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1985 RUTAN DEFIANT

🕒 Listed 6 weeks ago
$365,000
fyiEstimate $146,500–$150,500 ⓘ How this estimate is built

Starts from the median asking price of 36 comparable Other listings ($161,887), then adjusts for:

  • Year -5 vs comparable listings -8.2%

Shown as a range. An estimate from asking-price comparables and FAA supply data — not an appraisal.

1985
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📍 Vero Beach, Florida

Overview

Make / ModelRUTAN DEFIANT
TypeOther
Airframe time—

Description

**RUTAN DEFIANT N38JM — PREMIUM UPDATED CENTERLINE-THRUST TWIN**For the buyer looking beyond the conventional piston twin, N38JM offers something genuinely different: Burt Rutan’s remarkably efficient Defiant architecture combined with the presentation and equipment expected of a modern premium aircraft.N38JM has undergone extensive updating and presents with **new exterior paint, a custom black leather interior with contrasting red stitching, modern glass avionics and distinctive carbon-fiber detailing**.Power is provided by **front and rear Lycoming O-360-series engines**, giving the Defiant true twin-engine redundancy in a centerline-thrust configuration without the large asymmetric-thrust characteristics associated with a conventional wing-mounted twin.A **fresh condition inspection was completed August 15, 2026 at tach 86.0**. Both engines received condition inspections including compression checks, spark-plug inspection, Aeroshell W100 service, filter, exhaust, hose and engine-control inspections, followed by satisfactory ground runs with temperatures, pressures and RPM within manufacturer specifications and no leaks found.The airframe inspection included flight-control inspection and lubrication, satisfactory landing-gear retraction testing, hydraulic-system service, wheel-bearing service, brake inspection, battery inspection and ELT function testing. New Airtrac 5x6-6 ply main tires were installed. The aircraft, both engines and both propellers were signed off for safe operation.Lycoming O-360-series engines.The result is a rare combination: an iconic Rutan design, twin-engine capability, excellent efficiency and a level of cosmetic and systems modernization that separates N38JM from the typical legacy experimental aircraft.**THE MISSION OF A CERTIFIED TWIN. WITH EXPERIMENTAL EFFICIENCY.****Asking $425,000.**Complete photo package, detailed firewall-forward photographs and maintenance documentation available to qualified prospective buyers.

Recommended avionics upgrades

Garmin GTN 650Xi

No IFR GPS navigator is listed — a GTN 650Xi is the standard entry point for WAAS/LPV capability.

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Garmin GFC 500 autopilot

No autopilot is listed — a GFC 500 (or S-TEC 3100 / Trio Pro Pilot where the GFC isn't STC'd) adds a modern digital autopilot with envelope protection, subject to model approval.

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Garmin GTX 345 (ADS-B In/Out)

No ADS-B is listed — a GTX 345 delivers required ADS-B Out plus In (traffic & weather) in one transponder.

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Suggestions are based on the panel described in this listing; verify STC approval for this make/model before any installation.

Service Difficulty Reports (SDRs)

Checking FAA service difficulty reports…

Airworthiness Directives (ADs)

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General

Year1985
ManufacturerRUTAN
ModelDEFIANT
ConditionUsed
Total Time700

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