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This was a pretty advanced plane for a kit. Swept forward wings offer MANY advantages, but they need to be built VERY carefully or they break off.
The Russians tried this for some time (ultimate plane being the Sukhoi 47), but I think went with a more conventional swept back design.

With a not very huge engine, these small wings would probably let a plane hit MACh easily.

The problem always was getting up into modern-fighter combat territory (Mach 2 and up) as the wings would compress and snap off.

Be a hell of a private plane, though.

5 posted on 05/11/2010 10:54:56 AM PDT by Jewbacca (The residents of Iroquois territory may not determine whether Jews may live in Jerusalem.)

Ah, correction. This was NOT the Sukoi.

This is just a Ruttan Long EZ with a jet engine. Still a fun plane, though.

7 posted on 05/11/2010 10:57:40 AM PDT by Jewbacca (The residents of Iroquois territory may not determine whether Jews may live in Jerusalem.)

Wrong Berkut. The one that crash-landed was an American kit-built pusher turboprop, not a Russian fighter.