Rutan Grizzly

The Rutan Model 72 Grizzly is a tandem-wing STOL research aircraft designed by Burt Rutan, now preserved at the EAA AirVenture Museum, Oshkosh. The aircraft exhibited excellent short take-off and landing (STOL) capabilities.

Design and development
This composite-construction aircraft features three lifting surfaces: A front wing with approximately half the span of the main wing and a cruciform empennage. Front and main wings are connected by a pair of struts with square cross-section which also serve as fuel tanks. Both wings carry Fowler flaps on part of their span for STOL. The fixed tail-wheel undercarriage has four low-pressure, small-diameter main-wheels, on two cantilever spring struts, with a spring mounted tail-wheel assembly. The four-seat cabin is completely enclosed with a combination of flat, squared and outward-bulged tear-drop shaped windows.

After completion of testing the Grizzly was donated to the EAA AirVenture Museum, Oshkosh in 1997.