Richard Rutan and Jeana Yeager piloted the aircraft from a cramped cockpit. Voyager's takeoff weight was more than 10 times the structural weight, but its drag was lower than almost any other powered aircraft.
The aircraft's design and light-weight structural materials allowed it to carry an unprecedented amount of fuel on its 25,000 mile flight. Voyager took off from Edwards Dec. 14, and traveled at an average speed of 115.8 mph. The 9 day, 3 minute, 44 sec. flight nearly doubled the previous distance record set in 1962 by a USAF/Boeing B-52H.
