The Awesome Airplanes of Burt Rutan

Friday, August 05, 2011 at 06:51 PM ET

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Key Takeaways:

Burt Rutan is a legendary and prolific aircraft designer known for his innovative and often unconventional creations for homebuilders and advanced projects.
He gained prominence with designs like the VariEze and achieved international fame through the Voyager, the first aircraft to fly non-stop around the world without refueling.
Rutan consistently pushed aviation boundaries, developing a diverse range of experimental aircraft and pioneering early civilian manned spaceflight with vehicles like the White Knight and contributions to Virgin Galactic.
His designs frequently incorporated lightweight composite materials and innovative construction techniques, becoming hallmarks of his engineering philosophy.

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A look back at the creations of a legendary aircraft designer.

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