Outwardly reminiscent of the Long EZ, the new composite canard used the Burt Rutan design as a starting point. Added to the aerodynamic appeal is fully retractable landing gear, split canopies, a 205 hp engine and a longer, wider pre moulded fuselage. Named after the Berkut (Berkoot), a Russian Golden Eagle, by designer Dave Ronnenberg, the new craft uses a Lycoming 0 360 to provide a cruise of 208 knots indicated at 8000 feet on 2840rpm. Constructed of carbon fibre and fibreglass a balsa core sandwich with a safety epoxy matrix the canard pusher has an overall length of some 18 foot 6in. The cockpit features a sidearm controller/stick with HOTAS (Hands On Throttle and Stick Controls). Going through its test programme in 1991 with manufacturing company Experimental Aviation, the aircraft has a claimed range of 1,400 nm at 65 percent power. Other preliminary specifications include a 2000 fpm ROC, 54 knots minimum controllable airspeed gear down, an endur¬ance of 5.5 hours at 65 percent power, a ceiling of 35,000 feet, maximum useful load of 965 lbs and an empty weight of 1,035 lbs.
The prototype Berkut was designed and built by Dave H. Ronneberg and Kerry Beresford.
Like the Long EZ, the Berkut carries 2 people in tandem seats. The front seat occupant has access to all instrumentation and controls. The rear seat, normally holding the passenger, is equipped with a side stick and throttle, but no rudder pedals, brakes, or instruments.
Out of 57 kits sold by 1998, 7 were finished.
Builder Jerrold Jorritsma installed a General Electric T-58 jet engine in his Berkut.
It was destroyed following an engine failure in Loveland, CO, May 9, 2010.
Engine: Lycoming IO-360-B1A, 205 hp. HP range: 180-205. Height: 7.5 ft. Length: 18.5 ft. Wing span: 26.67 ft. Wing area: 110 sq.ft. Weight empty: 1035 lbs. Gross: 2000 lbs. Fuel cap: 58 USG. Speed max: 250 mph. Cruise: 209 mph. Range: 1228 sm. Stall: 62 mph. ROC: 2000 fpm. Take-off dist: 1000 ft. Landing dist: 1000 ft. Service ceiling: 29,500 ft. Seats: 2. Landing gear: retractable nose wheel.
1991: Experimental Aviation, 3021 Airport Avenue, Hangar 109, Santa Monica CA90405, USA. 1995-6: 3025 Airport Ave, Santa Monica, CA 90405, USA. A Chapter 11 reorganisation attempt followed the loss in 1995 of the company’s demo pilot and demonstrator in an accident at Santa Paula, California, and a lawwsuit from a former partner. In 1996 Experimental Aviation filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy. 1997-8: 3025 Airport Ave, Santa Monica, CA 90405, USA. Experimental Aviation was reconstituted as Renaissance Composite, operating from the same address (1998). Developed the Berkut as tandem two-seat compositesbuilt canard monoplane with pusher engine, first flown 1991 and made available in kit form.
Four versions of this aircraft (LSA) were produced: the standard series and the wide body model, the stretch model and four stroke model. The kit for the Excalibur II features prebuilt tail surfaces, wings, ailerons end fuselage, and all the controls are already installed. Build time for the kit is estimated at 100 to 200 hours. Options include: 60-hp HKS 700E air-cooled 4-stroke or 4O-hp Rotax 447 air- cooled 2-stroke engine, instruments (ASI, altimeter, tach, dual CHT dual EGT, panel-mounted compass, ignition switch), standard or amphibious floats, fiberglass wheel pants, BRS ballstic emergency parachute, doors, strobe lights and paint materials. Construction is 6061-T6 and 2024-T3 aluminum tube airframe with chromoly steel weldments where needed, stainless steel pop rivets and AN or military spec hardware. Wings and surfaces are covered with Superflite fabric. No welding or machining is necessary and all the critical work is completed at the factory.
Standard Engine; Rotax 503 (52HP) Wingspan; 31 ft. 6 in. Chord; 60 in Length; 20 ft. 0 in. Height; 6 ft. 0 in. Wing area; 185 sq.ft. Empty weight; 450 lbs. Useful load; 500 lbs. MTOW; 900 lb Ultimate load factor; +6 -4 Build time; 100-200 hours Field assembly time; 20 min. VNE; 100 mph Top level speed; 90mph Cruise speed; 50-90 mph Stall speed; 30-35 mph Climb rate; 1200 fpm solo, 700 ft. dual Take off roll; 96 ft.solo, 196 ft. dual Glide ratio; 11:1 solo, 9:1 dual Service ceiling; 14,000 solo, 12,500 dual Range; 290 sm Fuel used at cruise; 2.3 gph to 4 gph Fuel capacity; 10 gal. (U.S.) Cockpit width Standard Body; 26 inches Seats: 2 Tandem Undercarriage; nose wheel LSA
Excalibur Wide Body Engine: Rotax 503, 52 hp HP range: 52-65 Cruise: 80 mph Stall: 33 mph Range: 290 sm Rate of climb: 1200 fpm Takeoff dist: 100 ft Landing dist: 300 ft Fuel capacity: 20 USG Empty weight: 450 lb Gross weight: 950 lb Length: 20 ft Wing span: 32 ft Wing area: 183 sq.ft Cockpit width: 31 in Seats: 2 Landing gear: nose wheel LSA
Excalibur Four Stroke Engine: Rotax 582, 65 hp Cruise: 80 mph Stall: 33 mph Range: 290 sm Rate of climb: 1200 fpm Takeoff dist: 96 ft Landing dist: 300 ft Fuel capacity: 20 USG Empty weight: 470 lb Gross weight: 950 lb Length: 20 ft Wing span: 31.5 ft Wing area: 183 sq.ft Cockpit width: 26 in Seats: 2 Landing gear: nose wheel LSA
Using a Stinson SR5A Reliant as a donor, Evergreen Aviation Services began on the wings. The flap hardware was removed and each wing was shortened by 24 in by cutting off the tips, and the lift strut and jury strut mounts were moved inboard by 19in. The inboard ribs were redesigned for the removal of the flaps and to make provision for a new 10ft 6in aileron. They also had a change in profile to blend in with the centre section.
The 7ft wide centre section was built from scratch, considering only two photographs were available for reference. This section has an hour-glass shape and the middle of the trailing edge goes so far forward that it is actually 12in forward of the rear spar. It is made of 4130 steel tubes tubes with some flat steel used for reinforcements.
Based on a photograph of the bare fuselage structure and the undercarriage common with the Reliant, a drawing of the fuselage was computer generated, and then built.
Struts were created based on 20 odd photographs, and aileron cables, fuel lines, pitot and static lines, electrical and fuel vent lines all go through the struts.
The swivel only tailwheel was modified to lockable. The cowling is from a UC-78 Bobcat, turned 90 degrees, hinging the top so it would ‘clam-shell’. They added blisters for cylinder clearance.
Evergreen designed and built the throttle quadrant, and copied the elevator trim controls from photographs. All of the engine plumbing are copper lines with brass fittings.
A single seat partially enclosed autogyro, first flown 1984 and sold in assembled form. Built of bolted-together square aluminium tube. Stream lined body enclosure, wheel pants, molded fuel tank mounted low behind seat.
