Burt Rutan and Distant Lands

U.S. Federal Aviation Administration: Further north, in the mountains of Idaho, inventor and aviation legend Burt Rutan is preparing to fly to distant lands on the latest of his creations, a weird-looking seaplane with retractable skis, powered by a single roof-mounted propeller, according to CNN. These planes are all part of a new generation of groundbreaking light aircraft models aiming to disrupt an industry that hasn't changed much in decades. Not far away, on the way to Sacramento, less than 100 miles away, another start-up is rolling out the first serially produced units of a new concept of amphibious foldable aircraft so compact they can be kept in a standard car garage. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration defines "small" aircraft as "an aircraft of 12,500 pounds or less maximum certificated takeoff weight." Read More The Cobalt Valkyrie-XCobalt Valkyrie-X: Available for pre-order. The Valkyrie is designed to impress at first sight: sleek and beautiful, you could compare it to a high end sports car. The Cobalt Valkyrie-X is a futuristic-looking but piston-engined aircraft that French-born California-based entrepreneur David Loury is about to launch. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.