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Sam Hoskin’s Quickie Q-200. As a tandem-wing aircraft, the Q-200 stands out from the rest of the canards. Evolved from the original single-seat Quickie Q-2 that were produced by the Quickie Aircraft Corporation and used Revmaster VW engine conversions. Later on, the aircraft was redesigned to handle the heavier and more powerful 100-hp Continental O-200 engine. Sam was featured in the August 2010 issue of EAA’s Experimenter, where he tells of his adventures flying the 2010 AirVenture Cup Race.
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| The three-place Cozy III owned by Jeff Mallia. The Cozy was designed by Nat Puffer and was initially referred to as simply “The Cozy.” When the four-place was announced, the qualification of the Cozy III name was required. |
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| Kent Ashton’s Cozy Mark IV. The MK-IV was the follow-up design to the Cozy. Seating four, and with a larger wingspan and a bigger engine, Nat Puffer designed the aircraft as a high-speed cross-country VFR aircraft, although many builders equip their planes with IFR capabilities. With a gross weight of 2,050 pounds, the typical cruise speed is 170-190 knots. The plans call for a Lycoming O-360 engine (180 hp) or O-320 (150-160 hp); however, Cozys are flying with several different engine sizes and types, including automobile conversions. |
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| The E-Racer MK-1 is a fast two-place canard with retractable landing gear and side-by-side seating. It was designed by Shirl Dickey with the option to take advantage of either aviation or automotive powerplants. Using the same wing planform, shape, and structure as the Cozy, it uses less glass in the spar since its gross is lower than the Cozy. |
It’s nice to see so many canards at this year’s AirVenture. By Wednesday morning, the count of all Rutan-designed (or -inspired) aircraft on the field was approaching 200. But to the casual observer, any or all of the canard aircraft on the field seem to have a common source, that being the fertile mind of Burt Rutan. It’s a logical assumption since Burt was the seemingly the first EAAer to arrive at AirVenture with this unique canard design, the VariViggen, named after the Swedish fighter plane, the Saab 37 Viggen.
The VariViggen (1972) was Burt’s first full-scale design and was followed by several others aimed at the homebuilt market, including the incredibly popular VariEze (1975) and its slightly larger brother, the Long-EZ (1979). In between the VariEze and the Long-EZ were the twin-engine, four-place Defiant (1978) and the tandem-winged Quickie (1978). Burt’s homebuilt design was the self-launch sailplane called Solitaire.
Imitation is the purest form of flattery
But what are all these others that look like they were designed by Burt? Where did they come from? They are all inspired by his work. Many of the designs revolve around seating. The single-place Quickie became the two-seat Quickie Q-2, and the Dragonfly. The biggest difference between these two designs is how they are built. The Quickie Q-2 (that later became the Quickie Q-200) is a kit, whereas the Dragonfly is plans-built.
Then there are the three- and four-place EZs, of which there have been quite a few. And one EZ design that changes the seating from tandem to side-by-side. But to see them all, you’ll have to go out into the homebuilt camping area, as there are potentially as many camping as are on display.
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