1982
SCALED Founded
1982
Herb Iversen, Burt Rutan, and Pat Storch founded Scaled Composites: the Advanced Link to Efficient Development (SCALED for short) to focus on aerospace research work.
Everything.
We perform all steps involved in developing something new, preferably with airplanes because they're cool. Whether it's pitching an idea, building and installing a new hydraulic system, testing an airfoil, or crunching some numbers, we do it all.
What that translates into is designing, building, and testing concepts to prove an idea, developing vehicles to mark a new milestone in aerospace history, or participating in an iterative process to help get to the next mile marker.
1982
SCALED Founded
1982
Herb Iversen, Burt Rutan, and Pat Storch founded Scaled Composites: the Advanced Link to Efficient Development (SCALED for short) to focus on aerospace research work.
1985
Change of Ownership
1985
Two years after the successful design, build, and test of the 85% proof-of-concept Starship, Beech Aircraft bought Scaled. For 3 years Scaled operated as a subsidiary of Beech Aircraft.
1989
Company Transitioned
1989
Beech sold Scaled to Wyman-Gordon. Scaled brought composite knowledge and research to the table, where W-G brought mass production and marketing know-how. This partnership intended to access the aerospace composite structure and manufacturing market.
1993
Colorado Relocation Goals
1993
With rising costs to run businesses in California, Burt sought a new home for Scaled. Although long-term plans to move the entire company didn't pan out, Scaled Technology Works was set up in Montrose, Colorado.
1998
Advanced Composites Initiative
1998
Always on the lookout for the next project, Scaled began marketing the wonders of composites. Although many meetings were had discussing the merits of fabric and glue, interest was low. A new idea formed - a modifiable flying platform - which we now know as Proteus.
2001
Scaled Becomes an LLC
2001
Burt and 10 investors buy back Scaled Composites after Precision Castparts moved to sell the company. With this transfer Scaled was renamed Scaled Composites, LLC.
2004
Put On The Map
2004
X-prizes provide motivation and competition for breakthroughs. The Ansari X-prize pushed Scaled to develop a cost-effective system to put man in space.
2007
A New Transition
2007
Scaled's rapid prototyping capabilities caught the eye of Northrop Grumman and was sold for the fifth time.
2011
A Legend Retires
2011
After 29 years at Scaled and 46 years in Southern California, Burt Rutan retires.
2018
Setting Our Pace
2018
We are continuing our legacy of pursuing interesting work. With so many fun projects behind us, we're constantly looking forward to the next.