User:Samjok/Jewett big bird

Jewett Big Bird (Free Enterprise) This plane was especially designed and built in order to fly around the world. Tom Jewett died flying it in 1982. In many regards the plane was superior to Rutan's Voyager, which did fly around the world in 1986. It had a single seat, a 51' 6" wingspan, wing tip tanks, a jettisonable undercarriage and a 135 hp PZL engine. Unfortunately, construction appears to have been defective, so that a crack developed behind the cockpit. causing Jewett's death. Since Jewett was a partner in the company selling kits and plans for the Quickie, it is interesting to note that he would not make a plane with two equal wings (tandem wings like those of the Quickie), instead of making a plane with a tail that produces drag and no lift, but then again, the same can be said about Burt Rutan, who after designing the Quickie, designed the Voyager with a huge wing and a tiny canard. Strangely, Jewett intended to depart from and arrive in Houston, Texas, which would have prevented him from taking full advantage of the Jet Stream.