. When complete, the SOC will house NMSA staff and their primary contractors that will handle facilities operations, security, fire and EMT service.

"Our new identity emphasizes our dedication to the highest level of service to both our launch customers and the hundreds of thousands of expected annual visitors from around the globe," said Anderson. “We look forward to soon adding access to the newly finished SOC facility to our guided ‘Preview Tour’ this summer.” Anderson continued, "Once Phase Two construction is completed in 2013, we will have created a whole new kind of visitor experience, and the new Spaceport America brand identity and website are key steps along the path of offering the world an invitation to space."

Preview Tour days, times and reservation information can be found by going to: www.ftstours.com.

Virgin Galactic: On Track For Powered Flight By The End Of 2012

SpaceShipTwo glide test yesterday in the very blue Mojave sky  (photo: facebook)

 Virgin Galactic is progressing nicely toward the first powered flight of the suborbital space transport system by the end of 2012. Yesterday, a successful glide test with Virgin Galactic chief pilot Dave Mackay as co-pilot marked the first time a non Scaled Composites pilot has flown the SpaceShipTwo prototype, also known as VSS Enterprise. And a few days earlier on June 26, 2012, VSS Enterprise completed a glide test in addition to the team completing a full duration test firing of the rocket motor for the spacecraft - the first time these two large tasks have been conducted in one day.

Awesome front view of the gliding SpaceShipTwo from yesterday  (photo: facebook)

 The rocket motor firing was performed by Sierra Nevada Space Systems, the prime contractor for the RocketMotor2 (RM2) system. The 55-second test was the thirteenth full-scale flight design RM2 hot fire. All objectives were completed. In addition to this test, on June 20 a full-scale RM2 test firing took place for the first time at Scaled Composites’ test site in Mojave California, under full direction of the spaceship’s Rocket Motor Controller. This firing provided an end-to-end test of the rocket motor systems – a critical step in preparation for powered flight.

Virgin Galactic chief pilot Dave Mackay after his first flight in SS2  (photo: facebook)

 The tasks and goals to be achieved are huge in this test phase for the entire system of mothership, spaceship and rocket motor, but tremendous progress is being made with great success. It sure appears that it won't be long before an actual powered flight takes place which will bring this commercial space venture much closer to putting paying passengers in the cabin of SS2 and giving them the ride of their life! Godspeed Virgin Galactic and Scaled Composites!