Rutan SkiGull

[dougbush]

http://www.cdapress.com/news/local_news/article_439a845a-82b6-11e5-a3c0-f7e0829b21b6.html#user-comment-area

"After two years evolving and building his 47th unique aircraft, SkiGull, Burt Rutan towed it to Bob Williams’ beach next to Honeysuckle on Hayden Lake Sunday for a series of water taxi tests that were conducted Sunday evening and Monday."

[Hal Bryan]

Here's our story from yesterday about the first flight - so excited to see this airplane in person!


http://www.eaa.org/~/media/images/news/2015%20ehl/11-24-15-960-skigull-4.jpg?mh=280&mw=730 (http://www.eaa.org/en/eaa/eaa-news-and-aviation-news/2015-news/11-24-2015-rutans-skigull-first-flight)

http://www.eaa.org/en/eaa/eaa-news-and-aviation-news/2015-news/11-24-2015-rutans-skigull-first-flight (http://www.eaa.org/en/eaa/eaa-news-and-aviation-news/2015-news/11-24-2015-rutans-skigull-first-flight)

[Mike M]

With all the beautiful Rutan designs over the years, it's refreshing to see that even the master can't make a beautiful LOOKING seaplane. Their beauty is solidly in what they DO, and that makes even SeaBees beautiful...no offense intended.

[Floatsflyer]

With all the beautiful Rutan designs over the years, it's refreshing to see that even the master can't make a beautiful LOOKING seaplane.

You need to look at seaplanes from Shorts Brothers, Boeing, Martin, Consolidated, Dornier and others and you will surely find the beauty in seaplanes, actual aesthetics, not just function.

I will say that a small 2-4 place seaplane looks much more stylish as a pusher rather than a tractor configuration. I'm also concerned that Rutan's craft will sit much too low in the water making landings and taxiing far more challenging than they need to be.

[cluttonfred]

To paraphrase Forrest Gump, "Pretty is as pretty does." Personally, I think there are some very attractive light amphibians out there: Thurston Teal, Taylor Coot, Pereira Osprey and Osprey 2 and my all-time favorite, the classic Soviet Shavrov Sh-2.

[dlos11]

Is there any news on how the Skigull testing is coming along?