Elbert Leander "Burt" Rutan (/ ˈ r uː t ən /; born June 17, 1943) is a retired American aerospace engineer and entrepreneur noted for his originality in designing light, strong, unusual-looking, and energy-efficient air and space craft.

Burt Rutan (born June 17, 1943, Portland, Oregon, U.S.) is an American aircraft and spacecraft designer who was perhaps best known for SpaceShipOne, which in 2004 became the first private crewed spacecraft.

Dec 13, 2024 · So, Burt took on the BRAB (Burt Rutan AutoBio) project. Burt is working on this autobiography, featuring hundreds of fun-to-read stories of his life, thousands of photos & hundreds of videos - all free to download.

Burt Rutan designed the first privately financed spacecraft to carry an ordinary citizen into space. On a June morning in 2004, Rutan's innovative SpaceShipOne rose from the Mojave Desert in California, flown by test pilot Mike Melvill (c. 1942–), climbed through the …

Aug 5, 2011 · Rutan, left, and British airline magnate Richard Branson pose before the prototype of Virgin Galactic’s suborbital spaceplane, seats in which hundreds of would-be astronauts have booked at ...

Jan 1, 2012 · Rutan’s 31st airplane, the mantis-like Proteus is multi-mission but one of a kind. Invented as a broadband tower in the sky, it has flown instead as a high-altitude (above 60,000 feet) research...

Many of the most significant developments in private aircraft development over the last several decades may be attributed to aviation innovator, inventor, aeronautical engineer and entrepreneur Burt Rutan.

Long before inventing SpaceShipOne and Voyager— the first aircraft to circle the world nonstop and unrefueled—Burt Rutan revolutionized the practice of homebuilding airplanes with a...

Jun 11, 2018 · Burt Rutan designed the first privately financed spacecraft to carry an ordinary citizen into space. On a June morning in 2004, Rutan's innovative SpaceShipOne rose from the Mojave Desert in California, flown by test pilot Mike Melvill (c. 1942 –), climbed through the clouds, and entered space.

Designed, built and tested 17 manned prototype research aircraft and several unmanned aerospace projects for both commercial and government clients. Founded Scaled Composites, Inc. in 1982 which designed and produced the 108 foot wing sail for the 1988 America’s Cup Challenge Race.