Burt Rutan Designs Hybrid Flying Car

Burt Rutan Designs Hybrid Flying Car: "

Burt Rutan has designed a flying car. And it should come as no surprise that it is unlike any other flying car idea that has been built. The gasoline-electric hybrid twin pod vehicle is the legendary aerospace designer’s final project at Scaled Composites, the company he founded in 1982.

Following the simple numbering system long used by Rutan, design number 367 made its first short hop into the air days before he retired in early April. It was unveiled to the public this weekend.

The wings on the Model 367 BiPod span 31 feet, 10 inches and can be removed and stored between the pods for driving. The resulting 7 foot, 11 inch wide car fits into a one car garage.

One twist on the problem facing flying car designers over the years is how the vehicle is controlled. The Model 367 BiPod is flown from the right pod where the aircraft controls are located, and it is driven from the left pod. It is not the first Rutan design aircraft to buck the aviation tradition of being piloted from the left seat.

The final design is expected to be powered by a pair of 450 cubic centimeter, four stroke engines, one located in each pod.

Similar to the Chevrolet Volt (and a hybrid electric airplane from Siemens/EADS), the gasoline engines will power electric generators that will power a pair of 15 kilowatt motors for the rear wheels for driving, or four 15 kilowatt motors for flying. On board batteries provide a boost for takeoff and can be used as back up motors for two landings if the gasoline engines fail.

Driving range is expected to be around 820 freeway miles on 18 gallons of gasoline and 35 miles on just electric. With a cruise speed of 100 miles per hour, Scaled says it should fly up to 760 miles. The BiPod is capable of flying at 200 mph if you’re in a hurry, with a range of 530 miles.

Scaled Composites Model 367 BiPod in car configuration.

So far the BiPod has only made some short hops in ground effect down the runway in Mojave. The electric flight motors and propellers have not yet been added to the vehicle and the only air time came after accelerating using the wheels.

The project is reminiscent of Rutan’s early days of designing small and efficient aircraft such as the Long-EZ (model 61). Started as an in-house electric aircraft testbed, the project evolved into a hybrid flying car according to Aviation Week & Space Technology. The project gave many of the young, new engineers at Scaled a chance to work Rutan before his departure. Many of the young employees volunteered on weekends to meet the tight schedule which saw the airplane fly only four months after preliminary design.

A design drawing of the BiPod showing motor placement for flight.

Scaled Composites president Doug Shane says the project was developed internally, but the company is showing the BiPod to the public to see if there’s any interest from a potential customer.

“We’re open as to what the options might be” Shane says. Though he ads before anybody gets excited about the idea of plans or factory support being offered as was the case with Rutan’s first company, the Rutan Aircraft Factory, Scaled Composites “is not in the business of building roadable aircraft, or kits.”

Rutan and the company found a partner in Paul Allen to develop SpaceShipOne (model 316), the first civilian spacecraft. Perhaps they can find a partner to bring the long held dream of the flying car into reality.

The BiPod taxis as a Rutan designed Long-EZ and WhiteKnightTwo fly over head.

Burt Rutan (fourth from left) and the Scaled Composites crew pose in front of his final project at the company.

Photos: Scaled Composites

"