Adam A500 CarbonAero
The A500 was developed in the early 2000 from a technology demonstrator designed by Burt Rutan. Its push-pull configuration is intended to reduce the impact on the aircraft’s flight characteristics from the failure of an engine.
The prototype first flew in July 2002 and was certified by the FAA in 2005. The plane was plagued by numerous problems during development. The most serious problem was that the aircraft was overweight by more than 1,000 pounds. This reduced the plane’s carrying capacity so much so that when it was loaded with a full fuel load it was unable to carry a pilot.
Only seven aircraft were built between 2005 and 2008 when Adam Aircraft Industries went out of business.