Like many enthusiasts, Burt Rutan draws strange-looking aircraft; but he builds them and they work – well. The “Quickie” was designed in 1977 by Rutan, T. Jewett and G. Sheehan.

It has a foam core covered in glass fibre and weighs only 250 lbs. The innovative “canard” layout (tail first) makes it stall-proof.

The engine is a 25 hp Onan built to power lawnmowers. Our example was built in Victoria in 1978 by Fran Benton, and was donated to the Museum in 1995.