Cramped Cockpits, concluded - Rutan bd5.jpg (1/1)

[Mitchell Holman[_2_]]

[No Spam]

"Bruce R" > wrote in news:479a3404$0$29778
:

>
> "Byron Covey" > wrote in message
> ...
>> Rutan worked for Jim Bede.
>>
>>
>> BJC
>>
> Cool thanks for the info
>
> Bruce
>
>

As the story goes...
Mr Rutan contributed in a huge way. He then contributed even more and the
folks around the shop started saying stuff like:
"Who does this guy think he is"... "What does he know about airplanes"...
Shortly after this Mr Rutan was not seen around any more.

I got this from one of the folks who was in the shop while Mr Rutan was
there.
I can't speak to the accuracy of the story, but knowing the folks around
back then, I can believe it.

Regardless, I am glad he contributed to the project. I have a BD5 and will
be making first flights soon and I am absolutely sure it will fly very well
largely due to Mr Rutan's contributions.

Take care.

[jc[_4_]]

On 25 Jan 2008 20:32:09 GMT, No Spam > wrote:

>As the story goes...
>Mr Rutan contributed in a huge way. He then contributed even more and the
>folks around the shop started saying stuff like:
>"Who does this guy think he is"... "What does he know about airplanes"...
>Shortly after this Mr Rutan was not seen around any more.
>
>I got this from one of the folks who was in the shop while Mr Rutan was
>there.
>I can't speak to the accuracy of the story, but knowing the folks around
>back then, I can believe it.
>
>Regardless, I am glad he contributed to the project. I have a BD5 and will
>be making first flights soon and I am absolutely sure it will fly very well
>largely due to Mr Rutan's contributions.
>
>Take care.

This story is fairly accurate, as far as I know, although Burt had from the
beginning wanted to strike out on his own. Bede wasn't at all interested in
some of Burt's "weirder" ideas and as everyone knows by now, there's been more
than a few - most of which have turned out quite nicely, too.

When he first got the old hangar at the Mojave Airport he started to modify a
BD-5 fuse but after a while, decided he couldn't do what he wanted with it and
give up and designed and built something from the ground up. The result was the
VariViggen. That -5 fuse hung up the rafters of the old hangar at the Mojave
Airport for as long as I kept going out there, pretty muich until they moved to
the new hangar where the Voyager was built.

I watched him finish the Viggen (I was sort of a hangar rat out there, one of
many. It's not he and I were "buds" or anything, so don't get that impression.)
and even got the chance to fly in it with him once. With about 5 hours in a
C-150 it scared the crap out of me... but it was "good" scare and was my very
first aerobatic flight. I ended up with around 100 hours of aerobatics but that
ride with Burt is still one of the high points of my aviation career.

I spent a lot of time out there (Mojave & around Edwards AFB) and saw some
pretty amazing things over the years and quite a good number of them Burt was
involved with in some way. Busy as he was with his own ideas, he was always
willing to help others out with some problem. Hmm, that reminds me, I'll have
to start another thread about something I saw but never did figure out... maybe
someone here will know.

I met Jeana Yeager and Mike Melville and even Burts older bro, Dick. Jeana is
one of the sweetest people I ever met and I'm really glad that Mike got the shot
at the SS1, he worked his ass off on it, as did everyone else involved. They've
all made some great contributions to aviation.

I think Burt is the only true genuis I've ever met. He is truly one of those
guys who, in the middle of a conversation, will say, "Um, excuse me a second."
then jot some notes down or draw something on a napkin and stick it in his
pocket. Just a reminder of some idea he just had... like, maybe a moon rocket
or something. Still, he's a pretty down to earth guy and as long I was out
there always made time for whom ever had questions about something. I often
wondered if he ever got any sleep, considering the hours he kept. I don't think
I ever dropped by the hangar when he wasn't there working. Since I used to go
out that direction to fly model airplanes and shoot, I was out there at all
hours, sometimes leaving LA after a twilight shift and arriving at 4:30 or so AM
and the lights were always on.

He's a hell of nice guy with a whole lot of really good ideas and just as
important, he thinks of ways to make them happen. Over the years there's been a
lot of nay-sayers but I think just about everyone is convinced now he's the real
deal.
Cheers,
jc