The Long EZ is a Fast and insanely Fuel Efficient Airplane To Own
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- Опубліковано 4 лют 2025
- The Long-EZ was a scaled-up redesign of the VariEze predecessor, allowing for the use of readily available Lycoming aircraft engines instead of the Volkswagen-derived engines or hard-to-find small Continentals for which the VariEze was designed. Changes from the VariEze included a larger main wing with modified Eppler 1230 airfoil and less sweep, larger strakes containing more fuel and baggage storage, and a slightly wider cabin. The canard uses the same GU25-5(11)8 airfoil as the VariEze. Plans were offered from 1980 to 1985. There were about 700 FAA-registered Long-EZs in the United States in 2005, which had grown to 833 in 2021.
In January 1985, it was announced that plans for a new canard were being offered, to eliminate "rain trim change" that had been experienced by Long-EZ pilots.[4] This trim change is usually a nose-down trim change experienced when flying into rain requiring a small aft force on the stick to maintain altitude, which is easily trimmed out, using the bungee trim system. The new canard was designed with the Roncz R1145MS airfoil, which produces considerably more lift than the original GU25-5(11)8 airfoil. This enabled the new canard to be designed with less span, reducing wetted area and thus drag. The new canard has a negligible rain trim, and rain adds only 2 knots to the stall speed.
The aircraft is designed for fuel-efficient long-range flight, with a range of just over 2,000 miles (3,200 km).[5] It can fly for over ten hours and up to 1,600 miles (2,600 km) on 52 gallons (200 liters) of fuel.[6] Equipped with a rear-seat fuel tank, a Long-EZ flew for 4,800 miles (7,700 kilometers) in December 1979, still, the record for aircraft weighing less than 1000 kg.[7]
The pilot sits in a semi-reclined seat and controls the Long-EZ using a side-stick controller situated on the right-hand console. In addition to having an airbrake on the underside, the twin tail's wing-tip rudders can be deflected outwards to act as auxiliary airbrakes.[6]
In 1996 Burt Rutan awarded TERF Inc. the job of publishing the plans for the Long-EZ and other of his aircraft under The Rutan Aircraft Factory CD ROM Encyclopedia to further assist new builders and maintenance for existing builders.[8][9] Some components for the design are supplied by Aircraft Spruce & Specialty.[10]
#experimentalaircraft #aircraft #aviationlovers
Experimental electric motor power installation
In 1997, Dick Rutan and Mike Melvill flew in convoy around the world in two Rutan Long-EZ aircraft that they had built. This "around the world in 80 nights" flight was called The Spirit of EAA Friendship World Tour, and some legs of it lasted for over 14 hours.[11]
"As the case goes with aviators, I got divorced, started flying again." Appreciate the honesty and the chuckle.
So did I.
Trade in the wife for a younger hotter tighter girlfriend 🤷🏻♂️
LOL same
Amazing… that much money remaining after the divorce!
@@YoniBaruch-y3m
Are you kidding?
I first lived in a spare room in a big kennel with 23 Shepards, 3 Dobies and a Dane!
It was 1975 and I was working as a security guard for five bucks an hour because she got EVERYTHING! 😭🤣
And every pup in the place loved me! 😍
The aviator you interviewed sounded like a professional TV personality! Such a passionate conversation
He kind of looks like Chevy Chase too.
The Rutan organization = genius. I have been enamored with them since they were featured on a science or PBS program in the 80s.
1,600 miles in ten hours? That's about right. I flew my 290 powered Long EZ from Hood River, OR to Oshkosh, 1,610 statute miles, nonstop in under 8 hours with a 12-15 MPH average tailwind. I was at 17,500' for seven hours.
@Silver Dream Machine And I still had 7 gallons of gas (out of 52) left when I arrived, enough to go another 200 miles. In over 2,000 hours in Long EZ's that's the only time I ever filled the tanks to the brim. BTW, to get full tanks you have to fuel with the nose gear down and the plane sitting level.
Is it pressurized or do you wear a mask?
@@kurtouttapocket At altitude I wear an oxygen canula. You know, like people who have smoked for 50 years have to wear all the time.
I'm taking it that you are joking?
@@kurtouttapocket Not joking. That 290 powered Long EZ burned about 5.8 gallons per hour at a little under 200 MPH at 17,500' with a carburetor and one electronic ignition and one magneto. The second Long EZ I built has a hopped up 360 (215 HP) and with an Ellison throttle and two electronic ignitions (no mags) burns 5.6 GPH at 17,500' at my economy cruise of 200 MPH. Do the math. Both planes were built with racing in mind and have lots of drag reducing airframe mods. The 290 one was hopped up to about 170 HP with angle valve cylinders, 11-1 compression, porting, etc. and I beat up on 360 and a V8 powered one at Shirl Dickeys R.A.C. E. air races. It put 18 air racing trophies on my "I love me" wall.
In the late 80s I took a commercial flight to Ayres rock in Australia and there was a Long Eze parked there. I had a chat with the owner who had flown from Adelaide (about 1,200km) to collect his girlfriend. What amazed me was that he didn't need to refuel to complete the return. I'm a XC glider pilot, so I love all airplanes especially that one.
that is amazing, would be very cool to fly Austrailia.
@@SirDrifto I have just remembered that the aircraft I saw in Oz must have been a Vari Eze.
“You’re not filming anymore are you?” Some fun was definitely had
lol I was wondering what was going on with that
yea what was that about?
I'm thining it falls under... can't cofirm or deny.
Yea and the dude lies and says no 😂
Gets 32mpg!! Better than my Honda CRV. And that's at 184mph cruise speed! Wow
160 knots = 184 mph
I get 32.5 MPG out of my auto Acura TSX with the cruise set to 72 MPH.
This plane is incredible.
But any Honda car is way more comfortable than this coffin with wings and canopy.
@@einundsiebenziger5488 You fr bruh 🙄
@@TheDwightMamba I get 76mpg in my 2001 Corolla with a modified fuel map
Used to service these Mid Eighties - it is in fact the perfect design -
so much so Beechcraft built a multimillion twin pusher turbo fan business jet.
The nose gear needs redesign is about the only weak point.
Cheers
I knew a guy with a Velocity RG,a Long EZ inspired canard. He routinely made 700+ mile flights without refueling. Amazing aircraft design from Routan.
A friend of mine had one of those and I got to ride in it once. The Long EZ is such a cool plane and very efficient and nimble.
1981. Traveling from Alaska to So Cal. Pulled off the Hyway going thought Mohave after seeing airplanes. Ended up at the Rutan hanger and they invited me to look around after quick hello. There were a couple EZs outside and the first Long EZ (I think) inside. Really nice to a airplane enthusiast passing though.
One particular flight in my B36TC, I was cruising at 12,000, 170 mph on a 350 mile leg to a gathering of Beech owners. On my TCAS I saw a target at my 6, closing fairly rapidly. I contacted him, he had my airplane in sight and said he’d pass at +100 on my right. I was thinking it was a twin, maybe a Mooney cruising at max power since I was well into my turbo at 80%., 24 squared.. As he passed me, I saw it was a Long EZ. I complimented the pilot on both speed and looks, he came back, chuckled and said he was “just putting along”. I’ll never forget that, and he left me far behind. Great airplane, genius design. Never have flown one but I’ll bet they are fun.
BS, you don't have TCAS in a Bonanza.
When I was flying my Long-EZ, I always loved departing immediately after a Beech twin so I could pass them as we were both climbing away from the airport, knowing our relative fuel consumption. :-)
@@buckmurdock2500 BS yourself pal you might want to google it.
@@n9amiwavelengthradio Moral here is: If you're going to tell a BS story, learn how the equipment works so you don't sound ridiculous.
@@Liberty4Ever 😁Really envy you. I'm also working on my longEZ project
I just inherited Long EZ “Reliance” from my father in law. I’m
Looking forward to doing cross country flying after getting rated and transitional training. I’ve always loved the design and performance.
I knew that guy. Bob something? I think it was based near Seattle . I landed there once, a short skinny runway.
Bob Sudderth, built in Snohomish, WA north of Seattle. I'm in WA but the plane lives in TX, so I have some logistics to work out. @@99bx99
does your wife have another sister?❤
@@AlanMydland-fq2vs No Sir 😀
My father and I built one of these to a finished air frame, which I understood from other builders was about 1/2 way, time wise. We then sold it, and the guy we sold it to did the engine, avionics, and finishing work and flew it all over heck and back. Another guy in Indiana now owns it. Nice looking build here, I've seen a few that look like they were cut our with a hatchet and the epoxy and glass was thrown on from across the room. My son still gives me grief when I bring up the subject for selling it. He got a ride after it was finished. That was my second mistake. :-) I told him he could build his own, and I would help. Nada, so far.
That's a sad story 😢
Proly your biggest regret I guess 🥹
Enjoyable video review and flight! I had an opportunity to fly one many years ago and had a blast. I love that a Long EZ has excellent performance with modest power. Pretty cool that this one is IFR!
My dream plane ✈️ , for sure! Owner gave the whole nine yard description.
Performance very very similar to my M20E Mooney
Beautiful aircraft! Great looks and performance. I'm envious!!
Such a cool airplane! Where I grew up in Fort Worth Tx there was a white one I used to see all the time that was based at the nearby GA airport, haven’t seen it in years now, but I used to see it fly multiple times a week all summer long every year. Cool video!
Thanks for watching
The Long Eze was the more commercialized slower, heavier, roomier version of the efficiency winning Veri EZE, which was 1/2 the weight of the Long. The Veri Eze didn’t have a starter to save weight we hand propped them!! The original ones built straight and very well were exceptionally light had no trim tabs and ran 180-190knots in the 70-75% power range typically on old remanufactured 100hp Lycomings. The biggest challenge was getting a good high pitch prop. We had a Rutan Prop designed for high cruising speeds which made taking off interesting. The prop wouldn’t actually bite till about 60knots at which point it felt like getting kicked in the back side when it finally bit air. 90 was minimum rotation speed.
100 hp Lycomings? Huh?
You are not even close to correct. My long Ez (this is my plane) is just over 1000 lbs. if you are lucky vari Ezs are 700. And no way 180kts…
Ours was 600 dry
@@buckmurdock2500 Yeah, they were 100 HP Continentals. Klaus Savier used to race his Varieze at Reno with his O200 kicking out around 140 HP and pushing 250 MPH. A few years ago he raced his 360 powered and normally aspirated Long EZ there and won the Bronze Sports class. Second place was a 540, supercharged F1 Rocket. I got a ride in that plane. It was fun cruising at 250 MPH. His 360 kicks out 250 HP. Klaus is a legend in his own time.
whats also interesting is the q1 with a onan 16hp motor. how far do you think it could fly. i believe about 100mpg!! rhen rhey turboed it!!❤😂
I believe your RV3 was built by the EAA chapter in Riverside (Flabob). Some of those guys were a great influence on me in the early 90's.
Thanks for the info!
Amazing aircraft. That tiny thing will take you 1,000 miles, and quickly!
People, please stop saying this plane model killed John Denver.
This is irresponsible and not true.
The plane had been modified from the original plans, and Denver made mistakes. Saying it killed him is like saying a modified car killed someone while they were fiddling with the radio buttons and not paying attention to the road. Even with the fuel switch not in the place where the plans dictated, it was still pilot error. The plane had been working fine for the previious owner.
Use some intelligence and critical thinking instead of parroting everything you are told.
You can read the incident report yourself, which is the right thing to do if you REALLY want to get the facts, rather than trashing the reputation of the plane, and its designer, by being maliciously ignorant and lazy and contributing to the stupid half of the internet.
Well said. A number of mistakes were made and none of them implicated the design of this aircraft.
Thanks for setting this straight.
Rutan's designs are al beautiful and perform well. Thanks for sharing this one.
I'm sorry. but I cant see an EZ without country roads playing in my head. such a great song.
RIP John Denver
RIGHT!
Exactly😢
Do not blame the plane...
What a beautiful aircraft - thanks for sharing this
We're pumped to electrify one of these air frames one day. A vibration-free Long EZ would be a beautifully graceful way to fly.
How would it be vibration free if it still has the prop?
@@YoniBaruch-y3m Maybe an electric duct fan?
I am not into aviation and came across the video by YT recommendation. BUT have to say I sat trough the whole thing...really interesting guy...and yes...divorce can change life in positive ways :)...Keep up the good work..
So it gets 30 MPG. That's insanely good.
Better than my bmw v8 😅
Good review, Varieze owner here.
I've seen comparisons of the -EZ with other homebulits of comparable power, the the -EZ efficiency differential is miniscule. The range is because it carries 50+ gallons of gas.
Thanks for the flight seems like she handles really well….you can actually enjoy the view 🎉😊
Ah fellow Sussex County resident! The air show at Sussex airport was awesome to be at every summer!
John Denver loved his long ez for as long as he was alive😮
love happens fast and quick😮
I bet he had a different feeling the last few minutes though.
“You aren’t videoing this are you ? No ! “As he cruises over the Boulder Flatirons
I was wondering when someone would say that
I was a crew member of a warship conducting a coastal transfer in '97 going from the Atlantic to Pacific. One of our last port visits was Monterey. We arrived the day John Denver perished. Coming alongside I remember monitoring VHF Ch 16 chatter about the emergency. The next day I was security watch at the brow. I watched the rescue boats and divers come and go at a jetty just across from our ship. There were a few body bags brought alongside at different times that day. Sad state of affairs for sure. Besides that, Monterey was a very nice place to visit.
I sold my Cirrus SR22T two years ago after buying it new and flying it for six years, during the peak of used plane values and got nearly all my money back. It had a cruising speed of 180ktas and a fuel burn rate at cruise of 18 gph. I was paying $3.50 per at that time, then you know who arrived and now aviation fuel is over $7. After two months looking around I put in an order for a factory built Velocity XLRG and am about a month from going out to fly it back home now. It has the Garmin G3x touch and Garmin GTX 750 in it and is powered by the Continental TSIO 550 C, 310hp turbo. It will cruise around 240ktas at about the same fuel burn I am guessing. It will be my last plane.
and maybe your best one!! nice move❤😂
Where did you have it built?
@@herbyh369 The factory.
Is it better to have an experimental rating? So maybe if you wanted to have the prop changed out or is it more ideal to have certified from the factory? Could you tell me how much they charged you?
I am looking to learn to fly.
cool. Burt Rutan was way ahead of his time.
Burt Rutan was an aeronautical genius! His designs have impressed me for a long time. I cannot believe the range and duration of the long EZ, very impressive.
Has anybody you know attempted to build a Long EZ using carbon fiber instead of fiberglass? Carbon fiber is stronger and stiffer than fiberglass so less plies of carbon fiber cloth are required and fewer plies would require less resin to wet it out decreasing the weight of the aircraft significantly, possibly allowing for the use of a smaller engine, decreasing fuel flow per hour and increasing the range and keeping about the same speed or keeping the same 150 HP engine and the aircraft is able to fly faster just because of the weight savings.
The "Berkut" was a carbon-fiber derivative of the Long EZ.
@@BixbyConsequence Yes, the Berkuts are all carbon fiber (except for one winglet where the radio antenna is inside of) because carbon fiber blocks radio waves. One problem is that carbon fiber is very stiff and the wings produce a rougher ride in turbulence.
These were designed for the O-235 Lycoming. They fly well with them. Pilots being hotrodders didn't take long to use O-320s and O-360s. They use some stronger airframe components when they do that.
@@99bx99 I learned about carbon fiber acting somewhat like a Faraday Cage when I was doing tons of planning for my overlanding rig. More or less it would be very difficult to make a cell phone call from inside the habitat if it were made from carbon fiber. That being said, in the wilderness I would be using Starlink and could use it to make WiFi phone calls.
@@joeschade I can understand wanting to going fast, it is a blast. But using a larger, heavier engine with increase fuel burn has its drawbacks, the aircraft can only hold a certain amount of fuel so range is going to be shortened, payload may decrease, and possibly the extra weight will not allow a full fuel load. Just making the airframe out of prepreg carbon fiber would lighten the overall aircraft allowing faster speeds. Also there is a 35 hp difference between the variants of the O-235, 100hp on the low end to 135 on the top end, it would choose the highest hp variant and if I choose to fly longer range I can dial back the RPM's for economy cruise, but still have extra hp if I wanted to go faster.
Enjoyed the video thanks for sharing.
Thanks for watching!
thank you, both, for that flight!
Love these style planes. My first dream (realistically achievable) plane was a velocity 173 … now they have a new one I like too.. and attainable.. totally different style of flying and IMPOSSIBLE to stall.. they porpus all the way to the ground
It'd be interesting to see a craft like this built with the new generation of small turbine engines.
Unfortunately, below about 500hp gas turbines get terrible fuel economy. About the only place you see them on aircraft is APU auxiliary power units where weight and space are important and their short running times make fuel economy less of a concern.
As a gas turbine gets physically smaller it gets difficult to keep the airflow from going supersonic inside the engine. If you cut the inlet diameter in half, the throat area is only 1/4 of what it was. So, when you cut the size of a small gas turbine in half, the shaft horse power or thrust is down 75% not 50%. The smaller the gas turbine the worse it gets.
The Delta Hawk diesel two stroke would be a superb solution. Powerful but economical on fuel. It has no internal compression so uses a blower. Altitude power loss is less of an issue.
Or some micro jet version, even better!
which new generation of small turbine engines are you referring to?
Look up the "Jet Eze"
Oh and it looks like a Shinden too. What a treat.
I saw one of these flying near Rolla Missouri a few weeks ago awesome plane
I think I have seen one near Fitchburg, Massachusetts this year. : ) Nice sounding, quiet engine.
I have watched this video twice now, amazing vid. I wish i could buy Long EZ kit.
Most materials and refined plans are ez to obtain. Some of the metal parts too, but not as ez as before. Yet, it's all doable. Best is simply to patiently find one, finished or not.
"Your not videoing right now are you?"
puts camera down "uhhh no" cut
Love it :P
Also if I had good eyes this is the plane I'd want personally, and I'd be making good use for those wing pods :)
those exhaust pipes would benefit from exiting into a a single elongated fan tail . This would assist in slowing down the exhaust which will improve the airflow mixing and reducing the drag. I used this exhaust fan design on my 1980 Donnington GT.championship winning ground effects car.
That's a beautiful little flyin' rig, she's such a little beauty. These little fukkerz are really cool, I'm not even a pilot and I want one!
It's a cracking little aircraft & and I enjoyed the review very much. The closest I will get to one is in the simulator & funny enough, it looks like they did a good job. The views are spectacular also. Slainte Lads
Cool, efficient aircraft. As a pilot I just can't get past the problem of a survivable off airport landing. Love to see other people flying them, though.
@@BuildTheFutureYouWant lol
They absolutely do, and you land nice and flat, not tail up or something.
@@Hibiscuscalyxes The Long Ez has many advantages, trying to sell one on landing in a tight spot isn’t one of them. Stating that a SuperCub doesn’t get the cruise speed of a Long Ez is valid, stating that the Long Ez takes up more runway than a SuperCub is also very valid. Trying to say otherwise just sounds ingenuous.
Long EZ cries out for a Delta Hawk two-stroke diesel.
i have a 6/71 u could drop in their😂
@@AlanMydland-fq2vs LOL
Reminds me of a racing toboggan with wings for the sky!
I agree. I had a friend that had one of those non-stop from miami to alabama. They are fast and efficient.
Looks just like John Denver 's plane. Hope the fuel tank switch isn't mounted behind the pilot.
Exactly what I was thinking!
Oops, just commented the same thing before I read your comment! Ya beat me to it by ten days! :)
I think John Denver's was non standard, from the previous owner's changes ...
One of my friends did the same thing in his Long Ez. He is no longer with us.
Denver was told he should not fly his new plane until the fuel system was made safe. He flew anyway.
What a small world. I got my license out of 39N Princeton Airport in 1989. It was a great little airport with a lot of 152’s and 172’s available for rent. Never had a problem scheduling a rental.
My distant cousin made some great planes!
Put a toroidal propeller on it and let us know how much improvement in performance you get !!
Excellent, always love those EZ's
I thought this was a Burt Rutan design. Looks beautiful.
My first aircraft as a 16 year old was a canard ultralight my next will be a long eze and after that God willing a velocity
Mr Rutan is a genius 👍🇺🇸🇺🇸
Indeed he is
Man that thing jigs around like a butterfly.
Beautiful and natural clouds
Interesting aircraft. I am surprised it doesn't fly much faster than it actually does. It's efficient, low drag design would make it a very good starting point for developing armed drones.
Love canard style planes and their safety characteristics. However I would like to see more about their worst case scenarios and spin problems and how they are handled. Expect the worst, plan for the best !
I think worst case / bad feeling is aft CG, when you just need to maintain more speed. Worse case danger is any density altitude miscalculation without a powerful engine.
Wow look at the plane. Lets Ignore the lines in the sky. Breath deep.
It's pretty well confirmed by LE owners that baggage pods won't impact performance more than 5 knots, if that.
This guy is a candidate 4a constant speed prop& electric HVAC on his next update. I like the FI Lycoming power plant.
I just got divorced, buying a long ez myself!
just think of the jet u could of had😂❤❤
lucky happy man
Nice aircraft!
What would the range be if you travelled by road?
thats a tight fit!
I'd worry about a prop strike on TO/landing.
You do have to be careful
@@SirDrifto Can't fly it like a Cessna or it could easily happen!
Would this be good enough for an Atlantic crossing, via Halifax or so? Or would this be too risky or dangerous? Or it could only be done with very mild winds or something?
With retractable gear, a canopy that is escapable when upside down and some form of flaps... this thing would be a cruiser like no other.
How much does it way??? I love that plane!!
I googled for the long ez and found the plane from the video on sale (posted on november 12th 2023) :o i wish i had 65k to spare... and a pilots license xD
Great price for an awesome bird too
A friend who built one told me that the limit on range was not fuel, but his bladder.
Wouldnt it be more efficient if it would have 4 or 6 blade propeller?
There’s an odd science between blade quantities
Fast and fuel efficient? If I recall correctly, Rand Robinson KR-1 and Quickie Q2 more so.
Wonder the range w / aux fuel tank replacing the back seat. SF to Tokyo ?
Looks cool, looks cooler with dual jet engines, also need wide at the root tapering to the tips canards which can swing back at speed. But that ruins the simplicity and efficiency
"You not videoing right now?..........AAArrr no..." And then we miss the best part.
Really good fuel mileage, but your packed in that small cockpit,,for 1000 miles. Alot of the EZ craft sold here in Wa State.
Imagine how efficient and fast this would be with a toroidal prop!
Man crossing the entire US in three ten hour jumps and only using 600 pounds of fuel. That is about 20 mpg at twice the speed of a car. The only problem is there is absolutely no room at all for any cargo.
All valid points, great if your a solo pilot crossing the US
that looks fun
So I take it that these don't glide very far if there's an engine out scenario?
Why? Glide is based on how much drag the air frame has compared to the lift. It's pretty low drag so will glide fairly well.
I thought the owner pilot made that pretty clear
in the fact the speed brake alone is twice the size
I thought it would be to slow it down.
One could fab clam shell drag fairings extend out
both sides of cooling intakes at engine cylinders
if more was needed.
Cheers
Fairly interesting plane, with a turbo rotax might be even more efficient but a Risen 915 just outperforms it. It's much faster, much more fuel efficient, longer range, much simpler configuration, much easier to fly and it's side by side seating. He should get that next.
I love the design and would honestly fly one if I could afford it. Its unfortunate that this is the same plane that is associated with John Denver's passing.
what's with the static?
How much faster would this plane go if it used the revolver cylinder engine? The two bulges would be more rounded and tapered back toward a four placed prop.
V/r.,
R
This is the closest thing to a fighter jet at the price point
This is the plane I had hoped to build, but I got married and it never happened.
"You're not videoing right now, are you?" 😅
Isn't this model the one the airforce modified to test pulse detonation engines?
22:38 - I wonder what followed… 🤔 😂
in this day of high tech, the audio of such safety still sounds like boiling potatoes
It is a cool aircraft
Cool plane. I prefer the Cozy's myself however.
What happens when you put a 4 or 5 bladed prop?
whats the cost?