SkiGull details revealed SkiGull details revealed Rutan's revolutionary seaplane unveiled Rutan's revolutionary seaplane unveiled

In a departure from his long-held practice of keeping his airplane projects secret while still in development, Burt Rutan used a public forum at EAA AirVenture on July 22 to reveal details of the SkiGull, an ultra-efficient, long-range seaplane capable of landing on asphalt, grass, snow, or water.

"I've been working 18-hour days in an effort to fly the airplane to Oshkosh," he told an audience of about 300 people. "But I realized three weeks ago we weren't going to make it."

The airplane nearing completion at Rutan's home is a two-seat (tandem), high-wing, Rotax-powered, strut-braced, composite seaplane with a trimaran hull and a wheel/ski combination designed to operate from any surface. It's also extremely sturdy and efficient with a goal of being able to operate off rocky beaches, in large swells, and in saltwater, and have enough range to fly nonstop from Hawaii to California.

Rutan gave a 1.2-hour presentation on the SkiGull that included construction photos and detailed drawings and performance estimates. He cautioned, however, that the prototype hasn't flown yet, so "this could all be BS."

Still, Rutan's dedication to the project and his enthusiasm came through loud and clear to the overflow audience.

"I'm going to go home, work at a slow pace, and do the test program right," he said. "We'll invite the Icon people to come over and have a fly-off as some point."