Burt Rutan: A Legacy of Novel Design
Although the field of aerospace is dominated by names like Boeing, Airbus, and Lockheed Martin, most may not have heard of Scaled Composites and its founder Burt Rutan. With an early interest in aeronautics that led him to his first solo flight at 16, a degree in aeronautical engineering from California State Polytechnic in 1965, and an eight-year career with the Air Force as a civilian test pilot, Rutan went on to design some of the most innovative aircraft in history [1].
Figure 1: The first three-surface flight vehicle, which Rutan called the “Grizzly” [2].
Organic Architecture
Not all organic designs are inspired by nature, though nature is an excellent engineer. In the realm of futuristic and cutting-edge engineering, organic architecture is built up around an initial free-form design, rather than designing a new platform to be added to. This process is often referred to as experimental design. Experimental design is more organic, because it often originates from a sketch or epiphany, rather than a design constraint. For example, the nose cone of Lockheed Martin’s C-5 Galaxy opens up to allow for large cargo to fit into the belly of the aircraft. In this case, the design was a solution rather than a key aspect of the aircraft. The Grizzly pictured above in Figure 1 is a short takeoff and landing (STOL) plane, which is the reason for its extra pair of frontal wings. Rather than being a design solution or constraint, it was a critical feature from the beginning.
Figure 2: The AD-1 experimental aircraft, built for NASA, with a main wing that rotated 60 degrees to facilitate a transition from subsonic to supersonic flight [3].
Embracing Novelty
Burt Rutan first entered aircraft design with the VariViggen, a platform designed to be constructed by the average homebuilder [4]. While some designers stick to tried-and-true methods, Rutan was one who wanted to take risks and overcome the status quo. His most popular demonstrations of this tendency include designing his otherworldly SpaceShipOne, the platform that would be the first private foray into space [5]. Another famous craft was his Voyager, which in 1986 completed the world’s first unrefueled, nonstop flight around the world in nine days in 1986 [6].
Figure 3: One of Rutan’s favorites, the Boomerang is a craft that is both safe (redundant engines) and extremely efficient [7].
Asymmetric Design
The quintessential Rutan design that defined his influence on aeronautics is perhaps the Boomerang, pictured above in Figure 3. Taking inspiration from two of his earlier designs, the Defiant and the Catbird, the Boomerang was designed to have a second engine for safety while maintaining efficiency and comfort. Its irregular design prevented asymmetric thrust in the event of one engine’s failure, and with the other idiosyncrasies of the aircraft, contributed to an extremely light framework and impressive performance for its size [8]. In fact, Rutan was a pioneer in using composite materials in aircraft, as their relative ease of manufacture, lightweight, and strength catalyzed many of his designs [9].
Figure 4: Rutan’s Defiant, with two props along the plane’s centerline [4].
Rutan’s work was a defining era in plane design. Engineers and designers from every field can gain inspiration from how he employed organic architecture, embraced novelty, and explored asymmetric design. What many designers may consider taboo became a wealth of success for him. His name may not be plastered on a multi-billion dollar company, but his legacy in the field of aeronautics is indelible.
References
[1] "Burt Rutan." Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., www.britannica.com/biography/Burt-Rutan.
[2] "Sky-Changer: 50 Years of Rutan's Greatest Hits." Royal Aeronautical Society, www.aerosociety.com/news/sky-changer-50-years-of-rutans-greatest-hits/.
[3] "Design by Rutan." Smithsonian Magazine, Air & Space Magazine, www.smithsonianmag.com/air-space-magazine/design-by-rutan-133347555/.
[4] "Photo Gallery: Photos of Awesome Airplanes by Burt Rutan." Flying Magazine, www.flyingmag.com/photo-gallery-photos-awesome-airplanes-burt-rutan/.
[5] "Twenty Years: SpaceShipOne." Scaled Composites, 21 June 2024, scaled.com/2024/06/21/twenty-years-spaceshipone/.
[6] "Rutan Voyager." National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution, airandspace.si.edu/collection-objects/rutan-voyager/nasm_A19880548000.
[7] "The Rutan Boomerang." Aerocrafted, aerocrafted.com/blogs/edc-tools/the-rutan-boomerang?srsltid=AfmBOoooEa8qaQWKpv49rHcvNM7Rx6q_DH-5lMoRZRmlYAQBvZBF5SU3.
[8] "The Rutan Boomerang." Aerocrafted, aerocrafted.com/blogs/edc-tools/the-rutan-boomerang?srsltid=AfmBOopMPa0Xqtg6GQIZeZbbTU24xddrQcWnGf7OS-sBF5oZNTNU94bB.
[9] "Burt Rutan." Scaled Composites, scaled.com/leadership/burt-rutan/.
To cite this article:
Conover, Dylan. “Burt Rutan: A Legacy of Novel Design.” The BYU Design Review, 18 May 2026, https://www.designreview.byu.edu/collections/burt-rutan-a-legacy-of-novel-design.
