Day of the Rutan Voyager

You must have surely heard of Jules Verne’s epic tale of adventure, Around the World in 80 Days. A tale narrated by the meticulous Phileas Fogg and his trusty valet, Passepartout on the journey around the world riding on a 20,000 pound wager set by his friends. While Around the World in 80 Days was a journey taken using a steamboat and by railway and took an arduous eighty days, on December 23 1986, the Model 76 Voyager, also known as the Rutan Voyager completed a journey around the world and became the very first aircraft to fly around the world without stopping or refueling on a journey that took only 9 days, 3 minutes and 44 seconds.

Designed on the back of a napkin by Jeana Yeager, and Brothers Dick and Burt Rutan, the Rutan Voyager was built within five years and in 1984 was introduced to the public as the airplane that would be flown around the world without stopping. The Voyager was built by a group of dedicated volunteers in Mojave, California and was specifically designed to achieve its mission of flying without refueling by having its frame largely made up of light materials such as carbon fiber, Kevlar and fiberglass.

The aircraft, on its frame, only weighed just over 900 pounds (a little over 400kgs) and with its lift to drag ration of 27 (a Boeing has a lift to drag ratio of only 17, so a higher lift to drag ratio is more favorable), the Rutan Voyager had its maiden flight on 22 June 1984 to test its capabilities. The Voyager was unique in its design as it had front and rear propellers which had their own engines. The light weight, along with the high lift to drag ratio and the two set of propellers meant the Voyager was made to travel an incredible distance without refueling.

The Voyager’s journey to be the very first aircraft to fly around the world without stopping or refueling began at Edwards Air Force Base in Mojave Desert on December 14 1986. It had two pilots in the form of the airplane’s designers Jeana Yeager and Dick Rutan who took turns flying the airplane while one rested. The journey did not begin on a good note as its wingtips were damaged during takeoff due to the heavy load it was initially carrying. Even though the two pilots had planned to fly the plane in three-hour shifts to maximize alertness and rest, the tight quarters of the airplane meant it was ultimately uncomfortable and both pilots suffered extreme fatigue throughout the journey.

Like the adventures of Phileas Fogg and Passepartout, Yeager and Rutan’s journey was also perilous at times. Due to the light weight nature of the aircraft, strong headwinds and tailwinds were ultimately dangerous and since they were traveling during the 1986 Pacific Typhoon Season, they had to maneuver around Typhoon Marge, a Category Two typhoon, which was initially considered a danger to both pilots but eventually aided the aircraft when it circulated towards the flow of the Voyager.

Even though Libya denied the entry of the Voyager, which cost the aircraft precious fuel, the Voyager eventually made it back to California, albeit with an already failing fuel pump. It landed safely on the same airfield nine days later on December 23, making aviation history and even though Jules Verne’s Around The World will forever be a classic, Yeager and Rutan both showed that going around the world takes far lesser than 80 days.