Sharkit 1/48 Rutan Long-EZ

Courtesy of Wikipedia

“The Rutan Model 61 Long-EZ is a homebuilt aircraft with a canard layout designed by Burt Rutan's Rutan Aircraft Factory. It is derived from the VariEze, which was first offered to homebuilders in 1976. The prototype, N79RA of the Long-EZ first flew on June 12, 1979.

The aircraft is designed for fuel-efficient long-range flight, with a range of just over 2,000 miles (3,200 km). It can fly for over ten hours and up to 1,600 miles (2,600 km) on 52 gallons (200 liters) of fuel. Equipped with a rear-seat fuel tank, a Long-EZ has flown for 4,800 miles (7,700 kilometers).

The pilot sits in a semi-reclined seat and controls the Long-EZ by means of 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.”

Small subjects make for small models. This kit comes in a top opening corrugated box measuring on the outside 7 3/8 inches long by 4 5/8 inches wide by 1 5/8 inch high. Inside is some padding and a zip top bag holding the 31 parts and 7 by 8-inch sheet of paper printed on one side with a parts list and a truncated three-view drawing. A single vac-formed canopy on a male plug is also included. I like having the plug, as it helps with cutting off the excess material.

I haven’t detected any bubbles, but there are some rough surfaces and mold release agent on some of the parts. A test fit of the upper and lower fuselage halves plus a wing to fin/rudder piece revealed them to be very good. There is zero detail in the cockpit save for a pair of seats and an instrument panel that shows a questionable layout. The landing gear is not reinforced, so I suspect the legs are easy to break. The registration numbers will have to sourced form a spare decal sheet. There is no factory paint scheme, so you can get creative with the finish.

This model should assemble quickly – even with adding cockpit details. The bulk of the time spent on the project would be devoted to sanding and painting.

October 2019

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